Amsterdam in three days--notes and photos from mr/ms_go
Nov 27th, 2006, 04:13 AM
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Amsterdam in three days--notes and photos from mr/ms_go
Not long ago, we were pondering our plans for Thanksgiving weekend. When we discovered that roundtrip tickets for the peak weekend travel days (depart Wednesday; return Sunday) were actually cheaper to London, Paris and Amsterdam than to Jacksonville, Florida, it didn't take us long to make a decision (sorry, Bob!).
We returned yesterday from our three-day trip and had a fabulous time. Our 13-year-old daughter has volunteered to write the trip report this time around, so hopefully that will be forthcoming later in the week (dependent on her volume of homework). In the meantime, we'll just post a few notes/observations and some photos.
We stayed in the Western canal ring area, near Jordaan, and were <b>extremely happy</b> with that choice. Maes B&B was charming; the hospitality and attention to detail is outstanding, and the location is (in our humble opinion) unbeatable--a 10-minute walk from the train station, but in a quiet and picturesque area away from the crowds.
Three days is not a lot of time, so we stayed in the city the whole time--no day trips. We saw many of the city's major sites: the Rijksmuseum (which is only partially open through 2009); the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank Huis, The Museum Amstelkring, the Bloemenmarkt, Noordermarkt, etc., but mostly what we did is walk and enjoy the setting, the canals, and the architecture. This is now one of our favorite (if not <b>the</b> favorite) cities for walking of all those we've visited. The tram system is excellent for getting around, but we felt the best way to see Amsterdam was on foot. Our only advice: wear very comfortable shoes. I walk a lot (four miles, sometimes five days a week), and my feet were killing me at the end of this trip.
We knew that late November probably wouldn't be ideal, weather wise. In fact, we hoped only for some dry hours. We were very lucky. It was raining fairly hard when we landed, but by the time we commenced our walk from the train station to our B&B, it had reduced to a light drizzle. Beyond that, we only opened our umbrellas a couple of times in three days, and then only for a few minutes each time. We even saw some passing blue skies, and the temperatures were--according to our hosts--unusually warm, with the daytime highs approaching the 55F range.
All in all, we really enjoyed Amsterdam and will return sometime for a longer visit and a chance to see more of the Netherlands.
I'll add some more observations as I think of them, and I'm sure mr_go will jump in later with some of his own.
In the meantime, we have posted a few photos for anyone interested:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/556041688oRprzx
We returned yesterday from our three-day trip and had a fabulous time. Our 13-year-old daughter has volunteered to write the trip report this time around, so hopefully that will be forthcoming later in the week (dependent on her volume of homework). In the meantime, we'll just post a few notes/observations and some photos.
We stayed in the Western canal ring area, near Jordaan, and were <b>extremely happy</b> with that choice. Maes B&B was charming; the hospitality and attention to detail is outstanding, and the location is (in our humble opinion) unbeatable--a 10-minute walk from the train station, but in a quiet and picturesque area away from the crowds.
Three days is not a lot of time, so we stayed in the city the whole time--no day trips. We saw many of the city's major sites: the Rijksmuseum (which is only partially open through 2009); the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank Huis, The Museum Amstelkring, the Bloemenmarkt, Noordermarkt, etc., but mostly what we did is walk and enjoy the setting, the canals, and the architecture. This is now one of our favorite (if not <b>the</b> favorite) cities for walking of all those we've visited. The tram system is excellent for getting around, but we felt the best way to see Amsterdam was on foot. Our only advice: wear very comfortable shoes. I walk a lot (four miles, sometimes five days a week), and my feet were killing me at the end of this trip.
We knew that late November probably wouldn't be ideal, weather wise. In fact, we hoped only for some dry hours. We were very lucky. It was raining fairly hard when we landed, but by the time we commenced our walk from the train station to our B&B, it had reduced to a light drizzle. Beyond that, we only opened our umbrellas a couple of times in three days, and then only for a few minutes each time. We even saw some passing blue skies, and the temperatures were--according to our hosts--unusually warm, with the daytime highs approaching the 55F range.
All in all, we really enjoyed Amsterdam and will return sometime for a longer visit and a chance to see more of the Netherlands.
I'll add some more observations as I think of them, and I'm sure mr_go will jump in later with some of his own.
In the meantime, we have posted a few photos for anyone interested:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/556041688oRprzx
Nov 27th, 2006, 06:00 AM
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As my LW said, we were able to pack quite a lot into a few days. But we never really felt rushed or hassled, as the city is very compact and easy to navigate (as long as you have a good map!).
I feel like we were able to enjoy the full flavor of this remarkable city and all of its unique attributes. Ms_go and I left our daughter to read back in the hotel room while we explored the old part of town for a while...and frankly, it's a good thing we did. Some of those areas are a little like 'Disneyland meets Sodom & Gomorrah'. I have to feel sorry for people who never venture beyond the wacky downtown area near the station, because Amsterdam has so much more to offer.
If you like to walk, wander and explore...this is the town for you. But watch out for the bikes; they're everywhere! And definitely base your stay within the canal ring. I'm convinced it's the best place to be.
