Amsterdam for Christmas
We almost didn’t make it! The Netherlands went into lockdown one week before Christmas and we were afraid that they would decide to not let in visitors during the holiday season. Not only that but we had decided to take the train and just days before our departure, the French railway went on strike. We were leaving on Sunday and this was the Wednesday before. Luckily for us, the strike was over by Friday and without any restrictions to get into the Netherlands, we were on our way.
After spending Christmas apart last year, we were all looking forward to a Christmas together. We were down one, as daughter number 2 was unable to come from California. My eldest daughter lives in Amsterdam and she would be hosting us this year. Amsterdam is our second home as we lived there for 12 years on two separate occasions.
There were no museums to visit, no restaurants to eat at or shops to browse in. What there was, was the city of Amsterdam that had the spirit of Christmas, regardless of these lockdowns. People were out biking, stores owners were able to stand at the door and greet people in hopes that they’d perhaps want to have a look in the window and buy something off the street. The lights were on, the candles in the windows were glowing and the stands of warm food lined the Museumplein with enough choice of warm food to take the bite out of the winter day. We were lucky to have blue skies and although Amsterdam was closed, it was as beautiful as ever and we were able to spend Christmas together.
In the evenings we wandered past the many windows that allowed us a glimpse inside of Dutch life. Here, the curtains are rarely drawn as if giving permission to have a peak inside. We were given a show of all of the beautifully decorated interiors as we passed one home after the other. We saw candles glowing, Christmas lights twinkling and scenes of families gathering in the living room. The Dutch word “Gezellig" was ever present. Warm, cozy and everything wonderful wrapped into one. In my experience, no one does this better than the Dutch. So, our walks home in the early evening were a treat and a feast for the eyes as we caught these glimpses of local life.
So, we made it, and it was perfect.