Relaxing

Club 8 is just around the corner from where I live, and it has it’s own specific appeal: a bit alternative, with graffiti covering all the stairways to the third and forth floor where Club8 has its residency. Not that I am a fanatic pool player. But I like – even if I don’t play – the atmosphere of people concentrating deeply on the game, and busy with something, but relaxed. Not as in some hip or less hip places in the center, noisy and overcrowded.

Pool billiard: there are 19 pool tables and 3 snooker tables. Enough to keep the waiting time down to a minimum. Actually the Club is internationally renowned, and sometimes there are international competitions.

After a change of owner unfortunately the club on the second floor has been abandoned – and will be rebuilt as a “private area snooker club” – whatever that means: I will keep you posted…

Contrary to many other places in Amsterdam it’s a pretty large space, well hidden, and not touristic at all – as with many places: you have to know about it. Especially good for rainy days. Just to mention: the guy on the picture is my fellow co-spotter Jošt from Ljubljana on his visit to Amsterdam – well: I also take my guests to Club 8!

I must admit I’m not the best in bargain hunting. Every once in a while I try to do my best at flea markets or vintage stores but most of the time I have to face the facts: I’m incapable of finding the nice clothes in the midst of all the junk. Still I keep on trying because I do know people that do succeed and I can’t stand the idea that I might miss out on a great bargain just because I didn’t give it a try…

So I gave it a try at the IJhallen in the North of Amsterdam. Every month there is a huge flea market here where people sell mostly clothes but also other things. For an entrance fee of 4.00 you are free to spend as long as you want to rummage around the piles and piles of stuff that are on offer.

The market is usually partly inside and partly outside. Make sure you dress up warm cause both places are cold in wintertime!! The stuff people sell is really very cheap so if you do have an eye for a bargain you rally can’t miss this.

Also the trip over to the market is worth while. You take the free ferry from Central Station over to the NDSM part of North, I always enjoy this!

(Check the website for the upcoming markets)

This place is one of my favourite squares in Amsterdam, due to the big green lawn and it being less busy in comparison with the Vondelpark. Nowhere in Amsterdam will you find a square of this size. Museumplein (“museum square”) is a place where youngsters, students, elderly and tourists all come together to enjoy the green, play sports or read a book on one of the many benches.

The museum square is surrounded by the three big museums, namely: the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Rijksmuseum. And on the other side of the street you will find the beautiful Concert Building.

The lawn was recently renewed with a new grass-field. They say the grass is so strong that it will easily hold all the upcoming events on the square with thousands of people. Under the elevated shaped triangle lawn, also called the donkey ear, there is a supermarket where you can buy some refreshments.

You can also go to the Cobra café close to the Rijksmuseum, where they serve some great sandwiches and they have a big busy terrace! In the summer you will find a big pond which turns into a cool ice rink in the winter, next to this cafe.

So combine some culture and relaxation at the museum square, since they are just minutes away from each other!

The old stadium of the 1928 Olympic Games is of course an important landmark in its own right. Built in the ‘Amsterdam School‘ style the somewhat rectangular complex is rather impressively plump more than it is an overwhelming beauty. Nevertheless, the stadium is a fine example of the style familiar for its rectilinear composition and no-nonsense use of materials, very popular in the first half of the 20th century. 

There are a lot of different activities hosted in the stadium. As an active runner I especially like to participate in one of the sporty ones. First of all, because it’s fun. Secondly, because it’s free of charge. Every second Friday of the month runners’ club Phanos organizes a duration course. In different groups (with tempos varying from 9 till 13 km/h) two or three ‘pacers’, which will dictate the assigned running speed, head out on the road with anyone who’s willing to follow. It’s up to you to choose which group you wanna follow, but keep in mind that the group will keep its assigned tempo… with or without you.

Starting at 19:30 with a communal warming-up, every group will run a route that takes them approximately an hour, till they are safely back at the same spot they started. Afterwards you can enjoy a well-deserved revitalizing (free) drink at the entrance gate of the stadium. For other drinks or snacks you can visit the Phanos canteen inside the stadium.

So find those old sneakers and join! Next runs are May 10th, June 14th and July 12th.

As I am totally 100% Dutch on the money matter (read: saving as much as possible on none essential things) I always try to get a semi-professional haircut as cheap as possible. If this means trusting my hair in the hands of those who still have to learn the ropes of the trade, that’s totally fine with me.

The kappersakademie is a school for hairdressing. As a huge part of the education is about obtaining different skills, it has a saloon on the ground floor of the building where the students can practice on real models. They learn not only to cut, but also how to do the intake of new clients and how to comfort the regular customers (I think they even learn the obligatory chit chats you often hear at hairdressers). A cup of coffee or tea is included in the treatment.

I’ve been there now a couple of times and they haven’t messed up my hair at all. And there’s always a supervisor who afterwards corrects the students, if necessary. No really, they do a very good job for a very good price. Besides the normal cutts you can also get your hair coloured or permed or your facial hair depilated. Even a manicure or head massage is possible (for a couple of euros). 

P.S. It’s necessary to make an appointment!

Special offers:

- Dip Dye Ends: € 9.95 (coloured hair ends) 

- Get Styled: € 25.95 (washing, cutting and styling)