Blog 58 – Old teachers never die; they just lose their class.

Then they start a blog

Continuing on then; today’s lesson is the first in our series about the parks of Amsterdam, we will start with Vondelpark. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelpark) The saving grace of the pandemic’s lockdown is the city’s parks. Our central location puts us in walking distance to several large parks: Vondelpark, Westerpark, Rembrandt park, and Oosterpark are all within our reach. All incorporate green space with grass, trees, flowers, and walking and bike trails. Most have cafes and other amenities. And, of course, water – this is the Netherlands.

The Vondelpark is not just my favourite, it is many local and visitors alike favourite. According to the Amsterdam Information site, https://www.amsterdam.info/parks/vondelpark/, Vondelpark is the most visited of the city parks with over 10 million visitors per year. What makes this park so special? It is large, it has multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and art installations. We’ll take a look at all six of these items below:

Let’s begin with art. Notable is the Picasso sculpture, commonly called The Fish: https://jennifersalderson.com/2016/12/18/sculpture-by-picasso-in-vondelpark/  In true abstract art fashion, Picasso meant it to be a bird, not a fish; however, the interpretation has stuck. The large piece was donated by Picasso for the park’s 100th anniversary in 1965 with the requirement that it stay within the park forever.

The park was also selected as a commemoration point for the tragic 1983 death of Kerwin Duinmeijer. Kersin was killed by a skinhead on the Dam Straat (a central location) in a stabbing attack. Mama Baranka (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Baranka) was dedicated one year after the incident to draw attention to the senseless act and the ongoing cost of racism. The artist, Carrilho, wanted the mother figure to stand in vigilance, steadfastness, and eternity.

And, of course, the namesake of the park; “the imposing 3 meters high bronze monument of the Dutch poet Vondel by Louis Royer, dedicated in 1867”. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelmonument The originally named “New Park”, began to be called Vondel’s Park based on the installation of this massive sculpture. The park’s name was officially changed in 1880. Vondel was a poet and playwright who converted from the Mennonite faith to Catholicism and whose life work predominately addressed religious tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joost_van_den_Vondel

Musical arts are anticipated too. The band shell and the band stand are both used in non-Covid times for weekly concerts and festivals. Several spots are favored by buskers, but these too are victims of the current lockdown.

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Cafes. On a pre-move trip to Amsterdam we walked through the park. It was in the middle of the park that we found The Blue Teahouse (and brewery tasting room) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blauwe_Theehuis https://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/t-blauwe-theehuis/  Originally built in the 1930’s, this blue and white flying saucer offers a range of locally brewed craft beer and other beverages as well as a short menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items. The inside is small, but the outside is lovely with plenty of tables under the trees. Who wouldn’t want to live in a city with such a great park with such a great ‘tea house’ in it?

The Tea house remains our favourite, but it is not the only café in the park. The Groot Melkhouse (https://www.grootmelkhuis.nl/) has most of its tables, with their bright red umbrellas, right on the water. They offer a simple menu throughout the day, including a nice gluhwijn (mulled wine) for the chilly weather. The Melkhouse adjoins a large children’s playground.

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Vondelpark3, restaurant and venue, (https://www.vondelpark3.nl/) is close to one entrance and Vondeltuin cafe is on the opposite side, at the other main entrance. The Vondeltuin (https://devondeltuin.nl/) is also next to another children’s playground. Close to the Melkhouse is the Mucho Gusto Coffee House which fronts the large tennis court section. On sunny days, the park also benefits from various food carts offering hotdogs, cold drinks and gelato.

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Horseback riding and strolling were the primary goals of the park when it was conceived in the 1860’s, so paths to accommodate each were part of the initial design. Originally, a ‘members park’, non-members would pay for the opportunity to enjoy the paths and nature. Now, a part of the city parks system, it is open to all 24/7 to bike, run, walk, or skate. Paths are numerous, crossing the various sections of the park. If you are looking for about a 2-mile run/walk; start where the panhandle joins the larger park and stay to the right on the asphalt path, circle the park for one lap. (https://kalden.home.xs4all.nl/verm/tour-k-amsterdam-vondelparkENG.html) (http://leafywalks.com/amsterdam/walks/vondelpark-and-wg-terrein-walk.html) (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/the-netherlands/amsterdam/in-location/self-guided-tours/3b2cdcd7-a704-43eb-bb51-d51adda16d17/a/nar/3b2cdcd7-a704-43eb-bb51-d51adda16d17/360839)

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There are many ‘secret’ or hidden spots within or close to the Vondelpark. https://www.the500hiddensecrets.com/netherlands/amsterdam/discover/vondelpark  Unfortunately, with the lockdown, they remain closed; so, while I (and now you too) may know they are there, they currently remain out of reach. Except, Picasso’s Fish is one of the items on the list – not so secret now. Not on the list, but of interest because it could be art, it could be for the birds, or it could be for children; is the new Bijenkorf, or beehive; it is just for the bees – not to be disturbed, not even for the collection of honey. https://www.hetvondelpark.net/Natuurnieuws/BijenkorfVanSmartBeeing

Lastly, the park is a favourite because it is large. 45 Hectares, or, as Google calculates, over 111 acres. This makes plenty of room for multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and multiple art installations. And, of course, water. (https://www.rainproof.nl/waterhuishouding-vondelpark)

Thank you for your attention today; we will continue learning about Amsterdam’s parks next time when we visit Westerpark.