I feel like we were able to enjoy the full flavor of this remarkable city and all of its unique attributes. Ms_go and I left our daughter to read back in the hotel room while we explored the old part of town for a while...and frankly, it's a good thing we did. Some of those areas are a little like 'Disneyland meets Sodom & Gomorrah'. I have to feel sorry for people who never venture beyond the wacky downtown area near the station, because Amsterdam has so much more to offer.
If you like to walk, wander and explore...this is the town for you. But watch out for the bikes; they're everywhere! And definitely base your stay within the canal ring. I'm convinced it's the best place to be.
Nov 27th, 2006, 10:54 AM
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I agree, Amsterdam is a great place to just walk and take it all in.
Thank you for sharing your great photos. I took many from the same spots last month. And I am glad you enjoyed your stay at Maes. What a great place to stay.
Tom
Thank you for sharing your great photos. I took many from the same spots last month. And I am glad you enjoyed your stay at Maes. What a great place to stay.
Tom
Nov 27th, 2006, 02:07 PM
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Thanks, Tom. I should also point out that my camera was completely on the fritz this trip, so ms_go is responsible for all of the shots in that album. And fine shots they are!
As for Maes B&B, we truly enjoyed the hospitality of Ken & Vlad...they were as friendly and helpful as any innkeepers we've encountered. I should say that, while we enjoyed staying in the attic suite, it is probably not for everyone. It takes some contortionistic dexterity just to get in the door! But for us, that just added to the charm.
As for Maes B&B, we truly enjoyed the hospitality of Ken & Vlad...they were as friendly and helpful as any innkeepers we've encountered. I should say that, while we enjoyed staying in the attic suite, it is probably not for everyone. It takes some contortionistic dexterity just to get in the door! But for us, that just added to the charm.
Nov 29th, 2006, 05:41 AM
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Thanks Dukey, Tom and Faina.
DD may not get to the trip report this week due to school work and activities, so I’ll carry on with some of the details—particularly the things she’s less like to want to write about, such as logistics and food. Besides, I need another excuse to procrastinate on my work projects.
<b>Logistics: getting there and getting around, etc.</b>
On the whole, we found it very easy to get into and around Amsterdam. Our flight from Chicago touched down 40 minutes early, we walked off the plane at about 8:50am, and at 10am we were ringing the doorbell of our B&B. Having only carry-on luggage helped a bit, but there was no line at immigration and we easily found the train station after exiting customs. We also easily found an ATM; according to the Mastercard ATM locator site, there are at least 18 of them at Schiphol.
Even though it was raining, we decided to forego the €35 cab and take the train to Amsterdam Centraal station. Three tickets cost us €10.80. The only issue was that the ticket kiosks would not take our US credit cards; we had to buy the tickets from an agent. The trains leave every 10-15 minutes after 6am (hourly before that), and the ride in is about 15 minutes. As this was a weekday morning, the train was quite crowded, but we managed to squeeze ourselves and our rollaboards on, and we were off to the city center.
By the time we arrived at Centraal station, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, so we decided to walk and we made it with barely a glance at the map. Very easy—10 minutes tops, even with the rollaboards bouncing along behind us on the brick streets. We quickly learned the importance of identifying and staying out of the bike lanes, and looking both ways for bikes before crossing the street. Jason, who assists Ken and Vlad at Maes B&B, invited us in and offered us breakfast—very nice! Now, we were all set to get out and see Amsterdam.
As previously mentioned, we went most everywhere on foot. We did use the trams a couple of times to get to/from the Museumplein, but rather than buy a pass, we simply paid the driver (use the front door of the tram; tickets were approximately €1.60 each; change available). There are other forms of transportation, too—metro, canal bus, rental bikes, etc.—but we never used these.
We also used the train to get back to Schiphol on Sunday morning. We left our B&B just after 7am, caught a 7:29 train, and at 7:50 we were standing near the United check-in counter. For the future reference of anyone traveling on United, the ticket counter opens at 8am. We joined the small cluster (I hesitate to call it a line) of people like ourselves who arrived too early. Again, everything is very efficient—we got through check-in and immigration in about 10 minutes, leaving us plenty of time for breakfast and some duty-free browsing. We got a bit of a kick out of the frequent Schiphol PA announcements: “Attention passenger [name]. Please report immediately to gate [number] for [airline] flight [number] to [destination]. You are delaying the departure of this flight.”
Interestingly, the <b>only</b> security checkpoint was right at our gate, and this opened about 45 minutes before boarding and 90 minutes prior to departure (beware: no bathroom access once you pass through security and into the gate area). Passengers are admitted one person/family at a time and taken to small podiums for an “interview” before proceeding to the x-ray screening. Same procedure on liquids as departing the US—small containers in a clear, sealable bag, removed from your carry-on and sent through screening separately. There are people all over Schiphol passing out plastic bags and information about carry-on requirements. Because the checkpoint is right at the gate, you can not buy a bottle of water in the airport and carry it on with you; fortunately, United provided water service throughout the flight. Some people were getting full exams of their carry-ons, but most passengers did not (we checked our rollaboards for the trip home and took very little onto the plane with us).
