december-2012

you see are the cranes. It looks really
mysterious,” Marcia says.
A graduate of Design Academy
Eindhoven, she appreciates the site’s
industrial past and is inspired by having
all of the diff erent disciplines under the
same roof. Just as the building itself has
been repurposed, in her work she also
places existing objects in a new context.
As a member of creative collective We
Make Carpets, she uses the most
commonplace of items, from paperclips
and plastic cups to plasters and pasta, to
make large patterned fl oor installations.
Following in the wake of such creative
enterprise is a battalion of offb eat
initiatives, from galleries, festivals and an
indoor skate park, to a monthly vintage
market.
Amsterdam fact fi le
WHERE TO STAY
For grandeur by the water in
the city centre, try Sofi tel the
Grand. The fi ve-star former
convent has a peaceful
courtyard, and overlooks
Oudezijds Voorburgwal.
See sofi tel.com. To sleep in
the old engine room of a
19th-century steamship, try
B&B Volle Maan. There are
excellent water views. See
houseboatbedandbreakfast.
com.
MTV Europe chose this site for its
headquarters and there are plans to turn
the old shipping crane outside into a
boutique hotel with three luxury suites.
Th e view from the crane at a height of
30 to 50 metres must be worth the
vertigo. Th e renovation is due to start
later this year.
At the foot of the weather-beaten
steel survivor, the wind ricochets
between the rusty girders, carrying the
squall of seagulls in search of fi sh. Over
by the jetty, a neat queue of cyclists and
scooters awaits the next ferry. A surge of
water hits the black, 1950s Soviet
submarine moored nearby in a series of
wet slaps.
Hidden along the opposite bank is
WHERE TO EAT
Once a ferry, Pont 13 is now
a fl oating restaurant in the
Western Docklands. Delicious
fare in a unique setting.
See pont13.nl. REM Island
(pictured; remeiland.com) was
a former pirate radio platform.
GETTING AROUND
See the sights from a
surfboard with a Stand Up
and Paddle (SUP) session with
national champion Morene
Dekker. She knows what she’s
doing and it’s easier than it
looks. See mm-sup.com.
DON’T MISS
Innovative architecture and
classic fi lm make EYE Film
Institute on the north bank
of the IJ worthy of a visit.
Stay all day and fi nish off with
The Netherlands
N
Anne Frank
House
Schiphol
Airport
Europe
TRAVEL AMSTERDAM
another member of the blue-and-white
ferry fl eet, but it’s impossible to fi nd
unless you know that it is there. Where
the average ferry ride takes between ten
to 20 minutes at the most, you can stay
on this one for as long as you like, as it’s
not going anywhere. Taken out of action
in the 1990s, the old ferry dating from
1927 is now a popular restaurant called
Pont 13.
Inside, everything has a slight tilt to it,
unrelated to any alcohol consumption.
Th e angle is just enough to make you
aware that you are fl oating. A rugged iron
furnace in the middle smiles a warm
welcome, its mouth aglow with fresh logs.
Th rough the porthole, the harbour
outside is a perfect circle of water and
shimmering lights.
Amsterdam
EYE Film
Institute
Het IJ
Royal Palace
Amsterdam
Amstel
Central
Station
dinner. See eyefi lm.nl.
highlights on Amsterdam’s
Although the offi cial opening north side with local guide
of Tolhuistuin is yet to come, Elly Goossens. From history
it’s worth keeping tabs on to culture to architecture, Elly
events being held at the covers plenty of ground. See
former Shell staff canteen.
See tolhuistuin.nl.
rondhetij.nl.
MORE INFO
LOCAL EXPERT
For more on Amsterdam 2013:
Discover the hidden waterfront klm.com/amsterdam2013
Holland Herald 35
Map: Allan Grotjohann