The author of The Miniaturist on the beguiling blend of tradition and
modernity (and pancakes) in a city that provided the inspiration for
her 17th-century-set debut novel and Waterstones Book of the Year 2014.High taste … the REM Eiland restaurant – formerly a helicopter deck.
Amsterdam is classically romantic but is also funky, forward-thinking
and citizen-friendly. In the old centre, around the southern canal
belt, there are these beautiful 17th-century merchants’ houses that
21st-century Amsterdammers still live in. I’ve always thought it wears
its historical cloak quite casually and doesn’t just dwell in the past.
The Rijksmuseum is stunning and I love it as a fascinating, cool, accessible museum, as well as for the part it played in inspiring The Miniaturist.
I came across Petronella Oortman’s doll’s house there by chance. It’s
an exact scale replica of her real home, and Oortman spent a fortune
having it created. I thought at the time it was an interesting story,
but I didn’t think I was going to write a novel about it. I’m in its
debt, really.
The city battles the image created by stag and hen party trips.
I didn’t visit until 2009 and so I had the idea of it just being the
place where people went to smoke weed without being arrested. You know,
the preconception: “It’s going to be full of stoned tourists with their
faces in the gutter.” But it’s not been like that at all.
Stroll through the Nine Streets of the Jordaan area
and it’s like walking on to a film set. It’s one of the nicest, most
peaceful walks in the city. The area is full of old shops – ice-cream
parlours, trinket shops, bookstores – and it has a fantastic atmosphere.
I explored the suburbs when visiting Amsterdam’s Tram Museum and ended up seeing the 1928 Olympic Stadium and the huge Amsterdamse Bos
forest park. My boyfriend and I jumped on an old tram (€5 return) at
Haarlemmermeerstation and took it to the suburb of Amstelveen. You can
hire bicycles there and cycle into the forest.
Renting helped me feel more like a local, that’s for sure. The owner of an apartment I rented on the Herengracht through CityMundo
was a traveller and an adventurer. She had left her place furnished and
it was filled with seashells she’d collected and had shelves brimming
with 17th-century books. It was amazing. CityMundo rents houseboats,
houses and apartments. If you’re after a nice, but not too expensive,
hotel, I’d recommend Hotel Vondel (doubles from £50) on Vondelstraat; it’s not far from Leidseplein and the city centre.
Forget bowls of crisps and nuts for nibbles, at De Kas
they serve tiny yellow and red tomatoes from their garden covered in an
amazing garnish. I had my 30th birthday at this wonderful restaurant in
a massive greenhouse near Frankendael Park. It’s beautifully laid out, with fruit and vegetable gardens and you sit and eat overlooking them.
The sunset when you’re at the top of the REM Eiland
island restaurant is dramatic, just like the food. My publisher took me
for dinner here when The Miniaturist came out in the Netherlands. It’s
actually a former helicopter deck and you climb up and up and up, and
are then rewarded with extraordinary views of the waterfront and port
areas.
For an immediate food fix, I love the poffertjes (tiny pancakes) that they griddle in sets of 10 at Albert Cuyp market.
They just chuck butter and icing sugar all over them and they are the
most unbelievable thing. Mind you, throwing sugar and butter at most
treats usually does the trick!
During the winter the bar T’smalle
is a peaceful place to be. It’s in an old house which is right on the
Egelantiersgracht canal and is just so cosy and beautiful, with all its
lights twinkling. In summer, everyone sits outside on the canalside
terrace. It’s a cool place to have a beer or a glass of wine in the
evening.
The waterfront of the Eastern Islands area is beautiful
and offers a much quieter experience than all the hustle and bustle of
the city centre. Historically, the harbour had been used by the Dutch
East India Company but the area had fallen into disrepair until it was
redeveloped in the early 2000s; it now has the Nemo science centre, nice new apartments and cafe-bars.
The Vondelpark, in the south of the city,
is perfect if you’re after a chilled and sedate place to hang out. It’s
worth exploring for the architecture – it was created in 1865, so happy
150th birthday. It’s a relaxing place with a lake, a performance space
and cafes.
The light plays beautifully on the canals when the sun hits the water. Even on wintry days it’s still atmospheric. I enjoy seeing the city from a canal boat, especially the Gouden Bocht
(Golden Bend) between Leidsestraat and Vijzelstraat. It’s lovely to see
the houseboats bobbing and people going past on their bicycles, as well
as all the extraordinary houses.
I’ve got this little house on my mantelpiece: it’s a nightlight in the shape of an Amsterdam
townhouse. I love it because it’s a visual reminder of my trips there
and the house in my book in a way … and because it gives off a very nice
glow.