Our flights were non-stop Chicago-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Chicago on United in Economy Plus. O’Hare was remarkably sane on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—we had <b>NO</b> wait at security at around 3pm. Amazing! The flight to Amsterdam was about 75% full, but most of the empty seats were in our E+ area, enabling us to spread out just a bit. The flight home was full, and it also was a full two hours longer than the flight over. Uneventful flights both ways. On-time departures, average but edible economy food (toffee ice cream on the way home!), pleasant-enough service, plenty of movies to watch, very little turbulence, “fasten seatbelt” signs off almost the entire way in both directions (wally would have been happy, if not for the $5 wine). My only real complaint: this 767 could probably stand to have new seat cushions (a little too hard on the rear end!). Oh, and the overhead bins that came flying open during landing, launching a laptop that nearly hit me in the head.
Next up: food and accommodations.
DD may not get to the trip report this week due to school work and activities, so I’ll carry on with some of the details—particularly the things she’s less like to want to write about, such as logistics and food. Besides, I need another excuse to procrastinate on my work projects.
<b>Logistics: getting there and getting around, etc.</b>
On the whole, we found it very easy to get into and around Amsterdam. Our flight from Chicago touched down 40 minutes early, we walked off the plane at about 8:50am, and at 10am we were ringing the doorbell of our B&B. Having only carry-on luggage helped a bit, but there was no line at immigration and we easily found the train station after exiting customs. We also easily found an ATM; according to the Mastercard ATM locator site, there are at least 18 of them at Schiphol.
Even though it was raining, we decided to forego the €35 cab and take the train to Amsterdam Centraal station. Three tickets cost us €10.80. The only issue was that the ticket kiosks would not take our US credit cards; we had to buy the tickets from an agent. The trains leave every 10-15 minutes after 6am (hourly before that), and the ride in is about 15 minutes. As this was a weekday morning, the train was quite crowded, but we managed to squeeze ourselves and our rollaboards on, and we were off to the city center.
By the time we arrived at Centraal station, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, so we decided to walk and we made it with barely a glance at the map. Very easy—10 minutes tops, even with the rollaboards bouncing along behind us on the brick streets. We quickly learned the importance of identifying and staying out of the bike lanes, and looking both ways for bikes before crossing the street. Jason, who assists Ken and Vlad at Maes B&B, invited us in and offered us breakfast—very nice! Now, we were all set to get out and see Amsterdam.
As previously mentioned, we went most everywhere on foot. We did use the trams a couple of times to get to/from the Museumplein, but rather than buy a pass, we simply paid the driver (use the front door of the tram; tickets were approximately €1.60 each; change available). There are other forms of transportation, too—metro, canal bus, rental bikes, etc.—but we never used these.
We also used the train to get back to Schiphol on Sunday morning. We left our B&B just after 7am, caught a 7:29 train, and at 7:50 we were standing near the United check-in counter. For the future reference of anyone traveling on United, the ticket counter opens at 8am. We joined the small cluster (I hesitate to call it a line) of people like ourselves who arrived too early. Again, everything is very efficient—we got through check-in and immigration in about 10 minutes, leaving us plenty of time for breakfast and some duty-free browsing. We got a bit of a kick out of the frequent Schiphol PA announcements: “Attention passenger [name]. Please report immediately to gate [number] for [airline] flight [number] to [destination]. You are delaying the departure of this flight.”
Interestingly, the <b>only</b> security checkpoint was right at our gate, and this opened about 45 minutes before boarding and 90 minutes prior to departure (beware: no bathroom access once you pass through security and into the gate area). Passengers are admitted one person/family at a time and taken to small podiums for an “interview” before proceeding to the x-ray screening. Same procedure on liquids as departing the US—small containers in a clear, sealable bag, removed from your carry-on and sent through screening separately. There are people all over Schiphol passing out plastic bags and information about carry-on requirements. Because the checkpoint is right at the gate, you can not buy a bottle of water in the airport and carry it on with you; fortunately, United provided water service throughout the flight. Some people were getting full exams of their carry-ons, but most passengers did not (we checked our rollaboards for the trip home and took very little onto the plane with us).
Our flights were non-stop Chicago-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Chicago on United in Economy Plus. O’Hare was remarkably sane on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—we had <b>NO</b> wait at security at around 3pm. Amazing! The flight to Amsterdam was about 75% full, but most of the empty seats were in our E+ area, enabling us to spread out just a bit. The flight home was full, and it also was a full two hours longer than the flight over. Uneventful flights both ways. On-time departures, average but edible economy food (toffee ice cream on the way home!), pleasant-enough service, plenty of movies to watch, very little turbulence, “fasten seatbelt” signs off almost the entire way in both directions (wally would have been happy, if not for the $5 wine). My only real complaint: this 767 could probably stand to have new seat cushions (a little too hard on the rear end!). Oh, and the overhead bins that came flying open during landing, launching a laptop that nearly hit me in the head.
Next up: food and accommodations.
Nov 29th, 2006, 11:54 AM
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Thanks, Bob and fun4all4. I promise more by tomorrow.
Having just been in Amsterdam and seen the red light district first hand, I had to do a double take a few minutes ago on my way home from Target. The neighbors several doors down have fitted all their front porch lights with red bulbs for the holidays.
Having just been in Amsterdam and seen the red light district first hand, I had to do a double take a few minutes ago on my way home from Target. The neighbors several doors down have fitted all their front porch lights with red bulbs for the holidays.
