Experiencing Amsterdam in Lockdown

As I have written about elsewhere on this blog, I spent the summer of 2020 travelling through many different countries and generally avoiding any major restrictions, as a consequence of both choice and luck. The final stop of that trip took place in Croatia and from there I flew directly to Amsterdam in mid-October.

Amsterdam had - like me - mostly avoided any major restrictions and hadn’t even locked down the previous spring; when most of Europe had enforced strict measures, the Netherlands had stayed relatively open and unchanged. Unfortunately my luck had run out and just a couple of days before I arrived the country entered lockdown. All non-essential shops were closed, as were all museums, bars, restaurants, etc. These restrictions were to stay in place for the duration of my five month stay. Indeed, they only got more strict with a 9pm curfew introduced on January 23rd.

In some ways, these changes didn’t affect my plans as much as perhaps could be expected. Having visited Amsterdam many times already I was not too disappointed that the attractions were closed having already seen most of them. Likewise, having both friends and family there I was fortunately not at risk of being entirely isolated and alone during my time there.

Whilst I may not have experienced all the thrills that Amsterdam has to offer on this particular visit, I did however experience the city from a unique perspective. I found myself in a city notorious for tourism, populated almost solely by locals. I did so in the midst of a global pandemic and witnessed directly how Dutch society adapted to this once-in-a-lifetime situation.

Being a solo-traveller actually played into my hands in this case. With limits on the number of visitors allowed per household, by being alone I was the perfect invitee with no other friends or family at risk of being excluded.

A network of friends gathered over previous trips also came to my rescue. Mary, who I had worked with earlier that summer in Poland, and Robert who I had met and travelled with a couple of years previously in Portugal, provided great company - as well as places to sleep on occasion - for which I am very grateful. Robert, being the employee of a local brewery, came with the added advantage of an endless supply of beers; an advantage that was fully exploited on more than one occasion….

As for the city itself, Amsterdam had a distinctly different feel to any of my previous visits. To be clear, I have always loved Amsterdam and even at its busiest the city has a wonderfully positive atmosphere. However, passing through streets that were normally overcrowded with tourists and now rarely hearing an English voice was a refreshing change. Amsterdam felt like it was finding its Dutch identity again and the Dutch culture was shining through beyond the masses of tacky souvenirs and coffee shops.

Two particular locations stuck out in my mind. The first is the Museumplein. One of the most visited areas in the city, there one can find enough world-class museums to last a lifetime, including the magnificent Rijksmuseum.

Previously, one could also find the famous ‘I Amsterdam’ letters here, surrounded by an endless cycle of tourists getting their classic Instagram photo. These letters have since been removed, and combined with the removal of tourists the area felt transformed. Replacing the thousands of camera-wielding visitors were local families and friends enjoying picnics and playing sports in the vast open area.

(Interestingly, the letters have been moved to Sloterplas, a large lake far enough removed from the city centre that I suspect few tourists will venture so far even when allowed to return to the city).

The second attraction I would like to briefly mention is the Anne Frank House, one of the most visited museums in the world. As a student I specialised in the Holocaust and wrote my thesis on Anne Frank herself. In it I was quite critical of whether the museum was using its huge platform to adequately educate people about the Holocaust.

On this visit I returned to the museum and my opinion has certainly evolved. Whilst previously I felt I had done little more than join a long procession through an empty house, on this visit I felt much more powerfully the emotional impact appropriate to the witnessing of the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Whilst I must note that the museum had been refurbished since my last visit, far more important was the lack of crowds. It is difficult to appreciate the significance of one's surroundings when those surroundings are dominated by others. A place that intends to leave its visitors with a lasting emotional impression will struggle to do so when its visitors lack the freedom and space to truly take in the exhibits in their own time. Unfortunately, I appreciate that this is a problem that will inevitably return as tourists do likewise, and I can only say that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit an almost empty Anne Frank House.

One final, and probably my favourite, memory from my stay in Amsterdam came in one of my final weeks before leaving. In mid-February temperatures plummeted and quickly the city famous for its many waterways froze over.

Historically this was a common event in the Netherlands, but now is a far rarer event and one that has always been high on my bucket-list. To walk along the canals and frozen lakes of Amsterdam surrounded by people ice-skating was a truly surreal experience. To do so in the knowledge that I was one of very few visitors left in the city made it that extra bit special.

A final note to the people who made my stay so enjoyable even in such trying times. I met many people during my stay, through work and accommodations but without my family it would never have happened. Nicolas (my cousin), his wife Clothilde and their children invited me to their country, provided me with work, and made me a part of their family. I joined them weekly for dinner, spent Christmas and New Year with them, and accompanied them on many days out. When travelling so frequently and for so long, I rarely experience the more regular routine of a family life; thank you for welcoming me so closely into yours.

Posted: 23/05/2021

Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)