August - Amsterdam

I put off writing about Amsterdam for a while on purpose.  I needed to get past the 10 days of our airbnb rental being able to do anything, then writing my review of it, then waiting for the review to be posted.  And then really... just needed to let time pass so it was less fresh in my mind.

Amsterdam was Ian, Nicholas, and me.  We met up with some friends from Amman who were on their way to their next post in Istanbul. Amsterdam is filled with steak houses, so we had a great dinner together where Ian practiced some Arabic, and then perused the Van Gogh museum the next day.  Side note: I recommend watching "Loving Vincent" which happened to be made in the next city we visited, Wroclaw (in Poland). It's remarkable.

So.  The place we stayed at - this is the listing:  https://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/amsterdam/6288266 . It looks lovely, no?

This is what we had:

When they said 5th floor, they weren't kidding.

My review: 

"I have no complaint with the location. It's not downtown, but that has pros as well. No, I have problems with everything else once we arrived. Let's start at the beginning... the key. It was left for us at a bar down the street - who had no idea it was there or what we were asking for. Eventually we did get it, thank goodness. 

Yes, the apartment is on the top floor. The listing says it's great for families and kids. I completely disagree. There is no way that parents with small children could safely go up and down those stairs, especially as several of the step mats had fallen off making the steps uneven. One floor - maybe. 4 floors? No. Nevermind that the front door doesn't even open all the way so even just traveling with carry-on cases we struggled to get in and out of the building and then up and down the stairs - there is no place to store a stroller or car seat if you could get them in the building. And the listing mentions not making noise. No noise with kids going up and down 4 flights (yes... no noise in the stairwell either) or on a wooden floor in the apartment? Thankfully we were 3 adults. 

Then we made it into the apartment. There were 2 notes on the table, both on soiled pieces of paper - one was a dirty postcard - with bits scratched out and written over and blurred. It sounds nitpicky, but when you don't want to touch the paper... come on. It was a little sad that there was nothing that looked professional or that it had taken any time - no guides to the city, no recommendations for nearby restaurants, nothing. Even if the limited info had been on a clean piece of notebook paper, it would have been an improvement. 

It appeared that the owner had vacated 10 minutes before our arrival. Beds were not made, and the pillows were, shall we say, well-used. I assume the linens were clean, but the beds looked tossed. Add to that the drying rack full of clothes next to the ladder to the loft, including a pair of underwear that had fallen on the floor. Every cabinet was stuffed with the owner's personal items, and every surface had personal items all about. Yes, the apartment is small, but there was no space to put any of our items, even a shelf or a drawer. From the photos we had planned to put our suitcases on the desk by the ladder, but the tops were covered with, yes, more personal items. The washing machine had clothing hanging on it and since the drying rack was "in use" there was no way to do laundry anyway. 

The listing also mentions that the couch can be used as a bed... it does not pull out, and if you have a family member that is over 5 feet tall, no.... Nevermind that the couch is ripped up, with a strategically placed blanket. 

There is no sink in the bathroom. I should have noticed that in the photos, but it means that any washing is done in the kitchen sink. The owner is very into coffee and alcohol so several counter tops are covered in those items. The kitchen area around the sink had some unexpected items like a used jar of shoe polish. 

Again, the listing mentions "good for families." The wiring was a hazard waiting to happen. There was a rats nest of wires on the shelf behind the couch, and wires hanging over a dining chair. The refrigerator was partially filled with 1/2 used... and 1/2 eaten... items. We used it only for a 6-pack of soda. And the freezer was so full it looked like the items might come out at a cube. No seriously, I'm glad we opened it and checked before bothering to get ice cream or anything of our own. We couldn't have put it anywhere without rearranging or cleaning out the freezer. 

After our first night, my family begged to leave and check into a hotel, but we had already paid for 3 nights. It so happened that the second day my husband fell ill, so we stayed a second night. But when he felt better, we checked into a hotel for the 3rd and final night. It was so worth it for us to have a clean, open, welcoming space to sleep in, even if it was only for 1 night. 

I said there was no guidance, and there wasn't - what to do with garbage upon our departure? What to do with the key when we left? We had to text the owner to find out the answer to the key question. 

There is a nice courtyard view out one window. This listing could be gorgeous, if it has been like the photos, clean and well-oriented. Unfortunately that was not our experience. The owner was easily reached, but we didn't feel that telling him our disappointment with the place could be fixed during our stay. We have stayed at dozens of home lettings and they've all had their quirks and charms. We've enjoyed them and considered them memorable experiences. This is the first time I've ever left a negative review. I so wish I could add photos here."

Lucky for you, I can post photos here.

None of us touched those rags.

Every item was 1/2 open or 1/2 eaten.

Yes.  The freezer.

Our guidance.

By the ladder to the "loft bed"

Where we'd planned to put suitcases. Under the chair...
a pair of underwear.

Guess we can't wash or dry laundry.

That does not bode well.

"Kid-friendly." There were other cords hung over dining room chairs.

The loft bed that looks pre-slept-in. The downstairs
"bedroom" was a converted closet that had a door, a slanted
ceiling, a light, and no window or cut-out.

So Nicholas slept on the sheet-covered couch.

Amsterdam was an interesting city. The apartment was in a decent area, with restaurant options and if you're into them, plenty of bars. It took about 20 minutes to walk downtown which was fine because the walk was lovely along canals and through pretty neighborhoods.

We didn't get into the Anne Frank house.  I was too late to try to get tickets 2 months earlier, and wasn't lucky enough to get the few available each morning. It is my one regret from our visit. We had a fun segway tour, ate some Dutch pancakes, and checked out the Red Light District. Oh come on, you know we had to.

Amsterdam is confused.  It has great art, decent food, cute streets, good shopping, and a lot of drugs and sex. When we left, I had a sense that I didn't know what Amsterdam was trying to be, and that Amsterdam didn't know what it wanted to be. I'm not sure I'd go back. Except to see the Anne Frank house.