Nov 30th, 2006, 06:59 AM
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<b>Accommodations</b>
We've already expressed, above, how much we liked Maes B&B--character of an historic 18th century house but with modern touches, great hosts, and an unbeatable location.
For the record, we had the attic suite in the main B&B--a space that was just converted a few years ago, so relatively new. The suite occupies the entire top floor. Being in the attic, the rooms have sloping ceilings--providing for a very cozy feeling and requiring a creative use of space. There is a separate bedroom which isn't a whole lot bigger than the bed and a sitting room with two sofas that can be made up as twin beds, a small desk, and another chair. The room also has a small kitchenette with sink, microwave, refrigerator, tea/coffee maker and service, etc. The bathroom is modern with tub and hand-held shower. Decorating is tasteful. Everything was very clean.
View from our window:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/267...53249937eOEbIJ
I will note that the attic suite is up a steep staircase and then two additional floors via spiral stairs. Given the slope of the roof, the door is only about five feet tall, requiring you to bend a bit at the waist as you enter the room. For these reasons, it may not be for everyone--particularly those who have issues with stairs or who are traveling with large amounts luggage. But the rooms on the other floors looked nice!
We probably wouldn't look anywhere else on a return trip to Amsterdam. Cost of the suite: €135 per night, including breakfast
www.bedandbreakfastamsterdam.com
<b>Food</b>
We ate well on this trip, if not inexpensively. In fact, for all the walking we did, I still gained weight, and that doesn't happen too often.
Breakfasts were provided by Maes and were very good--fresh-baked croissants, pastries, fruit, cheese, and meat--served at a communal table so that you can talk with the other guests.
We're not foodies, but we did take some time to plan out each of our dinners:
De Reiger. This is a small, unassuming-looking brown/eet-cafe on a corner in the Jordaan. It was in our guidebook (DK Top 10 Amsterdam), but also came as a strong recommendation from Vlad. We arrived (without reservations) a little after 7pm, and the front room already was full; we were seated in the back (smoking) room. The entire restaurant was full by 8pm. We really enjoyed the food and ambiance here. Appetizer, three main courses and beer/wine: €63
Blue Pepper: We wanted to try a rijsttafel, and this came recommended from many sources. It is in an attractive storefront about four blocks from the Leidesplein (we did get a bit lost trying to find it). We had reservations at 7pm. When we arrived, there was only one other table filled. By about 7:45, the entire restaurant was full and people were being turned away. The good: food was very flavorful and attractively presented; they went out of their way to accommodate DD's allergies and pickiness with two lamb dishes, which she quite liked. The bad: I think they were a bit short-handed in the kitchen, and food was very slow to arrive at times--once, it took almost an hour between courses. Also, it is very expensive. We wondered if this was more of a rijsttafel-meets-higher-end dining experience, as each rijsttafel only had four or five dishes; we were of the impression that some have many more than that. Also, ours were served in about three-four courses over a few hours, whereas we'd heard some are served all at once. We enjoyed the food and flavors and would like to do this again, but would probably try a different restaurant. Rijsttafel for two, plus an appetizer and main course for DD, plus wine: €160.
www.restaurantbluepepper.com/en/
Seasons: Literally steps from our B&B on Herenstraat. It looked inviting and was convenient for the last evening, when we were tired and really didn't want to walk much more. Again, we enjoyed this very much--good, quality, flavorful food; attentive service. They have a three-course prix fixe option for €29, which is a good deal. The little bonus was watching the resident dog move from table to table. One prix fixe meal, two main courses, dessert, and wine: approx. €100.
www.seasonsrestaurant.nl/en/
Our lunches were low key and smaller. Generally, we stopped when we were hungry and ready for a rest. One was at the cafe at the Van Gogh Museum, which actually is fairly nice with big windows looking out toward the Rijksmuseum and Museumplein. The two other lunches were at small cafes in the Joordan, one of them Italian. We found it quite funny to be Americans in the Netherlands conversing with a restaurant proprietor in broken Italian, but it worked! The pizza and pasta here was quite good--DD, in particular, gave a big thumbs up to her sufficiently spicy penne arriabiata. Mr_go and I particularly enjoyed the brown cafes for a quick bite and/or beer, but had to watch it with the cigarette smoke (DD has a strong aversion).
<b>Language</b>
I guess this is a good place to bring up language. As we always do, we tried to learn some key phrases and menu terms, etc. But, in fact, we did not encounter one person who did not speak English very well.
We've already expressed, above, how much we liked Maes B&B--character of an historic 18th century house but with modern touches, great hosts, and an unbeatable location.
For the record, we had the attic suite in the main B&B--a space that was just converted a few years ago, so relatively new. The suite occupies the entire top floor. Being in the attic, the rooms have sloping ceilings--providing for a very cozy feeling and requiring a creative use of space. There is a separate bedroom which isn't a whole lot bigger than the bed and a sitting room with two sofas that can be made up as twin beds, a small desk, and another chair. The room also has a small kitchenette with sink, microwave, refrigerator, tea/coffee maker and service, etc. The bathroom is modern with tub and hand-held shower. Decorating is tasteful. Everything was very clean.
