RO: Cine mai are nevoie de un al n-lea articol despre Amsterdam? Cine mai vrea sa auda pentru a nu stim cata oara ca suntem lesinati, de-a dreptul lesinati dupa canalele pline de case-n barci, dupa cladirile colorate insirate de-a lungul apei, dupa atmosfera aceea haotica si nebuna si toata aglomeratia din Dam Square, ba chiar si dupa cea de la Central Station ori din Red Light? De cate ori sa repetam aceeasi poezie cu stroopwaffles-urile de la Albert Heijn, sandwichurile cu hering de la tonetele din coltul strazii si branza Edam ori Gouda ori de care-o fi? Ce rost mai are sa mai spunem iar si iar ca Amsterdam e ca acasa? Ca Vondel park ne e mai familiar ca Herastraul sau ca visam cu ochii deschisi sa locuim intr-o casa pe canal in Jordaan.

EN: Who needs the n-th article about Amsterdam? Who wants to hear for the umpteenth time that we’re completely mesmerized by the canals full of boat houses, by the colorful buildings alongside the water, by that chaotic and crazy atmosphere and the crowds from Dam Square, even the one from Central Station or Red Light District! How many times to repeat the same story with the stroopwaffles from Albert Heihn, the herring sandwiches from the stalls from the corner of every street, the Edam or Gouda or whatever other Dutch cheese? Is it worth saying all over again that Amsterdam feels like home? That Vondel Park is more familiar to us than Herastrau Park or that we’re dreaming with the eyes wide open to live in a canal house n Jordaan. 
















RO: Upsi dupsi, ca tot veni vorba de Jordaan, parca-parca ni s-a pus pata pe cel mai dichisit si mai ravnit cartier din tot Amsterdam-ul! Si adevarul e ca nu prea ai cum sa-i rezisti. Casa dupa casa, care mai de care cu podelele si ferestrele mai inclinate si mai gata de colaps (ba nu, ca se sprijina binisor de vecinele mai breze), terase inflorate sa-ti poti bea Heineken-ul in liniste si pace, restaurante si pub-uri tentante (si-n top sta Winkel 43, ca prea are tartele acelea cu mere de mananci pana nu mai reusesti sa te ridici de la masa :D) si peste toata nebunia asta sunetele clopotelor bisericii Westerkerk, care bat de te trec toti fiorii cand iti amintesti de randurile jurnalului lui Anne Frank.

EN: Oopsi doopsi speaking of Jordaan, we’ve became quite crazy about the most stylish and craved neighborhood in Amsterdam! And the truth is that you simply can’t resist. House after house, with reclining floors and windows, ready to collapse (oh well not really, as they prop against their neighbors quite easily), the terraces full of flowers where you can drink your Heineken in peace, the tempting restaurants and pubs (and on the top of the list we have Winkel 43, as it has those amazing tarts that you simply can’t stop eating :D) and over all this madness you can hear the sound of the bells from Wsesterkerk church, ringing and giving us the creeps when we remember Anne Frank’s diary. 

RO: E drept ca Amsterdam devine prea tipar clasic de capitala europeana, divers, aglomerat, haotic, pe alocuri agasant. O fi asa si pe dincolo si poate ca isi pierde un pic din farmec atunci cand tot Dam Square-ul e plin de n-ai unde sa arunci un ac. Sau cand cozile de la Madame Tussauds sau Anne Frank Huis se intind cat vezi ochii. Dar slava cerului, toata nebunia din centru, croazierele pe canal, Red Light district-ul, coffee shop-urile ori pozele in sabotii galbeni de lemn uriasi – toate-s pentru turistii dornici de clisee. Pentru ca undeva la vest de gara centrala e poate cel mai frumos si autentic cartier din tot Amsterdam-ul. Labirintul de canale unde, desi greu de crezut, dai fix de atmosfera aceea atat de tipica olandezilor calmi si relaxati. Un soi de “dolce far niente” in varianta olandeza.

EN: Though is true that Amsterdam is becoming a classical pattern of European capital, diverse, crowded, chaotic, sometimes even irritating. Maybe it looses a bit of its charm when the entire Dam Square is packed full. Or when there are endless lines to get into Madame Tussauds or Anne Frank Huis. But luckily all the madness from the city center, the cruises on the canals, the Red Light District, the coffeeshops or the pictures in those yellow wooden clogs are all for tourists in search of cliches. Because somewhere in the west part of Central Station is probably the most beautiful and most authentic district in all Amsterdam. The labyrinth of canals where, even hard to believe it, you find that typical Dutch relaxed and calm atmosphere. A kind of Dutch “dolce far niente”.









RO: Si chiar daca inceputurile cartierului nu au fost chiar cele mai nobile (pe la 1600 cartierul era sarac si plin de mahalale si refugiati), acum este cea mai ravnita zona din tot orasul, cu cladiri tipice, restaurante care mai de care, alei liniste, buticuri, magazine de branza (cum altfel? :D) si galerii de arta. Da, o avea o nota hipstereasca dar e perfectiunea amsterdameza intruchipata. Pai cum sa te mai mire ca pana si Rembrandt si-a cautat inspiratia in Jordaan, pe canalul Rozengracht? Si cand te gandesti ca dupa cel de-al doilea razboi mondial erau planuri de a decima complet toate cladirile traditionale din Jordaan pentru a se construi blocuri moderne de apartamente? Pfiu, ce bine ca s-a revoltat olandezu’ si-a luptat pentru pastrarea cartierului. Si uite ca din 1970 pana in prezent s-au tot renovat si consolidat cladirile, iar acum intreaga zona musteste a arta, ca doar e districtul artistilor 🙂 Si apropo, pe canalul Lindengracht (acoperit, la fel ca si Rozengracht) are loc o piata locala in fiecare sambata. Toate ca toate, dar pentru urmatoarea vizita in Amsterdam rezervam neaparat o cazare pe Airbnb, in vreo barca de pe canalele din Jordaan! 🙂

EN: And even if the beginnings of this district weren’t quite noble (around 1600 this neighborhood was poor and full of slums and refugees) nowadays it is the most desired area in the entre city, with typical buildings, all kind of restaurants, tranquil alleys, boutiques, cheese stores (of coooourse :D) and art galleries Yes, it might have a hipsterish charm but this Amsterdam’s perfection. No wonder Rembrandt used to search for inspiration in Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal where he used to live. And when you think that after the second world war there were plans to completely destroy the traditional buildings from Jordaan and build new modern apartment blocks? Phew, thanks God that the Dutch people rioted and consolidated the buildings, and now the entire area is full of art, as it i snow the artist’s district 🙂 And by the way, on the Lindengracht canal (also filled as well as Rozengracht) there is a local market every Saturday. All in all, but for the next visit we will for sure book a night on Airbnb, in a boat house on the canals from Jordaan! 🙂