PalQ

Ditto to above posts about safety. But not that you shouldn't take some precautions - don't have a wallet hanging out your back pocket in a crowded place. Unfortunately Amsterdam does attract a certain down and out crowd, like drug addicts who will pickpocket, etc. But even in this regard Amsterdam has done an amazing job of improving public safety in recent years. The situation was rather dicey during the late 70s and 80s and even a seasoned Amsterdam traveler like myself had some harrowing encounters - like the junkie type whom came up to me and suddenly put his hands in my shirt pocket. But i think with a lot of use of undercover cops the situation seems much improved - now i think you'll more likely be pickpocketed in Paris, Madrid or Barcelona than here. I saw the undercover cops spring into action recently, when two guys who carrying pots with flowers in them suddenly put them down and went and tackled someone, handcuffed him and took him away. Centraal Station was once a dicey area where many people were hassled but a huge police presence there has seemingly changed things, as probably security cameras all over the place. So put angst to rest above crime in A'dam, once was but seems to no longer anymore than any big city - which means take appropriate precautions - use a money belt or other hidden under the clothes security device for your valuable and money and be skeptical of anyone approaching you for any reason. Have a good time in Amsterdam and make your hotel reservations now for the Christmas-New Years time, as i said in previous post i found reserving anything once for that week nearly impossible when i tried in early December.

PalQ

Pissoirs on VVV Map! A unique thing to Amsterdam are its antique pissoirs, outdoor urinals inside a metal circular shed, used only by men. The pissoirs, like those once dotting Paris, which sorely still needs them, have little whole at eye level to see out - a weird experience and much needed convenience for males in a city where public toilets are hard to find. The VVV tourist office map has pissoirs located on them with pissoir symbols!

PalQ

The Cannabis Cup - during Thanksgiving Week Amsterdam stages the annual Cannabis Cup, where coffeeshops and growers enter their finest product to be judged by a mob of 'judges' who descend on the town. Mainly Americans, the cup has been boycotted by some Amsterdam shops as pablum meant to promote High Times Magazine more than anything. But, having never been there then, what i hear is that the event is a riot for those so inclined. Anyone can become a judge by registering then paying a fee to get copious sampling of hundreds of buds. Q? How can the judges objectively judge so many entries after being blown away by the first high-THC varities now grown, some of which top 20% THC content - this is not you grandpa's cannabis! Anyone ever experience the Cannabis Cup?

PalQ

FREE FERRIES
One of the treats of A'dam for me is to hop the free pedestrian ferries that leave every few minutes from behind the main train station, to cross the busy harbor. From the other side you get a nifty view of Amsterdam's intriguing skyline. The boats, mainly used by bikers, present a great view of the variety of bikes Amsterdammers pedal - i love to watch the boats ejaculate their hoardes of bikers upon docking - all edging forward to get off as quick as possible as the boat gates come down. Then a veritable bicycle rush hour as their jockey Indy 500 like for position to be first off.

DAX

Reading this thread makes me think that I've been missing out on the best things Amsterdam has to offer though I have been there several times. So please enlighten me and other skeptics with your lists of gezellig moments/places in Amsterdam. I was just there last month and will be going there again in the early spring.

TracyB

My husband and I have been to Amsterdam about 10 or 11 times over the years..Last time we were there was September, 2003..Weather was hot!! It was lovely as we strolled down the canals, ate our meals outside, walked down Kalverstraat..Eating fries and Mayo and harring...yum..Sitting out at the Spui..It was so nice..
However, we have been there when it is freezing cold..we have our winter jackets on and umbrella's wide open..Hot chocolate and pea soup...
Have been to Queen's Day twice..definately a party, but not my favorite time to go..
The coffeshops, the food, the shopping, the canals...I think we are due for a visit this spring....

subcon

for all the 60's ambiance of the "coffeeshops" no other bar/restaurant quite captures amsterdam's laid back laissez faire than cafe bern on the nieuwmarket square.

slightly seedy with that dark patina of nicotine and constantly packed with every variety of individual, it's a real amsterdam experience. well worn bare wood tables shoved so close as to almost be contiguous vie with singles incongruously draped with oriental rugs. posters of every variety from current offerings to shows or rallies long past and an eclectic mix of "art" cover the walls.

essentially there is a fondue and entrecote dominated menu and it's good, perhaps the best fondu in town. served from a brazier placed on the table along with a long tined fork and chunks of crusty bread, this is a cheese lover's dream.

slammed or praised over the years for its wise cracking but entusiastic wait staff, eccentric clientele and shabby chic appearance, i still find it to be a must stop for the true lover of amsterdam.

i posted this in june after returning from a'dam. i still dream about the place.

kittrdg

I have been back and forth on short business trips and have always felt I wanted to go back to explore more. We did have a really intriguing evening at the Supper Club in Amsterdam - smallish restaurants with beds instead of chairs. At first I was put off by the experience - probably because we were rushing from the aiport to make our reservation. But it ended up quite lovely.

