Amsterdam (Part IV): Bad Weather and Aimless Wandering...

I’m sad to report that I’m back in the US. However, I’ve still got a lot of stuff to fill you in on, including my last full day in Amsterdam, so I’d better get started.

Having knocked out most of the things on my ‘to-see’ list the day before, I devoted 15 May to just walking around in hopes of stumbling upon some random fun things. It started off well enough, with a quick visit to Waterlooplein Market. Founded in the 1800s as a marketplace for Jewish merchants, following World War II it became (and has remained) a large, daily flea market.

After spending some time at Waterlooplein, I started heading east, in the general direction of the Natura Artis Magistra, the Netherlands’ oldest zoo, assuming such a setting would provide some nice photos. Sadly, it cost €18,95 to get in and so I ultimately decided to skip it…

Just as a cold downpour and thumbnail-sized hail started pelting me.

Yes, you read that correctly: rain and hail. And, it just so happened that there were no trams or buses nearby. Nor was there shelter. In all, I was quite uncomfortable by the time I made it back to more familiar streets. 

And of course, that’s when the rain and hail stopped.

At any rate, I eventually found myself—drenched—standing in front of the Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The National Maritime Museum), which is located in the 17th Century ‘s Lands Zeemagazijn building. I popped in for a quick second, long enough to admire the stunning interior courtyard, before heading back out.

Standing in front of the 's Lands Zeemagazijn building, home of the National Maritime Museum.

Standing there, I spotted a windmill—the only remaining one in the city proper—about a kilometer away, to the east. Since the rain had stopped for a moment, I decided to walk over to it and snag a photo or two. 

As I learned later, the windmill in question is known as the De Gooyer Windmill (a.k.a. ‘the Windmill Bar’). I couldn’t get in to visit it because the adjoining brewer—who now owns the windmill—was not open yet. Instead, I had a quick bite to eat at a nearby cafe, nestled in the shadow of its slow-turning blades.

Ominous skies and the De Gooyer Windmill in the background.

From the De Gooyer Windmill I made my way back into downtown Amsterdam, where I paid quick visits to Nemo (Amsterdam’s equivalent of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry), and then spent the rest of the day just wandering around the city aimlessly and trying to avoid the nasty weather.

And yes, as part of that wandering around, I did stumble upon one of the infamous streets with the prostitutes behind glass in the Red Light District—though, for obvious reasons, I did not avail myself of their services. (Though, the gents I saw leaving their work areas looked pleased enough.)

And, on that happy note, I’ll bring this entry to a close, and with it my brief excursion to Amsterdam. It’s a fun city, and one that can seemingly be explored in a relatively short timeframe if you only have a few days or so and are willing to push yourself. Not as much fun as Marrakech, mind you, but better than Paris…

Until next time…