From Weesp to Amsterdam . . .

The busiest and most densely populated area of Holland is known as the Randstad – a “megalopolis” as described by Wikipedia – containing the four largest cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. While the area can at times resemble one large urban sprawl, it does have pockets of real beauty, one of which is the city of Weesp – our destination for four weeks.

I say “city” because that is Weesp’s official designation (a “stad” in Dutch) but it really more resembles a town (population of around 18,000). Curiously, the Hague with a population of about half a million is designated a village (“dorp”) – there is much analysis of this matter on the web, but for the time being let’s just leave it there . .

Situated just 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central and with a picturesque centre full of canals, shops and cafes, it’s a wonder tourists haven’t discovered Weesp in droves. We rented an Airbnb apartment for around 50 euro per night (about $NZ 80). It was admittedly tiny but in a great location, next to a canal and 2 minutes from the centre. There is no way we could have hired anything similar in Amsterdam for less than three times that amount.

Within 24 hours we had two bikes – one second-hand from a bike shop (of which there are unbelievably five in the town) and one from Marktplaats – the Dutch equivalent to New Zealand’s Trademe. Weesp is adjacent to a number of “plassen” (small lakes), some of which originated from the extraction of peat many years ago, peat being once used for fuel and construction. Anyway the result today is an area well suited to walking and biking with many spots to stop and swim. I went through my usual nervous transition getting used to biking on the right . . .

While in Weesp we made a side visit to the Hoge Veluwe National Park – 55 square km which, by Dutch standards, is big. At each of the three entry points you can take your pick of one of hundreds of white bikes, provided to visitors for free. The highlight of the park, for me anyway, was the Kröller Müller Museum which houses the second largest collection of Van Goghs outside of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The art was purchased by Helene Kröller Müller, from a wealthy industrial family, who donated the entire collection to the Dutch people in 1935. The sculpture garden was my favourite.

From Weesp to Amsterdam, gratefully house-sitting in an apartment of friends on holiday. We are in the Staatsliedenbuurt which is slightly north west of the main centre – sitting five stories high with views overlooking two intersecting canals. It’s a perfect location, just 10 minutes or so from the Jordaan (formerly a working-class area but now full of upscale shops and cafes) and a short bike ride to the Westerpark.

I lived in Amsterdam with Jolanda about 29 years ago and back then it was far quieter, with less tourists and generally a nicer experience than it is now. The smell of marijuana is almost everywhere and, in some places, overpowering. There are complaints from Amsterdam residents – on matters such the predominance of shops catering to tourists but little in the way of basic necessities – hardware stores, chemists, post offices and the like. Airbnb has become so popular that investors have been buying Amsterdam houses and apartments to rent to tourists, thereby making it unaffordable for those wanting to buy a first home. A new law has come into place whereby you can only rent a holiday apartment for a maximum of 2 months per year. It’s an interesting insight into the question of when does tourism turn from being an economic advantage to a social disadvantage?

Knowing the city well helps to navigate around and avoid the main tourist crush. My highlight was a visit to the Verzetsmuseum which tells the story of Dutch people during World II, and in particular the activities of the Dutch resistance. I was fresh from seeing Soldaat van Oranje (Solider of Orange) – maybe the most spectacular musical I have ever seen. A purpose-built theatre with seats that revolve around a central stage has been constructed in an old aircraft hangar – near Leiden. The show is unbelievable, not only in terms of the set and effects, but of course in the story it tells. Resist, collaborate or tolerate – what would any of us have done in the same situation?

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