Picture by Ingrid Bischler via Pixabay
Central train station Amsterdam
Picture by Ingrid Bischler via Pixabay 

If you’d ask me what my favourite city is, there is only one option: Amsterdam. It’s been this way all my life. I’ve always been enchanted by the city’s history. I’ve made plenty of memories there, both good and bad. I’ve been living on the other side of the country for the past five years, and I’ve only visited this city once or twice. I miss it sometimes. Amsterdam has a unique vibe and energy for me that other places just don’t have. My love for this city began at an early age.

Family

I was born on the Eastern side of my country in a small town. I had family in Amsterdam, which is on the other side of the country, who we would visit once a year. This was always a joyous occasion for me. It was a long journey, by train since we didn’t have a car. But once there, my family members would, of course, be happy to see me and spoil me with gifts and fun outings. I dreaded the moment we had to return home. These visits were when my happy associations with Amsterdam began.

Fan memorabilia

When I was ten, we moved to a city close to Amsterdam. From there it was only half an hour by train. We still would go there for happy outings. While I was a teenager, I would go to Amsterdam to go shopping. Especially when I was a Backstreet Boys fan, we went shopping on the hunt for posters and other memorabilia. Ordering goods online wasn’t available yet, so we had to scavenge the shops for special items. I loved visiting the big music store Fame. They had so many CDs that it was a joy to browse their shelves.

Theatre

Carré theatre Amsterdam - Picture by Françoise Rondaij-Koch via Pixabay 
Carré theatre Amsterdam – Picture by Françoise Rondaij-Koch via Pixabay 

I’ve often been to the theatre in Amsterdam, for theatre performances, pop concerts and classical concerts. Dear to my heart is when I went to Carre Theatre, the most famous venue in the Netherlands, to see a performance of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ together with my father. Another time, equally memorable, was when we went to a marathon show of all the Lord of the Rings movies in a cinema in Amsterdam. These are nights I’ll never forget.

Red Light District

I’ve often been to the Red Light District, both with my first boyfriend and with my husband. It’s where I received my first vibrator and where we bought our first BDSM gear. We’ve never visited a prostitute, but I loved shopping there or at least browsing these stores. There are many shops with sex toys or even a BDSM and latex store. I love the sexual atmosphere in these streets, the excitement in the air.

A By-Gone Love

It’s hard for me to convey how much I love this city. I’ve always felt like I was coming home when I exited the train station. My husband never really understands it. And, I must admit, things have changed. When I visited Amsterdam these past few years, I still felt a remnant of my past happiness, but it became harder and harder for me to see why I loved this city so much. Many of the cute little stores I used to visit have transformed into Nutella shops. There have always been many tourists in the city centre, but they seem to have multiplied each visit. And since Covid has begun, we don’t make this journey anymore, not for fun. I think the days when I loved this city so will not return. My family members have either passed away or moved out of the city. The internet has made everything available everywhere, so there’s no real need to visit another city anymore. But I’ll always remember the city Amsterdam fondly.


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4 Comments

  1. Amsterdam indeed has a unique vibe, and I always love going there, but like you, I find the city has become too crowded with tourists. The last time I was there, was in 2019 with my daughter, and we could barely maneuver our way through the crowds. Not nice at all.
    ~ Marie xox

  2. Wow Liz, how you felt about your capital city is how I used to view my capital – London. Time has indeed marched on, and I can see that what it used to offer us it no longer does, but those memories are very precious and the culture of Amsterdam appeals to me – my youngest and my husband are both fans of your fair city.

  3. Thought provoking – is it worth going back to places we loved that have changed? Maybe its best to just have the memories and not risk the disappointments – but then some places change for the better – Newcastle feels like a much more interesting city now than it did when I was young and not just because I know an accommodating lady in that town 🙂

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