There and back again

A visit to Amsterdam can get very overwhelming, with its crowded streets, flashing billboard lights, unforgiving sex and drugs image, and cyclists who don’t slow down for anything less than a concrete wall. If you are in need of a break, and provided the sun is present, you could spend some time in one of Amsterdam’s charming parks. And while there are a number to choose from, the best one by far is also the most famous.
A relaxed and lengthy visit to the Vondelpark is not unlike playing a video game: you will end up with a few random encounters. If you sit by the little pond at the east side of the park, a guy with a guitar might spontaneously walk up to you. In exchange for a pinch of tobacco he will give you a guitar lesson, or even lend you his guitar while he goes to a nearby supermarket to buy beer. Drinking cheap alcohol next to the canals or in a park is popular amongst the locals to combat the exorbitant prices of many bars. Would you rather indulge in Amsterdam’s green trademark product, you should look no further. While smoking weed in public is not technically legal, the smell near groups of relaxing youngsters would imply otherwise. Such is the nature of Amsterdam: anything goes, as long as you’re chill. If you are unable to roll your own joint, you can just walk up to them. With a slightly mocking grin, they will gladly roll a joint for you or invite you to smoke with them. “Blowing”, they call it here, to the amusement of every English speaker with a dirty mind. People will ride their bike unto the grass, hop off and unpack their picnic basket before you can say ‘sunny day’. Expats and Dutch people alike will use their English skills to tell you about their favorite coffee shop, whether you want to or not, and in the evening the smells of barbecued meat fills the air while the last office people who fell asleep quickly gather their stuff, hop on their bikes and cycle homeward, grass falling off their nice suits.
Every city park has a different atmosphere, depending on the metropolitans who visit it. And the Vondelpark perfectly embodies the need to lay back and relax of the people of Amsterdam. If you want to escape the hustle of the Dam and the in-your-faceness of the red light district, I can think of no better place. Just be careful and remember to walk to the side of the road or stick to the grass. Even though the serenity of the park will make you drop your guard, this is still Amsterdam, and cyclists still owe the road.