There used to be three good reasons to leave the city and plan a trip to our rival town Rotterdam. First of all my dear friend T. lives there. Second the Boijmans Van Beuningen Collection and finally Bazar.

Approximately two years ago the owner of Bazar in Rotterdam decided to expand his empire to the capital. Since I always, when in Rotterdam, have lunch or whatever in Bazar, I was curious to see if Bazar Amsterdam had the same charm that would make a visit to the original restaurant redundant in the future. To emphasize the competitive element, I invited my dear friend T. who happens to be the general manager of Hotel Bazar in Rotterdam.

In maybe one of the liveliest streets in Amsterdam, the Albert Cuypstraat, where the famous market is daily held, Bazar houses in a former church. The beautiful fusion of different oriental elements -decorated tiles everywhere, even the toilets are cramped with red floral motives- gives you the feeling you’re lost in a palace from 1001 nights.

What I like so much about Bazar, this airy restaurant on two floors, is their ability to mix successfully. Besides its decorative combinations, I enjoy, the wonderful ambiance made out of the difficult balance between public and private. The kitchen serves dishes mainly from North Africa and the Middle East suiting Bazar’s Credo meet the world brilliantly.

Compared to Amsterdam standards, the food is a bargain especially breakfast is a good deal. Not a conventional one I agree but with Turkish yogurt, Algerian thousand-hole-crêpes with butter and honey, oriental bread and fresh fruit to name but a few items, you won’t be hungry for a very long time I bet.

To be honest I can’t think of anything against this vivid colorful place but as I’m quite fond of dear T. I’ll have to continue visiting Bazar Rotterdam.

Bazar; Albert Cuypstraat 182; Amsterdam

Happy beach is what they call Blijberg, the first real city beach in Amsterdam open since the summer of 2003. Maybe it doesn't have the sophisticated flair of Paris Plage or the glamour of a historical site as the Monbijou strandbar in Berlin, but at least you can swim here in the outstretched Ijsselmeer. Also different to a city beach in the classical manner Blijburg stays open all year.

Now moved to the new location some 400 meters further away from the original one, it’s not less cheerful but what is going to happen after 2009 to this wonderful beach pavilion nobody knows for sure. Locals and frequent beachgoers started a filmproject to force the municipality to make Blijburg stay but in a small city with big housing problems building grounds are rare... therefore you better go there before it’s too late!

Photo by ElCabron

Now that summer is slowly coming to an end and everybody, who’s not blessed to live in a southern country, is cherishing the last sunrays Blijburg is the perfect place to spend a sunny day. By now, all the noisy kids will be back at school and their desperate mums will be transformed into nice city girls again, so you can fully enjoy the relaxed mood which reigns here. But even unsunny days will have their charm. I like the feeling of a beach in the old fashioned way: not too tidy,  wind and sails everywhere and a far reaching horizon.

Photo by BasL

Fridays and Saturdays are traditionally party nights with different kinds of music and bands; for instance the Generations of Love Festival, this summer. On Sundays, breakfast is accompanied with live classical piano music and from 17.00 - and if you bring your instrument, you can join the Blijburg jam. The Kitchen mostly works with organic products and besides breakfast and finger food, you will find national golden oldies like a bammetje hagelslag or drie in de pan which I last ate when I was a kid.

Blijburg aan Zee; Bert Haanstrakade 2004; Amsterdam

 

Admit it: most earthly pleasures are linked with envy. So when everybody else, exhausted from the weekend, has to go to work, some lucky ones can visit the Noordermarket.

Between the Korte Prinsengracht and the beginning of the Prinsengracht you’ll find a beautiful triangular square lined by the church (Noorderkerk) nice cafés and restaurants. The Noordermarkt was named after this church, which dates from the seventeenth century.

Here, every Monday morning, you can see people (mostly women) cycling or walking from the bridges, laughing, and flocking to this little spot. What is so much fun about this market that it has become a magnet for people over the years?

Aside from the envy factor, it may have something to do with the feeling that there is always somebody you know around, and indeed there is. Last time, I lost my little daughter Prune and started panicking. Soon after a woman found her, and as I looked her in the face I recognized my old roommate Roline.