View from our window:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/267...53249937eOEbIJ
I will note that the attic suite is up a steep staircase and then two additional floors via spiral stairs. Given the slope of the roof, the door is only about five feet tall, requiring you to bend a bit at the waist as you enter the room. For these reasons, it may not be for everyone--particularly those who have issues with stairs or who are traveling with large amounts luggage. But the rooms on the other floors looked nice!
We probably wouldn't look anywhere else on a return trip to Amsterdam. Cost of the suite: €135 per night, including breakfast
www.bedandbreakfastamsterdam.com
<b>Food</b>
We ate well on this trip, if not inexpensively. In fact, for all the walking we did, I still gained weight, and that doesn't happen too often.
Breakfasts were provided by Maes and were very good--fresh-baked croissants, pastries, fruit, cheese, and meat--served at a communal table so that you can talk with the other guests.
We're not foodies, but we did take some time to plan out each of our dinners:
De Reiger. This is a small, unassuming-looking brown/eet-cafe on a corner in the Jordaan. It was in our guidebook (DK Top 10 Amsterdam), but also came as a strong recommendation from Vlad. We arrived (without reservations) a little after 7pm, and the front room already was full; we were seated in the back (smoking) room. The entire restaurant was full by 8pm. We really enjoyed the food and ambiance here. Appetizer, three main courses and beer/wine: €63
Blue Pepper: We wanted to try a rijsttafel, and this came recommended from many sources. It is in an attractive storefront about four blocks from the Leidesplein (we did get a bit lost trying to find it). We had reservations at 7pm. When we arrived, there was only one other table filled. By about 7:45, the entire restaurant was full and people were being turned away. The good: food was very flavorful and attractively presented; they went out of their way to accommodate DD's allergies and pickiness with two lamb dishes, which she quite liked. The bad: I think they were a bit short-handed in the kitchen, and food was very slow to arrive at times--once, it took almost an hour between courses. Also, it is very expensive. We wondered if this was more of a rijsttafel-meets-higher-end dining experience, as each rijsttafel only had four or five dishes; we were of the impression that some have many more than that. Also, ours were served in about three-four courses over a few hours, whereas we'd heard some are served all at once. We enjoyed the food and flavors and would like to do this again, but would probably try a different restaurant. Rijsttafel for two, plus an appetizer and main course for DD, plus wine: €160.
www.restaurantbluepepper.com/en/
Seasons: Literally steps from our B&B on Herenstraat. It looked inviting and was convenient for the last evening, when we were tired and really didn't want to walk much more. Again, we enjoyed this very much--good, quality, flavorful food; attentive service. They have a three-course prix fixe option for €29, which is a good deal. The little bonus was watching the resident dog move from table to table. One prix fixe meal, two main courses, dessert, and wine: approx. €100.
www.seasonsrestaurant.nl/en/
Our lunches were low key and smaller. Generally, we stopped when we were hungry and ready for a rest. One was at the cafe at the Van Gogh Museum, which actually is fairly nice with big windows looking out toward the Rijksmuseum and Museumplein. The two other lunches were at small cafes in the Joordan, one of them Italian. We found it quite funny to be Americans in the Netherlands conversing with a restaurant proprietor in broken Italian, but it worked! The pizza and pasta here was quite good--DD, in particular, gave a big thumbs up to her sufficiently spicy penne arriabiata. Mr_go and I particularly enjoyed the brown cafes for a quick bite and/or beer, but had to watch it with the cigarette smoke (DD has a strong aversion).
<b>Language</b>
I guess this is a good place to bring up language. As we always do, we tried to learn some key phrases and menu terms, etc. But, in fact, we did not encounter one person who did not speak English very well.
Nov 30th, 2006, 07:47 AM
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Thanks for the further elaboration; much that is familiar for me.
As to the language non-issue: my understanding has always been that English is a required course in schools in The Netherlands and i have since the 1970's found that it is easy to get around the city using English only.
As to the security at Schiphol: when i last flew out of that airport and it was on United my potentially-to-be- checked luggage was subjected to a very thorough random search but I had arrived early so that 'delay' was not a problem.
We have always used the train to and from the airport with good results but we usually stay at a location very close to Centraal Station, too.
These days i do warn folks not to leave ANY luggage unattended near those large center doors on the trains. There have been reports that when the train stops at the Sloterdijk people would reach in from the platform, grab any bags sitting next to the doors and run off with them...a method that almost guarantees success. And the pickpockets at the Duivendrecht station have become almost as famous as wooden shoes.
Again, thanks for taking the time to bring back pleasant memories.
As to the language non-issue: my understanding has always been that English is a required course in schools in The Netherlands and i have since the 1970's found that it is easy to get around the city using English only.
As to the security at Schiphol: when i last flew out of that airport and it was on United my potentially-to-be- checked luggage was subjected to a very thorough random search but I had arrived early so that 'delay' was not a problem.
We have always used the train to and from the airport with good results but we usually stay at a location very close to Centraal Station, too.
These days i do warn folks not to leave ANY luggage unattended near those large center doors on the trains. There have been reports that when the train stops at the Sloterdijk people would reach in from the platform, grab any bags sitting next to the doors and run off with them...a method that almost guarantees success. And the pickpockets at the Duivendrecht station have become almost as famous as wooden shoes.
