Beers, Bikes and Babble

"Bring-bring…bring-bring…bring-bring-bring-bring-bring-bring!"

Those “brings”—starting innocently enough, then slowly building to a point of unmistakable urgency—were the first thing I heard upon stepping out of Amsterdam Central station.

I was lucky, narrowly missing a collision with a tall, blonde and now visibly annoyed Dutch girl on a bike. Not all visitors, I’m sure, are quite so fortunate. In any case, I already learned my first lesson: here, the bike and those atop it rule.

My friend and I made our way, warily, to the apartment we would be staying in. “Hellos” exchanged, keys collected and luggage unloaded, we decided to investigate the city—by bike, of course, after negotiating the price down from twelve euros an hour to eight for a full day. Amsterdam is no Thailand or Vietnam, but it’s still worth keeping your eye out.

The same goes for the harder bit: actually riding. Constant vigilance is necessary. Even so, mistakes will be made and criticism from your fellow cyclists doled out—mostly in the inimitably harsh and guttural local language, of course.

We soon found that with a bike, you can easily get lost in the beauty of the city proper…or, like we did, on the industrial fringes of Vondelpark. But getting lost is the best way to find what you never knew you were looking for.

Eventually, at the end of a dead end street, we found a local brewery and bar by the name of Butcher’s Tears. We parked our bikes, and walked past a dozen or so drinkers to get inside the place: an old retrofitted garage. The walls were covered entirely in plain white tiles and gave the place an oddly clinical feel that, along with its even weirder name, was at odds with the relaxed vibe outside.

The bartender proudly informed us of the finer points of each of his creations, and gave us a taste of each. After settling on our own particular favorites—the traditional pale ale, Green Cap, is hard to beat—we sat outside in the afternoon sun and basked in our good fortune.

In a city as densely populated as this one, it seemed a crime that this wonderful, quirky little place had so few people in it. But that is Amsterdam: for all its buzzing activity and architectural beauty, it still retains an understated charm if you look in the right places.

According to a chatty local, ‘gezellig’ is what the Dutch call it: that contented feeling that comes with enjoying a relaxed beer with friends in a nice place. Perhaps I’ll just have to get used to the language…