The Amsterdam I am interested in.
Not just the postcard views, but the practical, local, sometimes chaotic reality of getting around by boat in a busy city.
Hi, I'm Isabelle.
Born in Amsterdam, studied here, and spent part of my life working as a canal tour guide. Still one of the best jobs I have ever had.
After doing the same route more times than I can count, I started noticing the real experts on Amsterdam's water: skippers, bridge operators, boat builders, harbour staff, and people who simply know their way around a boat.
They know which bridge becomes extremely busy on a sunny Friday afternoon, where quay construction work will mess with your usual route, where to dock the boat without causing a small neighbourhood crisis, and which houseboat has been passed down through generations.
That is the Amsterdam I am interested in: not just the postcard views, but the practical, local, sometimes chaotic reality of getting around by boat in a busy city.
Boat life in Amsterdam is for people who own, use, or dream about owning a boat here. And it's my way of sharing local knowledge, conversations with people on the water, and stories that make Amsterdam boating a little easier, and even more fun.