Again, thanks for taking the time to bring back pleasant memories.
Dec 6th, 2006, 12:34 PM
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Thanks, Dukey. Yes, good advice on the trains. The seats are fairly far removed from the doorways, so I wouldn't want to leave luggage near the doors. I don't think our trains made any stops between the airport and the train station, but I saw that some do.
Okay, to fulfill my need for closure, here is the rest of the story. Thank you to mr_go for helping me finish writing this.
Those who have read our prior trip reports know that part of what we like to do on trips is just wander and soak it all in and take lots of photos. Wander, we did, in Amsterdam. Particularly in the western and central canal ring area. What a fabulous area. How else would you see things like the woman cycling away from the Noordermarkt carrying a good-sized Christmas tree in one hand?
We did visit some of the major attractions.
<i>Van Gogh museum.</i>
The museum was preparing for a special Expressionism exhibition (which opened the following day) and some areas were closed the day we visited. As a result: admission was half price. We won't complain too much, because there was still a lot to take in. The museum houses a broad selection of Van Gogh's work, organized by periods, as well as works by some of his contemporaries and those who drew inspiration from his work (Caillebotte, Gaugin, Seurat, Monet, etc). We visited on a Thursday around lunchtime, and the museum was relatively uncrowded. Overall, nice space and very enjoyable. One odd thing: the museum visitor dressed in a purple robe and purple wizard's hat with bells on his shoes. We wondered: was this somehow related to Cannabis Cup (which ended the day we arrived)? Also, as mentioned, the museum has a nice self-service cafe--very helpful in our caffeine-deprived, just-off-the-airplane state.
http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=en
<i>Anne Frankhuis</i>
DD has previously read <i>Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl</i> several times. This was her top priority for our visit to Amsterdam, so we scheduled it for a morning when the effects of jet lag would be at their lowest. We went right after breakfast, arriving at about 10:15, and there was no line (there was when we came out 90 minutes or so later). This was truly a moving experience--seeing the original diary, the height marks on the wall, the movie star photos Anne pasted on the walls of her room, etc. The rooms of the secret annex, where eight people lived for many months have been left as they were (minus furniture). They have done a great job of preserving the interiors, and visitors get a very palpable sense of what it must have been like to live in hiding here--it really sinks in when you stop to consider how long they were in hiding in this space. From the windows, you can catch a glimpse of the chestnut tree behind the house, which Anne admired from the attic window and wrote of in her diary. Unfortunately, it has succumbed to disease and soon will be cut down. At the end of the experience, visitors are given the opportunity to further discover the Frank family story with interactive terminals loaded with fairly slick software. There were more than a few moist eyes to be seen among the visitors in our midst, and we would imagine that is par for the course here. In the guestbook poised at the exit, mr_go had enough inspiration to pound out several hundreds of words if time would allow, but people were lining up behind us and we had to move on. He contented himself to scrall a few brief sentences..."The pigs who deported these people thought their reich would last 1000 years. NO. It is Anne's work that endures!"
http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2
<i>Museum Amstelkring</i>
This is a 17th Century home (situated in what is now the heart of the Red Light District) with a hidden Catholic church on the top three floors that was used for more than two hundred years (there were a number of these around the city). Known locally as "Our Lord in the Attic," this is a remarkable relic of devotion from the tumultuous era of Reformation and an island of remarkable piety set in a vast sea of debauchery. Very interesting, and well worth the visit.
http://www.museumamstelkring.nl/onsl...r/eng/home.php
<i>Oude Kerk</i>
Just down the street from the Amstelkring is the old, austere church that marks the heart of Old Amsterdam. It has been altered and extended through the years to produce a delightful jumble of architectural styles. The interior is stripped of most of its former ornamentation, but the stained glass windows, painted wood ceilings, carved choir stalls and impressive pipe organ are all memorable. It is a place that invites you to linger.
http://www.oudekerk.nl/
<i>Rijksmuseum</i>
The incredible trove of artistic spledor has been under renovation for a while...and will be for another few years. A hard core of classic works are displayed in a small, two-story cluster of rooms (Phillips Wing)--manageable, but jam-packed with tour groups and other visitors. The works of the Dutch Masters are the main attractions here, and they do not disappoint. Rembrandt's Night Watch has it's own room. Also present, several Vermeers, including The Milkmaid (DD was disappointed to not see Girl with a Pearl Earring; it's at the Mauritshuis in The Hague). There are other highlights for us--the dollhouses of Petronella Oortman (complete with marble floors), the Delftware collection, and Étienne-Maurice Falconet's marble L'Amour Menaçant (Cupid), among others. We went on Saturday morning, arriving around 10:30; no line to get it, but the smallish rooms of the Phillips Wing were quite crowded; perhaps best to avoid weekends.
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/index.jsp
<i>Red Light District</i>
Well, this was interesting. There were a few things we wanted to see that are located smack in the middle, so in we went. We were a little apprehensive about taking DD through there, but she's refined the skill of walking along with us and reading a book at the same time, so tuning out the scenery was not too difficult for her. We were struck by the, ahem, lack of pulchritude exhibited by the professional class in this district, and it seemed that the window-dwellers were even more bored than you might expect them to be. Aside from the prostitutes themselves, there were live sex shows, "coffeehouses," so-called Smart Shops selling harder-than-weed substances, and regular bars vying for our attention. Overall, it looked a lot like Disneyland meets the seven circles of hell. And we mean that in the best possible way. Sort of.
