{"id":29298,"date":"2026-10-21T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=29298"},"modified":"2026-10-21T20:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:25:26","slug":"two-touristy-days-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=29298","title":{"rendered":"Two touristy days in Amsterdam…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Part of the the National Maritime Museum<\/a> we visited on August 21, 2026. (Very impressive.) <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome to the \u201cGeorgia Wasp\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This blog is modeled on the Carolina Israelite<\/em>. That was an old-time newspaper<\/a> \u2013 more like a personal newsletter<\/a> \u2013 written and published by Harry Golden<\/a>. Back in the 1950s<\/a>, people called Harry a \u201cvoice of sanity amid the braying of jackals.\u201d (For his work on the Israelite<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s now my goal as well. To be a \u201cvoice of sanity amid the braying of jackals<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on the blog-name connection, see the notes below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantim<\/strong><\/em>e<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 21, 2026 – The last post told how I got to the Central Station in Amsterdam by riding seven miles on one bus and two trains. (Not hiking 14 miles up and back like the day before.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went there to meet my partners for a 140-mile GR5<\/a> <\/strong><\/em>hike through Holland and Belgium.\u00a0But after a long wait inside the station and out, they were nowhere to be seen. So I headed over to Cafe Karpershoek<\/a>. (Hiking through Stationsplein Square and across the “Westertoegange” (Western access<\/a>) bridge.) I figured a cold beer would make the wait more enjoyable, plus I could get a Whatsapp update about what to do next. But once inside I saw them, right there in a cozy nook by the front door, waiting patiently for me<\/em>. (Somehow they’d snuck past?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a late lunch – they just got in from Paris – and caught up on last-minute news. From there we hiked the mile and a half to the apartment on Cruquiuseiland<\/a>, a man-made island in the East Docklands<\/a> part of Amsterdam. (Before being built between 1875 and 1925, it was a swampy wetland and “popular smuggling route into Amsterdam.”) For a picture of the apartment building on Google Maps check “Hildo Kropplein 19,” then the directions from Central Station to see the route we followed. (With a whole lot of water around, mostly canals.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met the owner and he led us up three flights of stairs to a long, narrow apartment with a nice cozy balcony, with lots of houseplants, looking out onto a tree-leafy side street. One big bedroom, a good-sized TV room with lots of books, and a narrow hallway. Then came the process of who got to sleep where. By the luck of the draw I ended up getting the big bedroom – this time – while Tom got to camp out on the couch-rollout-bed in the TV room and Carol opted to take a mattress pad and sleep in the kitchen. Here’s what I texted back home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One big bedroom and a TV room looking out onto the balcony, with a foldout couch and sleeping pad underneath. Carol took the pad and will sleep in the kitchen. (Which closed off the fridge – and access to beer – early on.) Tom flipped a coin. I got the big bedroom. Though that means I\u2019ll get the couch or pad later on. and it was actually a bit chilly. 66 degrees.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To explain: During our hikes one of us often has to sleep on a roll-out couch. And during the upcoming GR5 Carol got a room all to herself when we stopped at a hotel, while Tom and I would share a tee-toncey room with twin beds very<\/em> close together. (Plus I vividly remember taking a pad and sleeping on a hard kitchen floor one night, but that’s a story for later.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that we went to a nearby grocery store; mostly breakfast stuff for the mornings of August 20 and 21, plus a six-pack for Tom and I. (Though he limits himself to one beer a night.) Then came dinner at the Eetcafe Oceaan<\/a>, .7 miles away on Borneokade. Lucky for us the place was designed for locals: “a welcoming space for the local community … where residents could gather, enjoy good food, and feel at home.” (We hate going where all the obnoxious touristy types go.) I had an \u201cOceaan\u201d salad, but despite the name there was no seafood in it. Then too the place was noted for its “friendly staff and vibrant local beer selection,” so I was happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning Tom and Carol slept late. I lay quietly in my private room, checking my phone for news, then my tablet for a bit of PDF book-reading. In time they woke up and we had a late breakfast. I had cereal with fat-free milk – the only kind they drink – and a banana. Quite filling actually. Then we headed up along the Prinsengracht canal toward the\u00a0Hard Rock Amsterdam<\/a>, so Carol could get another Hard Rock souvenir. (She collects them.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Hard Rock Cafe I was still full from breakfast, so I only got a fruit cobbler with ice cream, mostly because it was the cheapest item on the menu. (Which I couldn’t finish, although I did finish the beer, which tells me it was past the 12:00 noon hour, a rule I follow since that incident on the Camino de Santiago in 2017.*) Along with the excuse: “Sunday we start hiking and burning off calories.” That Thursday afternoon we took a 75-minute Blue Boat<\/a> canal cruise, partly on the Singelracht circular waterway. Along the way we passed by the Hortus Botanicus<\/a> botanical garden. We sat in the stern and I remember a family with three cute blonde little girls to my left. (We were to see a lot of all-blonde blue-eyed families in Holland and Amsterdam.