Amsterdam Oost escorts, eastbound on a green wave

Oost is really several neighbourhoods wearing one name. The Oosterpark anchors the district with lawns and old trees, and a short walk away the Dappermarkt runs its stalls down the length of its street, one of the liveliest daily markets in the city. In the Indische Buurt, the Javastraat has turned into a strip of coffee bars, bakeries and small kitchens that fill up by early evening. Towards the water, the sails of the De Gooyer windmill still turn above a former docklands corner, and the Eastern Docklands themselves, Java-eiland and the KNSM island, line their quays with bold apartment architecture and long views over the harbour.

Oost is generous to drivers by Amsterdam standards. The Wibautstraat and the Middenweg are wide and quick, the eastern exits of the A10 drop straight into the district, and parking, while never free of drama, actually exists. A confirmed booking usually knocks within the hour, whatever the clock says. The one caveat is the docklands: some island quays are one-way loops or closed at the tip, so her car may stop at the head of a pier while she walks the last stretch along the water, heels sensible, timing intact.