<i>Markets</i>
We also visited a couple of the markets--the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) along the Singel, open until 5pm every day; and the Noordermarkt Saturday market, which has a wide array of items from fresh fish to cheese to clothing to antiques. DD liked shopping here and found a cool retro messenger bag made from recycled 60s/70s fabric.
We considered taking a canal cruise, but we did not. We found walking the canal areas to be just as enjoyable. We don't feel we missed anything, but that's hard to say. Maybe next time.
I think that's it...happy as always to answer any questions.
Okay, to fulfill my need for closure, here is the rest of the story. Thank you to mr_go for helping me finish writing this.
Those who have read our prior trip reports know that part of what we like to do on trips is just wander and soak it all in and take lots of photos. Wander, we did, in Amsterdam. Particularly in the western and central canal ring area. What a fabulous area. How else would you see things like the woman cycling away from the Noordermarkt carrying a good-sized Christmas tree in one hand?
We did visit some of the major attractions.
<i>Van Gogh museum.</i>
The museum was preparing for a special Expressionism exhibition (which opened the following day) and some areas were closed the day we visited. As a result: admission was half price. We won't complain too much, because there was still a lot to take in. The museum houses a broad selection of Van Gogh's work, organized by periods, as well as works by some of his contemporaries and those who drew inspiration from his work (Caillebotte, Gaugin, Seurat, Monet, etc). We visited on a Thursday around lunchtime, and the museum was relatively uncrowded. Overall, nice space and very enjoyable. One odd thing: the museum visitor dressed in a purple robe and purple wizard's hat with bells on his shoes. We wondered: was this somehow related to Cannabis Cup (which ended the day we arrived)? Also, as mentioned, the museum has a nice self-service cafe--very helpful in our caffeine-deprived, just-off-the-airplane state.
http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=en
<i>Anne Frankhuis</i>
DD has previously read <i>Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl</i> several times. This was her top priority for our visit to Amsterdam, so we scheduled it for a morning when the effects of jet lag would be at their lowest. We went right after breakfast, arriving at about 10:15, and there was no line (there was when we came out 90 minutes or so later). This was truly a moving experience--seeing the original diary, the height marks on the wall, the movie star photos Anne pasted on the walls of her room, etc. The rooms of the secret annex, where eight people lived for many months have been left as they were (minus furniture). They have done a great job of preserving the interiors, and visitors get a very palpable sense of what it must have been like to live in hiding here--it really sinks in when you stop to consider how long they were in hiding in this space. From the windows, you can catch a glimpse of the chestnut tree behind the house, which Anne admired from the attic window and wrote of in her diary. Unfortunately, it has succumbed to disease and soon will be cut down. At the end of the experience, visitors are given the opportunity to further discover the Frank family story with interactive terminals loaded with fairly slick software. There were more than a few moist eyes to be seen among the visitors in our midst, and we would imagine that is par for the course here. In the guestbook poised at the exit, mr_go had enough inspiration to pound out several hundreds of words if time would allow, but people were lining up behind us and we had to move on. He contented himself to scrall a few brief sentences..."The pigs who deported these people thought their reich would last 1000 years. NO. It is Anne's work that endures!"
http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2
<i>Museum Amstelkring</i>
This is a 17th Century home (situated in what is now the heart of the Red Light District) with a hidden Catholic church on the top three floors that was used for more than two hundred years (there were a number of these around the city). Known locally as "Our Lord in the Attic," this is a remarkable relic of devotion from the tumultuous era of Reformation and an island of remarkable piety set in a vast sea of debauchery. Very interesting, and well worth the visit.
http://www.museumamstelkring.nl/onsl...r/eng/home.php
<i>Oude Kerk</i>
Just down the street from the Amstelkring is the old, austere church that marks the heart of Old Amsterdam. It has been altered and extended through the years to produce a delightful jumble of architectural styles. The interior is stripped of most of its former ornamentation, but the stained glass windows, painted wood ceilings, carved choir stalls and impressive pipe organ are all memorable. It is a place that invites you to linger.
http://www.oudekerk.nl/
<i>Rijksmuseum</i>
The incredible trove of artistic spledor has been under renovation for a while...and will be for another few years. A hard core of classic works are displayed in a small, two-story cluster of rooms (Phillips Wing)--manageable, but jam-packed with tour groups and other visitors. The works of the Dutch Masters are the main attractions here, and they do not disappoint. Rembrandt's Night Watch has it's own room. Also present, several Vermeers, including The Milkmaid (DD was disappointed to not see Girl with a Pearl Earring; it's at the Mauritshuis in The Hague). There are other highlights for us--the dollhouses of Petronella Oortman (complete with marble floors), the Delftware collection, and Étienne-Maurice Falconet's marble L'Amour Menaçant (Cupid), among others. We went on Saturday morning, arriving around 10:30; no line to get it, but the smallish rooms of the Phillips Wing were quite crowded; perhaps best to avoid weekends.