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later a husband and cute-brunette wife came out. She sat on the block in front of us, posing seductively as hubby snapped away on his camera. It turned out she was a mother of two more blonde blue-eyed cherubs, and near the end of the photo op I found myself thinking, “Yeah, you still got it.” (Which meant even though she was re-living past glory, I still enjoyed the show.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All things considered it was a long first touristy day in Amsterdam, which may explain why I fell asleep after dinner, back at the apartment, about 8:00 p.m. I was trying to read Tom’s paperback copy of The Sun Also Rises<\/a>, but the next thing I knew he was turning out the lights at 11. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next morning, Friday, August 21, we went to the National Maritime Museum<\/a>. It was pretty impressive, but the only picture I took was of a poster on “Ships and beer.” About how by the late Middle Ages (1270-1500) Amsterdam had become the main port in the province of Holland. The city’s merchants bought grain, timber, beer – and things for storage: “Stoneware and pitchers were a welcome by-product: they needed something to hold the beer!<\/em>” (Italics in the original.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For lunch we went to The Bull<\/a>, a New York style Steakhouse just next to central train station. I had the kid-sized fish and chips – but still plenty of food – and water. Water<\/em> because after lunch we headed to the Heineken Experience<\/a>, noted in A preview of Holland\u2019s GR-5 hike<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tour gives you access to the old brewery and the first brew room, where the beer was produced before the company grew too big and moved elsewhere. You\u2019ll learn everything about Heineken and end up on the roof terrace where you can enjoy two beers, included in the tour. With your I Amsterdam City Card<\/a> you get a 25% discount, but tours must be booked with your card in advance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

“We” opted for the cheaper ticket, meaning no roof-top experience. (Said to offer a great view of the city’s skyline.) Also, we were supposed to get two <\/em>free sample-pints at the end, but we got another free sample midway, “and Tom thought that was it. So he exited the building, not knowing we each could look forward to two more free samples. Carol gave me her token – which I have to this day – but by then it was too late. My verdict: “I hate to rush a good beer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason for the rush was we had to get to the Van Gogh Museum<\/a> by 6:30. Tickets are limited to a certain number per hour and half-hour, and that was the only time-slot Tom could get. Still, the place was packed, much more than as shown in the image below. I’ve always been a big Van Gogh fan, as described in my 2015 post On leaving a legacy<\/a>. And maybe for that reason I didn’t take any photos because I was so overwhelmed by the experience. Also, in August the place closes at 9:00 p.m., and that was definitely not enough time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all that it was late before we got home. And early next day we had a train to catch to Hook of Holland<\/a> on the North Sea. The morning after that<\/em> we would finally start our 140-mile hike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned…<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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The upper photo is courtesy of “national maritime museum amsterdam Images<\/a><\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Incident on the Camino.” See\u00a0\u201cHola! Buen Camino!\u201d \u2013 Revisited<\/a><\/em>, about me peddling a 10-speed mountain bike and running my ass into a ditch after having a beer before<\/strong> the noon hour. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lower image is courtesy of “Van Gogh museum Images<\/a><\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Re:  The Israelite<\/a>.  Harry Golden<\/a> grew up in the Jewish ghetto of New York City, but eventually moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.  Thus the \u201cCarolina Israelite.\u201d  I on the other hand am a \u201cclassic 75-<\/strong>year-old \u201cWASP\u201d \u2013 White Anglo-Saxon Protestant<\/a> \u2013 and live in north Georgia.  Thus the \u201cGeorgia Wasp.\u201d    <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, in<\/strong> North Carolina Harry wrote and published the \u201cisraelite\u201d from the 1940s through the 1960s.  He was a \u201ccigar-smoking, bourbon-loving raconteur<\/a>.\u201d  (He told good stories.) That also means if he was around today, the \u201cIsraelite <\/strong>would be done as a blog.\u201d  But what made Harry special was his positive outlook on life<\/a>.  As he got older but didn\u2019t turn sour<\/a>, like many do today.  He still got a kick out of life<\/a><\/strong>.  For more on the blog-name connection, see \u201cWasp<\/a>\u201d and\/or The blog<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*   *   *   * *   *   *   * Welcome to the \u201cGeorgia Wasp\u2026\u201d This blog is modeled on the Carolina Israelite. That was an old-time newspaper \u2013 more like a personal newsletter \u2013 written and published by Harry Golden. Back in the 1950s, people called Harry a \u201cvoice of sanity amid the braying of jackals.\u201d (For his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29298"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29298"}],"version-history":[{"count":171,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29611,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29298\/revisions\/29611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}