Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Amsterdam Ideas??

There have not been many postings to Fodor's regarding Amsterdam. The following is information I provided to a traveler who had contacted me directly. While lengthy, you may find something of interest in its content. Take a stroll along the Herrengracht. It's the canal between the Singel and the Keizersgracht and has the most notable collection of Amsterdam's impressive canal houses. You'll obviously note the varied and distinctive gables of the houses, but keep your eyes open, too, for the cartouches on many of them. There are fascinating details by and over doors and windows that are too frequently overlooked by sightseers. It will only take a few minutes walking for your curiosity to be aroused about what the innards of one of these houses are like. At 605 Herrengracht at the canal's eastern end near the Amstel is the Willet-Holthuysen museum, a furnished three-story home dating from the late 17th century. The museum also has a fine collection of silverware, glass and ceramics. As a bonus, there's a garden in the French style. If you want to pass up the museum, the garden is visible from the Amstelstraat, the street on the banks of the Amstel River. Since most of Amsterdam's museums are closed on Monday, you might want to look into the Van Loon museum, another late 17th century home with a lovely formal garden, which is only open on Monday. It's at 672-674 Keizersgracht, the canal just south of Herrengracht. On your way you might want to stop in at the Six collection. Another house dating from the late 17th century it houses a number of 17th century paintings including a number of Rembrandts (Six was his patron). For admission, you need a card of introduction available from the information desk of the Rijksmuseum on presentation of your passport. If an early morning trip to Aalsmeer is out of the question since you really should be there long before 9AM, look into the Bloemenmarkt, a retail flower market held on a dozen or so canal boats by the Mint Tower. The flowers and bulbs come from the tulip fields around Haarlem and from the Aalsmeer auction house. I've got a few more suggestions regarding Amsterdam and environs. I never thought to ask if you would have access to an auto. Whether you do or not, distances in the Netherlands are so short that public transportation can get you most anywhere in quick time. Assuming you don't have a car and you do plan on an Aalsmeer visit, the No. 172 bus from the Centraal Station will get you there post haste. (It's only about 8 miles away.) It never occurred to me either that while you've been to Amsterdam before, this might be a new experience for your mom and sister, either or both of whom might be interested in the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank house, all of which I'm sure you've considered. If not, consider this a gentle reminder. You mentioned your mom has a farm in Wisconsin where you grew up. To me, Wisconsin means dairy country, which implies cows and ultimately cheese! Your mother might enjoy the Friday morning cheese market held in Alkmaar. It's a half-hour train ride north of Amsterdam. Regarding other towns in close proximity to Amsterdam, avoid Volendam (too touristy and gimmicky); do consider Marken and/or Haarlem. Up until 40 years or so ago, Marken was a rather remote island in the Zuider Zee, thus not overly impacted by tourism. It's now connected to the mainland but still retains a great deal of the charm and quiet of its former times. Many of these towns are particularly interesting because of the dramatic changes they had to undergo when the Zuider Zee was drained and they had to change from fishing villages with large fleets of vessels to other industries. Marken's populace, about 2,000 staunch Calvinists, can still be seen wearing traditional costumes and living in houses painted green and white with red shutters (the same color scheme as the boats in the harbor). Marken is about 12 miles north of Amsterdam and accessible by Bus No 11 from Amsterdam's Centraal Station. Haarlem, under 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam, has two unique offerings, the Franz Hals museum and St. Bavo's church. The Hals museum used to be an old folks home and dates to the early 1600s. It's got a number of Hals' portraits and group paintings and some lovely rooms. St. Bavo is noted for a couple of things: a magnificent, immense organ upon which Mozart, Haydn and Saint-Saens played at one time or another and a covey of shops dating from the Middle Ages that are built into the church's exterior walls. Final recommendation for a spot outside of Amsterdam and that's the Kroller-Muller museum and sculpture park in the Hogue Veluwe National Park. There are over 200 Van Gogh's on display as well as Seurat, Picasso and Braque. In the sculpture garden there are works by Rodin, Henry Moore, Giacommetti and Barbara Hepworth among others. If your sister isn't into museums, she can hop on a white bicycle and pedal all over the park. Bikes are free; at least the white ones in the park are. It's about an hour and fifteen minutes from Amsterdam to Arnhem where you can pick up a bus for the short ride to the museum. Theatre, tea and gardens - theatre, tea and gardens, what to do? Well, now, the Netherlands Theatre Institute housed in a flamboyant early 17th century mansion at 168 Herrengracht, Amsterdam has a spectacular staircase, lavish stucco work, murals and ceiling paintings and an interesting history of Dutch theatre from the 17th century to the present, including working models of backstage areas and a fine costume collection. AND - a garden where tea is served! One final thought on tea. Geels en Co, 67 Warmoesstraat, has a tea and coffee shop in conjunction with a museum of the history of tea and coffee making. Regarding pubs and pub foods, Amsterdam offers "brown" cafes that are the Dutch counterpart of Britain's gathering places. What Britain doesn't have in the quantity that Amsterdam does, are Indonesian restaurants. Try the rijstaffel in one, but be prepared to down great quantities of beer to quell the heat of the spices used in each of the fifteen or eighteen dishes you'll be served.