Events for February 2010
February, the month of Valentine’s Day is the most romantic month of the year and just because you’re travelling, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pamper yourself and maybe a certain special someone ‐ even if that special someone is your best friend on the road or some random backpacker that you just met in the hostel common room. With that in mind here are some tips on how to spend a relaxed and romantic weekend in Amsterdam.
Story Highlights
- See Amsterdam by Night
- Shower Your Loved One with Flowers
- Take a Private Amsterdam Canal Cruise
- Love as an Art Form
- Get Married For a Day
- Chocolate is a Girl’s Best Friend
- A Wedding Fair for Gays and Lesbians
See Amsterdam by Night
Amsterdam is a magical city especially at night time when the lights of the bridges glow along the canals. Walk around the cobbled streets and peek through the windows of the gorgeous canal houses. The beauty of the grachtengordel (canal belt) will automatically put you in a romantic mood!
Shower Your Loved One with Flowers
The Bloemenmarkt (flower market) in Amsterdam is bursting with colorful bunches of seasonal flowers all year round and they’re on sale at prices well below what you’d pay in countries like the United States. Since flowers won’t last on the road ‐ why not buy some bulbs and grow them at home (customs permitting) so you can remember your time in Amsterdam, once the vaction is over.
Take a Private Amsterdam Canal Cruise
While it’s not cheap, hiring a private boat and a guide to cruise Amsterdam’s canals is a very romantic and worthwhile investmant. Aboard one of the quaint salon boats, you and your special someone can enjoy a private dinner or just sip champagne as you float along Amsterdam’s gentle waters. You can find private boat tours on amsterdamboatguide.com but if you’re on a tighter budget then you can take a regular boat tour from one of the many companies who run them throughout Amsterdam. They usually clock at the 12 euros per person.
Love as an Art Form
Art fans will love the Rijksmuseum’s Valentine’s Day ‐ romantic combination ticket, which includes museum access for two people, a tour related to love in the 17th century and a romantic surprise at the end! You need to book in advance and it cost a mere 30 euros per couple. See rijksmuseum.nl
Get Married For a Day
Faster than you can say: “are you sure we should get married” ‐ you’ll be married … and then divorced again at this rather random, Amsterdam centre. At Wed and Walk you can get married for a day and they supply the fairytale dress, the vintage jacket, the plastic rings and bogus bouquets. Then at sunrise you’ll turn back into your old pumpkin self! Check it: wed‐and‐walk.com
Chocolate is a Girl’s Best Friend
Forget about diamonds ‐ chocolate is a girl’s best friend. Take a bonbon or a pastry workshop at Unlimted Delicious on Saturday February 13, 2010. After spending a couple of hours amongst melting chocolate in a hot kitchen, you’re sure to be all loved up! If you’re not the cooking type then you can just buy a selection of the delicious chocolates and pastries that they have on sale. unlimiteddelicious.nl
A Wedding Fair for Gays and Lesbians
With the first ever Latin American, same‐sex couple recently getting hitched in Argentina while another couple got arrested for doing the same in Malawi, Amsterdam is responding by holding the city’s first ever wedding fair for gays and lesbians, on February 14, 2010. The fair will feature 50 stands at the Westergasfabriek in West Amsterdam. Already married same‐sex couples can visit the fair for free ‐ just by showing their marriage certificate. Get inspired and see how this traditional ceremony is getting a make over for the modern age.
‐ Eva Dam
