Amsterdam and More

This week I have been on a training course in the Netherlands through work. While I wasn’t in the classroom, I was exploring the area of Amsterdam.

My course was in Nieuw Vennep, just southwest of the capital; my hotel in between at Hoofddorp.

The plane landed Sunday and wanting to see the ‘Body Worlds’ exhibition before it closed, I dumped my bags at the hotel and jumped on the train into ‘Dam’. The heavens were pouring, luckily I remembered my umbrella!

The exhibition is about the human body; Gunther von Hagens developed a method called ‘plastination’, which involves injecting a resin into dead bodies, preserving the organs for educational purposes for doctors etc, to study them better rather than having them suspended in jars.

It was over 6 floors, with each level dedicated to certain bodily functions, starting with the nervous system. It was a fascinating, although a little macabre. There were some odd displays, like three skinless people playing poker!

Monday kicked off the course and with the very wet weather which continued into Tuesday I stayed around Hoofddorp. I found a very good tapas restaurant, ‘La Cubanita’, that is worth visiting if you are ever in the area.

Wednesday saw a break in the rain. Taking advantage of this, I jumped on the train to ‘Leiden’. What a gem this city is. More picturesque and quieter than Amsterdam. A better vibe and plenty of restaurants to choose from.

I went up to the castle ruins and around the cathedral; although it was closed. If I had never been to Amsterdam before, Leiden would be what I would expect it to look like.

I had dinner at a restaurant on the canal side before sampling the beer at some nearby bars.

Thursday brought Storm Ciaran to the Dutch shores. Schools here closed at midday and everyone hunkered down to weather the gale force winds. It was due to dissipate around 1900h, but the trees outside my hotel were almost horizontal at that time, so I opted to remain there for the night.

Friday it had all calmed down, and after passing my course I was back out exploring. This time I was in ‘Haarlem’.

Another quaint and picturesque city, although I prefer Leiden. More historic buildings and aesthetically pleasing streets to explore. Being a Friday night most places were fully booked, however I managed to find an Italian restaurant.

The evening was still young, so I jumped back on the train and headed back to Leiden to sample more of the watering holes, before catching the last train back to Hoofddorp.