Amsterdam Delivers Maritime History, Swimmers, Amazing Brunch
Days 70-71, 2025 European Odyssey
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6-7, 2025; Dover, England, and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Jo: “This is the best meal I’ve ever had!”
Waitress: “In Amsterdam?”
Jo: “I think this whole year!”
Waitress: “Wow!”
Little did she know that this year I have eaten in foodie cities from Lima to Sydney, from Cape Town to Athens. As well as at some of my favorite restaurants back in the states. In between, I’ve had some great special chefs’ meals at sea.
But this breakfast-and-brunch restaurant in Amsterdam served up a perfectly seasoned pulled BBQ pork, surrounded by poached eggs, avocado, mango salsa and chipotle cream. Of course, I paired it with a pink gin and tonic. After all, it was almost noon. The meal was perfect.
I later learned that Bakers & Roasters was started by a “young Kiwi lad and a young Brazilian boy,” according to its website. It goes on to describe B&R as “a New Zealand style café served with a heavy dose of Brazil.” No surprise I loved the Navajo Eggs. Put it on your short list if you are ever in Amsterdam.
There was a festival atmosphere today along the Keizersgrachtcanal just east of Amsterdam Centraal train station, as 3,000 people jumped into the water for the annual Amsterdam City Swim, a fundraiser for the ALS Foundation. Crowds were cheering from every bridge over and side of the canals.
I was unaware of the event when I planned my day to take advantage of our berth at the Amsterdam cruise terminal. Most cruise ships now dock at IJmuiden near the North Sea, thus requiring an hour’s transfer to the city (but saving the cruise ship the two-to-three hour transit up the river). Eventually a new bridge across the Amstel River will result in the permanent closure of the Amsterdam cruise terminal.
Having toured much of central Amsterdam in June before joining the Nieuw Statendam, today I focused on the Maritime Museum, or Het Scheepvaartmuseum. The sunny day was perfect for the 20-minute walk there, and I timed it to arrive just as the museum opened. Shadows cast by the glass roof over the courtyard resemble the compass rose found on old (and new) nautical charts.
Much of the museum focuses on nautical techniques used by the Dutch during their exploration of the world. Exhibits examine the development of charts, compasses and instruments to measure positioning by longitude and latitude.
Other rooms highlight ship decorations and model ships. The museum itself is in a former naval warehouse dating back to 1656.
Docked next to the museum is a replica of the three-masted Amsterdam, a 18th century cargo ship of the Dutch East India Company. Visitors have the run of the ship, and some chose its stern from which to cheer on some of the swimmers who started their swim from the museum.
As I walked back to the ship, I passed artists creating and refreshing murals in one of the many tunnel walkways.
Today was turnaround day, and I faced a chore: unpacking. This is the only cabin change I have during my five months on board. I had decided against a verandah for summer cruising in Northern Europe, and it was a good decision. I think today was the first day since June with a high temperature above 70 degrees.
The good weather continued as we sailed down the Amstel River and through its locks. Once in the North Sea after sunset, the red lights of the wind farms lit up the horizon.
From here we will head south to the Mediterranean Sea for the fall, and I am heading from my ocean view cabin with a large window up two decks to a verandah stateroom.
Yesterday, on the last of my four calls into Dover this summer, I headed to the medieval town of Rye on a ship tour that took a long and meandering road to get there. I can’t complain; the tour description promised a panoramic drive through the countryside. Personally, I would have preferred more than our 90 minutes of free time in Rye.
The central part of town lies on the hillside below the St. Mary-the-Virgin Anglican parish church. I headed that way on a winding narrow street past galleries, cafés and shops that I found a step above typical souvenir stores. Every fourth or fifth storefront was selling ice cream, which is an extremely popular treat along the south coast of England, it seems.
Great photos and narrative (as always Jo). What a game changer are those glazed roofs over the maritime museum you visited (and such other places as the British Museum and the Wallace Collection in London). You were very lucky to have berthed in Amsterdam. While we have done that a couple of times in the past, as you know from Elaine and Eloise, the P2P berthed at IJmuiden. Still, we had an excellent day in Harlem that we wouldn’t have had with another berthing in Amsterdam. Interesting to read about the plan for the future bridge – perhaps we have had our last cruise into Amsterdam.
Enjoy the Mediterranean – we look forward to being there with you next year.
Will try the restaurant on my next visit. Thanks for sharing.