Posted on Friday, 5 January 2018

Clive Portman and his wife embark on a whistle-stop tour of Amsterdam's top attractions, fuelled by some of the finest fast food in the world.

Having planned to spend a single night in Amsterdam, everything about our trip to the Dutch capital was fast. We sailed into IJmuiden from Newcastle early on the first day, then hopped on the ferry company's bus and, accompanied by lots of other eager short-breakers, eventually spilled out into the charming city centre.

In temperatures that were perhaps only a couple of degrees more agreeable than those of Newcastle, we set about our plan of visiting the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House.

Such a fast visit required fast food - so we had pencilled in a few of the most popular quick-eats in town to keep us fuelled.

Despite enjoying a quick breakfast on board the ferry, by the time we were dropped off outside Central Station, we were feeling peckish again.

Omelegg and Van Goghs

Having rented bikes we wended our way through the picturesque streets to a place called “Omelegg”. While the punny-name seemed to over-emphasise the eggy nature of the fare, everything else about Omelegg was delightful. We settled down in this cosy little establishment and enjoyed a very fine cheese omelette, certainly one of the best I've had.

This we washed down with ginger tea, all of which re-invioragted us for the Van Gogh Museum, just a few minutes away on our trusty bikes.

Rob Wigboldus Vishandel

Having gorged on Van Gogh's sumptuous paintings, we were ready for a late lunch. As Northumberlanders, my wife and I do love our fish dishes, so we were thrilled to visit Rob Wigboldus Vishandel, a fast food establishment famed for its herring sandwiches. I chose the flagship herring bite in a crusty white roll, while my wife opted for smoked eels in brown bread. Both were just as satisfying as the reviews had suggested, and served quickly by the friendly staff.

Rijksmuseum

We hadn't planned our city break too well and found ourselves doubling back in order to reach the Rijksmuseum. In many other cities this might be something of a chore, but in a place as pretty as Amsterdam, it is always a delight to pedal gently through such quaint streets, gliding along canals and over bridges, while being part of what is a wonderfully civilised city.

The Rijksmuseum served up myriad artistic and historic artefacts for us to devour - too many for the time we had. But, with so much more to see at this and many other museums and galleries, at least we had a superb excuse to return in spring.

Anne Frank House

It was dark and chilly when we emerged from the Rijksmuseum, but we still had one more place on our itinerary - the Anne Frank House.

The tragic story of Anne Frank is well known. Her final years were spent living in concealed rooms behind the building where her father worked, in an effort to evade Nazi persecution. The diary accounts of this young Jewish girl bring home the hardships and terrors that Frank's family endured from 1942 to 1944, when they were finally arrested and taken to concentration camps. But as profound as her accounts were, my wife and I found the preserved rooms where she had lived even more touching. Long queues - even in the evening - and narrow stairs make this a physically challenging activity, as well as extremely emotional. "Must-visit" can be an over-used term for many city attractions, but the Anne Frank House assuredly deserves it.

Back on the peaceful evening-time streets of Amsterdam, we felt blessed to be living in a relatively untroubled time and place.

Mister Meatball

Cycling north in search of Mister Meatball felt somewhat decadent after such an experience - but hunger is hunger.

We found a seat at the back of this cosy venue and ordered the speciality meatballs, accompanied with beetroot mash. The friendly lady owner recommended her favourite sauce - which certainly enhanced this already-tasty dish. With two beers the bill came to 24 euros - modest considering our proximity to the train station.

Sated, we ambled out onto the wintry cobbled streets and re-mounted our bicycles, happy yet quietened by the previous few hours. Steadily we cycled back to our hotel, passing charming canals and jolly night-time revellers, in what is surely one of the most refined and pleasant cities in the world - with some of the tastiest fast food you'll find anywhere.

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