Journal · Amsterdam · 12
Notes from the cobbles
Notes kept as they comeShorter than the guides and closer to the street. Each note takes one small piece of a sightseeing day and the evening that follows it.
- What Cobbles Do to a Pair of ShoesVisitors pack for rain and forget the ground, and by the second afternoon on Amsterdam cobbles the shoes they chose have told them everything about it. A note on footwear, and on the evening after.2026-09-12
- Counting Bridges on One AfternoonOne visitor counted the bridges he crossed between a museum and his hotel on a single August afternoon, and the total came to forty-three. He put it in the booking.2026-08-30
- A Saddle Set for Somebody ElseThe usual complaint from visitors after a day on a rented bicycle in Amsterdam is not the distance or the wind but a saddle set for the rider before them.2026-08-16
- The Rope on the Staircase WallMany canal houses in Amsterdam have stairs so steep they are closer to a ladder, with a thick rope on the wall where a rail should be. Guests meet them carrying a suitcase.2026-08-02
- Standing Still on Gallery FloorsTwo and a half hours in a museum covers little distance, yet visitors leave the Museumplein galleries more worn out than after a whole day walking the canals.2026-07-19
- An Afternoon of Rain and an Earlier EveningAmsterdam rain arrives fast, stays for an hour and turns a walking plan inside out, and visitors caught in it often move the evening booking earlier.2026-07-05
- The Free Ferry and the Wind in NoordThe free ferry behind the central station crosses the IJ to Noord in minutes, and the wind on the far bank is what visitors mention when they book that night.2026-06-21
- Saturday at the Market in De PijpThe long street market in De Pijp is a morning that turns into a whole day, with a shopping bag that grows heavier at every stall along the way.2026-06-07
- Long June Light and a Later StartIn June the sky over Amsterdam stays light until nearly eleven, and visitors who walk until sunset end up writing the booking far later than planned.2026-05-24
- The Last Night Before the FlightThe final evening of an Amsterdam trip has a character of its own, with the suitcase half packed and the sights all ticked off, and it is often booked longer.2026-05-10
- Two Pairs of Tired LegsCouples sightseeing together tire at different rates and in different places, and a booking for two goes smoothly once each has said what the day did to them.2026-04-26
- King's Day on FootKing's Day turns Amsterdam into one street party at the end of April, and a visitor who spends it on foot comes back to the room thoroughly spent.2026-04-12