Blue Monday tips from Ams
Sara & Pawel 19/01/2026
From local walks to hot tix, Sara and Pawel shrugged off Blue Monday in Amsterdam with more tips and music picks.
Listen back on the mixcloud player above. đź”— Scroll for links and notes.
Show notes
- What’s your go-to winter spot in Amsterdam to reset your mind and feel better?
PAWEL: a walk along the Amstel … the river is wide and … on the east bank you can enjoy the sun even longer. Start at Waterlooplein, walk past the H’ART Museum, then by the Amsterdam Sluices and CarrĂ©. If you want to continue, you can go further south on the recently renovated riverside promenade along Weesperzijde. On the way, you’ll find lots of nice cafĂ©s and restaurants where you can stop for a coffee or lunch. Tip… CafĂ© Hesp, if you order an espresso and drink it at the bar, not at a table, it will cost just one euro.
SARA: “Sol (local living room vibes cafe with vegan pastries and surcharge for moo milk!), talking of foam… FOAM, and walk the Amstel – also either south to the greener wider end and over the bridge and through the winding streets of the Rivierenbuurt or cross the river and go north towards the city, then eastwards past the botanical gardens and up over the bridges around Nemo taking in the expansive views out across the Ij and either onto Centraal Station for a cheat metro home or a mooch down the dam streets to Latei for soup, apple pie or an open sarnie in quite cramped but always upbeat vibes in their scandi dolls house styled spot overlooking bustling Zeedijk”. - On Monday, 19 January 2026, people all over the country will be walking and running — not for a race time, not for a medal — but against depression and for mental health. It’s the MIND Blue Monday Run. This action raises money for MIND, a Dutch independent social organisation focused on mental health. If you — or someone you know — needs to talk, MIND runs the MIND Hulplijn, where you can have an anonymous conversation with a trained helper. The phone number is 0900–1450, available Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 21:00. It’s described as free support, with only normal call costs depending on your provider. The Amsterdam route is from SportCity to Park Frankendael (19:30), then a few loops inside the park, and back again to SportCity for the finish and photo.
- “Happy Painting” events at OBA on Blue Monday evening: free painting workshops inspired by Bob Ross, see here
- Music news: Flea goes solo — and tickets for Amsterdam go on sale soon. Flea as the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, here’s big news: he has just announced his first solo album, called “Honora.” Flea says this project is close to his heart, and it also connects to his jazz roots — he plays bass and trumpet on the album. He also released a new song called “Traffic Lights,” made together with Thom Yorke. To support the album, Flea is doing a short tour with Flea and the Honora Band, and yes, Amsterdam is on the list. He will play Paradiso Amsterdam (Main Hall) on Friday, 22 May 2026. Ticket sales start on Friday, 23 January at 10:00. Tickets cost €66.50, and plus a €4.50 membership fee. if you really want to go, it’s smart to be ready when sales open, for tickets see here, https://www.paradiso.nl/programma/flea-and-the-honora-band/2806883.
Music playlist
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