PalQ

AMSTERDAMMAGES
A unique thing about A'dam is its many posts that are placed along its quaint streets to prevent motorists from parking there - they're ubiquitous, I forget how many the city center has but it's in the many thousands. These narrow poles have been dubbed 'Amsterdammages' by locals because of the many scrapes vehicles incur when scraping them. They are also used by local gay publications that often have a photo of a young guy sitting on the top of one because of the pole's phallic resemblance. These poles are also used by residents and business owners to control the very limited A'dam parking in the old town - they have keys to the poles to make them lay down and then lock them back in place so only they, not interlopers use their entitled parking spot. Well, Amsterdammages - another neat Amsterdam-only photo opp!

bend down

PalQ

P.S. Ignore the last 'Bend Down' left at the bottom - it was a note to be erased about the poles bending down, and NOT any gay connotation one may think because of my example of the gay-Amsterdammages reference above. NOT THAT THEY'RE IS AANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!

Tulips

GMPESKO; If you are in Amsterdam the weekend of December 4, be aware that December 5th is Sinterklaas. This is when Dutch children receive their presents (not at Christmas; Santa Claus is in fact derived from Sinterklaas). It's a big family evening; gifts are brought by Sinterklaas, often accompanied by poems. There are lots of 'Sinterklaas' foods; such as speculaas cookies, and pastries filled with almond paste. Have a look in the Bijenkorf department store, on Dam Square.
Many Dutch people will spend the evening of 5 december at home.

PalQ

And the day Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam is a very festive day. I don't know if it's on an exact day each year but i was in A'dam one mid-November on a Saturday and it was Sinterklaas arrival day. The affair features a huge parade that attracts swarms of people, many kid awe-inspired kids in tow - there are many floats that seemed kind of Mardi Gras like, with bands of people from some association. The thing that struck me was that many had blackened faces, to portray a dark Moor who accompanies Sinterklaas - why the dark Moor and the Dutch Christmas legend maybe someone knows more, i'm curious as to why. To me it seemed blatantly racist the way Dutch white as white folk were made up to be blacks; especially struck me in Holland, usually in the vanguard of liberal movements. Anyway Sinterklaas as usual comes last and makes a speech. Like the previous post says he comes Dec 6 for gift giving. A neat thing about the day was that barges sporting bands, brass bands and jazz bands were floating thru the canals, playing lively tunes, including Christmas stuff. A most memorable day.
I happened to go to Utrecht the same day and caught their Sinterklaas entry - there it was all in barge processions with barged bands and thousands lining the quays. A really impressive sight to me.

Danna

We love Amsterdam. Our last visit in September 2004 was a chance to wander around. You can view our pictures at
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/92402/index.html

The above pics include the site for the Hotel Washington. We love the Hotel Washington on the south end of the Museumplein. It doesn't include the coffee house site, which was on the Nieuwmarkt with a very friendly Irish fellow assisting us.


Our daughter and I are planning a visit to Paris in 2006, I'm beginning to lobby for a spring weekend so we can see the Keukenhof Garden.

But of course we will stay and hang out in Amsterdam!

Thanks for the thread!

PalQ

I guess Sinterklaas day is Dec 5th, not 6th as i said. I wrote from memory from Tulips' post but remembered the wrong day.

Tulips

Sinterklaas was originally a bishop, in Turkey, who gave presents to poor children. He rides over the rooftops on his white horse to deliver packages down the chimney.
His helper, zwarte piet (black peter) was supposed to be a moor. There is always some discussion about the black peters being helpers to the white Sinterklaas, but in the end, tradition wins. My kids can't wait till it's Sinterklaas. They put their shoes in front of the fireplace these days, and sometimes Sinterklaas puts a small present or some chocolate in the shoes.

PalQ

Thanks Tulips! I assume then on Dec 25 kids don't get anything because they've already got it. And i wonder why they have Sinterklaas on Dec 5 - is it some kind of religious tradition? Again thanks for your effort of replying. Tot Ziens! (along with austu-bleif and gu'daag about the only Dutch I know!)

Tulips

PalQ; December 5 is Sinterklaas' birthday. We never used to get presents at Christmas. However, Santa has crept in the past 10 years or so, and many people now give some presents at Christmas as well. But for small children, Sinterklaas is the main event.

dovima

Here is an assignment for the Amsterdamned:

Tell us of at least one establishment in your hometown which possesses that most Dutch of qualities, gezelliheid. It can be a restaurant, bar, etc. Someplace that makes you almost feel you were back in the Dam.

O.k., I'll go first.

Spike's Coffee in the Castro section of San Francisco. This is a very small, very locals-oriented place to drink coffee, meet up with friends, read the newspaper, etc. Has wonderful coffees and teas for sale, changing artwork on the walls, and just a generally warm and welcoming vibe. I sit there and think that the only difference between Spike's and my favorite place on Eerste Bloemenstraat in the Jordaan is that "other" menu, wink wink!

dovima

Correction: gezelligheid.
Love that word and all it conveys.

PalQ

Dovima: good question; the only thing in my hometown that vaguely gives me the exhilaration of gezelligheid comes in my hometown once a year. (Think how Gezelligheid, for some, has been redefined after the advent of coffeeshops and their 'wink' menus.) But once my town has its annual Hash Bash, on the first Sat in April, an affair running since the early 1970s, where there's a rally on the local university campus where marijuana activists speak for an hour. Several thousands usually show up. After the political rally the marijuana activists retreat to a local bar with an isolated back patio where they drink beer or wine and casually toke up. Though i'm not an activist nor do i smoke a whole lot i always enjoy the feeling that affair makes me seem like i'm in A'dam - definitely a feeling of Gezelligheid as i perceive it. That this happens now for several years in my hometown makes me happy; why should this revelry that most folks there were having and which you often see in Dutch coffeeshops should be illegal?