BY ONA BASCUÑÁN
When I was in my early twenties I went on Erasmus to Amsterdam. Coming back almost 20 years later with my family makes me realize (once again) how quickly time passes. The city hasn’t changed that much. The same downtown streets are still full of tourists and souvenir shops. Bikes continue to reign and share space with trams, while pedestrians manage to reach their destination safely. Amsterdam remains a mix of avant-garde design with a strong vintage and traditional character.
When I was a child I also travelled to this city with my parents. A great memory that remains in my memory is the Ethnographic museum. We always laugh when we remember that workshop in which my sister and I participated, where they dressed us in traditional costumes from different countries and we danced the typical dances of each region. So I don’t hesitate and take my daughters. The workshop no longer exists, logically, but the museum is equally educational and entertaining.
My favourite part of the last trip was visiting the growing industrial area to the north. Big cities always need to grow. On the one hand it is an inconvenience for those who live in them, especially if a good urban planning plan is not made, which takes into account the different needs of the inhabitants, but it also generates new spaces where very interesting things usually happen. In this case, the northern area is still a cluster of half-built streets, where the industrial area coexists with a neighbourhood of houses on the canal with rabidly contemporary architecture, which reminded me a lot of Japan. Several hangars are occupied by artistic communities and cafes and establishments have opened with the most avant-garde cultural and gastronomic offerings.
Amsterdam will never be just another city for me. I have seen it with the curious eyes of a child, experienced it with the heart of a young woman eager for experiences and now I have been able to enjoy it being an adult and mother – although I still have a lot of the other two previous ones!
ONA BASCUÑÁN is a travel lover. She was born in Valencia in 1980. She has lived in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Santiago de Chile and has now returned to her homeland. It is not known for how long. She is dedicated to Communication and PR. She is passionate about reading independent magazines and learning what life is like in other places, whether continents or homes. She contributes to the specialty coffee magazine SOLO. Oh, and she has two daughters, who love to dance – and travel just like her.