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/index.jsp
<i>Red Light District</i>
Well, this was interesting. There were a few things we wanted to see that are located smack in the middle, so in we went. We were a little apprehensive about taking DD through there, but she's refined the skill of walking along with us and reading a book at the same time, so tuning out the scenery was not too difficult for her. We were struck by the, ahem, lack of pulchritude exhibited by the professional class in this district, and it seemed that the window-dwellers were even more bored than you might expect them to be. Aside from the prostitutes themselves, there were live sex shows, "coffeehouses," so-called Smart Shops selling harder-than-weed substances, and regular bars vying for our attention. Overall, it looked a lot like Disneyland meets the seven circles of hell. And we mean that in the best possible way. Sort of.
<i>Markets</i>
We also visited a couple of the markets--the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) along the Singel, open until 5pm every day; and the Noordermarkt Saturday market, which has a wide array of items from fresh fish to cheese to clothing to antiques. DD liked shopping here and found a cool retro messenger bag made from recycled 60s/70s fabric.
We considered taking a canal cruise, but we did not. We found walking the canal areas to be just as enjoyable. We don't feel we missed anything, but that's hard to say. Maybe next time.
I think that's it...happy as always to answer any questions.
Dec 7th, 2006, 04:36 AM
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Thank you go_family... As we are hoping to take a side trip to Amsterdam from Paris soon, I really appreciate your report.
You must take very good notes during your planning and your trip to share with us all the wonderful details and links to sites...
A few questions:
---I wrote to Maes B&B and while they do have accommodation for our potential dates - the operative word here is potential. As our plans are still fluid, I'm reluntant to make a reservation with her becuase of no cancellation possible without obligation to the room charge.---Did you look at some other B&B's and hotels in your planning... Would appreicate that information. On another thread here I wrote to Hotel Brouwer and I'm waiting to hear back.
--- I've heard that there is an exceptionally large smoking population in Amsterdam. Did you find this so?
Thank you....
You must take very good notes during your planning and your trip to share with us all the wonderful details and links to sites...
A few questions:
---I wrote to Maes B&B and while they do have accommodation for our potential dates - the operative word here is potential. As our plans are still fluid, I'm reluntant to make a reservation with her becuase of no cancellation possible without obligation to the room charge.---Did you look at some other B&B's and hotels in your planning... Would appreicate that information. On another thread here I wrote to Hotel Brouwer and I'm waiting to hear back.
--- I've heard that there is an exceptionally large smoking population in Amsterdam. Did you find this so?
Thank you....
Dec 7th, 2006, 12:05 PM
#16
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Thanks, travel fun. I'm glad it's helpful.
Re: Maes, I think they do have a 14-day cancellation policy. Frankly, we did not do a whole lot of searching--that was one of our first choices based on some recommendations here and on Trip Advisor. I did also contact Hotel Brouwer.
We did look at some other listings through sites like bedandbreakfast.com, simplyamsterdam.nl, and amsterdamby.com. I think Venere has some listings, too, with reviews.
Re: smoking, some of the brown cafes were a bit smoky, but it really didn't bother us anywhere else (DD can't stand it and would have let us know). Our B&B was non-smoking, so no issue there, or in nicer restaurants.
Good luck with your planning.
Re: Maes, I think they do have a 14-day cancellation policy. Frankly, we did not do a whole lot of searching--that was one of our first choices based on some recommendations here and on Trip Advisor. I did also contact Hotel Brouwer.
We did look at some other listings through sites like bedandbreakfast.com, simplyamsterdam.nl, and amsterdamby.com. I think Venere has some listings, too, with reviews.
Re: smoking, some of the brown cafes were a bit smoky, but it really didn't bother us anywhere else (DD can't stand it and would have let us know). Our B&B was non-smoking, so no issue there, or in nicer restaurants.
Good luck with your planning.
Dec 7th, 2006, 02:58 PM
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Thanks ms go...
The pictures of Mae's B&B look really nice and I wrote to them and they have a room available.
we're trying to decide if this is a reasonable side trip from Paris during our time there. The cost of the train seems very high to us.
That's why the 14 days doesn't fit into our planning - for tonight anyway...
I read that you really liked the area you stayed in... any other areas you'd recommend?
Thanks once again...
The pictures of Mae's B&B look really nice and I wrote to them and they have a room available.
we're trying to decide if this is a reasonable side trip from Paris during our time there. The cost of the train seems very high to us.
That's why the 14 days doesn't fit into our planning - for tonight anyway...
I read that you really liked the area you stayed in... any other areas you'd recommend?
Thanks once again...
Dec 11th, 2006, 10:10 AM
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We both felt that the Canal Ring was the best area to be in, from a convenience standpoint and in terms of atmosphere. We were up fairly far north in the rings, and the areas to the immediate south of us looked just as nice to me. The neighborhood to the west, known as the Jordaan, has its own charming character and is not as touristy as some other areas.
In my opinion, the best thing about Amsterdam is how nice it feels just to walk around in it. So the less time spent in your accommodations, the better. But we cannot say enough good things about the hospitality at Maes. They were friendly, helpful and happy.
In my opinion, the best thing about Amsterdam is how nice it feels just to walk around in it. So the less time spent in your accommodations, the better. But we cannot say enough good things about the hospitality at Maes. They were friendly, helpful and happy.