King Louie/Petit Louie

It's amazing as well that some market sellers have stayed there over the years. One of my favourites is the King Louie/Petit Louie booth, selling women’s and kids’ clothing from different collections.

Exota

The labels are cut out, but if you find this a problem they have a shop Exota Hartenstraat 10 where they sell the current collection. My most recent Monday treasure: the curtains of my youth, original 'Nijntje' (miffy) from the seventies.

Cafe WINKEL

To complete the morning, join the queue of cafe WINKEL (Noordermarkt 43) for a warm piece of apple pie. The rumor goes that they bake the best apple pie in town. I deserve to be stoned at once for revealing this myth, but actually the pie is delicious and don’t we all like to believe in fairytales?

On Saturdays, a part of the Noordermarkt joins the organic food market, but it doesn't have the same dazzling atmosphere given that for most hardworking people are off from work and there isn’t a soul who will envy you.

Noordermarket: Mondays market 9 -13. Saturdays: Organic food market 9-16.00

We Dutch are in a way obsessed with space. The Netherlands are the most densely populated country in Europe, and it’s impossible to find a decent apartment in Amsterdam if you’re not kin of Croesus. Because of this, I have developed a certain kind of spacio-mania: and than I found this museum.

Of course one can argue about the definition of a museum but most people since the nineteenth century would agree that, besides its conservational and collecting tasks, a museum should be open to public.

While there is no problem visiting Huis Marseille, it is less trouble-free to try and write about it or even photograph this lovely foundation. For me that’s exactly the point, is it really “open to the public” when only an excusive circle of well- informed culture dilettantes know of the existence of this collection?

At Huis Marseille they think this site is too commercial to their philosophy and they would prefer to not be mentioned. But I can’t withhold this heavenly place from you, so I’ll describe it without any reserve.

Huis Marseille, the first photo museum in Amsterdam, is located on Keizersgracht 401 in a canal house with the same name. After passing the reception it’s unlikely you’ll meet a lot of visitors. Hues of green, grey marble and honey colored wooden floors impressed me so much that I kind of forgot the current exhibition. A staircase leads into the backhouse, the most interesting part of this marvelous house.

Nothing is more appropriate to the garden room than Jacob de Wit’s Heavenly concept, an original ceiling painting from the eighteenth century. Viewing the garden with its ancient trees, a feeling of calm and serenity came over me. The best part is that you can enter the garden because they have put tables and chairs outside. So with a coffee or tea from the museum's 'media kitchen' you can pretend, since nobody else will be there, that you are sitting in your own garden.

If you’re eager for the city again, visit the nearby Cafe Walem on Keizersgracht 449, one of the first Grand cafés in Amsterdam. If you still have some energy left for art, drop in to Foam a neighboring photo museum (Keizersgracht 609) in the conventional way. 

Thinking of Holland 

The above quote from a well-known poem of Hendrik Marsman is the name of a brand-new shop in Amsterdam. Dorret Griffioen, the owner of the shop, had simply had it with all the junk that ordinary souvenir shops were selling. She believed that Holland, with all its internationally acclaimed designers and tourists alike, deserved so much better.

Thinking of Holland

The Passengers Terminal on Piet Heinkade 23, where all big cruise boats harbor, suited her strategy. In a posh interior, designed by Thomas Cruijsen, you’ll find several items that’ll remind you of Holland. Though not especially conceived as souvenirs, these high quality objects often have a twist and provoke memories of the Low Countries. Unfortunately 'Zealand sweetheart' doesn’t belong to the shop but you’ll definitely find related jewelry or motives from her attire.

Droog

Thinking of Dutch Design, I immediately think of Droog. A design label and platform for designers. Droog meaning dry, a reproach we Dutch are repeatedly blamed for, produces unpretentious, funny but functional objects.

Droog

In a historical building in the Staalstraat, Droog established its flag store and a gallery where young designers exhibit their creations. Here you can wander around, marveling a table, a kitchen or enter the lovely garden. For me, it feels more like visiting the new apartment of a friend than dwelling in a design shop. I always sneak in to see if they still have the big hare in their collection. It’s such a pity that my floor isn’t roomy enough to have such an opulent doormat.