yay for Rotterdam, Cowboy 1968

I wish there was a like button Cowboy.

Pal, climb down off your high horse. You do give lots of useful advice on Amsterdam. Accept though that those of us living in the Netherlands know the law better than you, and residents don't necessarily see FEBO and rijsttafel as culinary highs.

Hetismij - thanks for making my point - why locals feel is awful foreign tourists may like - you obviously know more about the nitty-gritty of laws, etc but seem to have little clues to what tourists like - I have led over 1,000 thru Amsterdam and I may know better what they like then natives - whoobviously have a greater knowledge of things totally irrelevant to tourists.

Yes you don't see a Rice Table as worth diddily but every one of the 1,000 folks I took to Rice Tables thought it was a highlight of their trips. My knoweldge of Amsterdam is from a tourist's standpoint and that is difference than what locals may like or not.

Like the nonsense one of yous wrote about Zaanse Schans not being worthwhile because of all the Chinese tour groups - have you been there to see that in person or just repeating something - there have always been lots of tour buses at Zaanse Schans since it is so close to Amsterdam - have you been there recently - there is a huge privately-owned it seems Dutch souvenir shop there - wooden shoes and all the kitsch that tourists seem to like.

What ordinary Dutch like may not be what a foreign tourists may like.

PQ - sure you know a lot about what a certain type of tourist would enjoy in Amsterdam, if they're into coffeeshops, red light district and junk food. Some tourists may be interested in the views of local people.

And sometimes you are wrong.
such as
'You could even slip into a coffeeshop IME at that age and legally consume cannabis if you want'
or
'Legal drinking ages IME in Europe are often not enforced'

You have obviously travelled a lot, but you are not always right. Your recent comment about universities in Leuven comes to mind.

I have indeed experienced the misery of Zaanse Schans when there are coachloads of tourists there. It is miserable. You can't enjoy the windmills for the crowds, or indeed any of the other exhibits. Just miserable, and a waste of money.

Coachloads of Chinese tourists makes it even worse, trust me. They have no manners at all and no regard for anyone but themselves. And yes I have had the pleasure of experiencing them at ZS too.

There have been coachloads of tour buses there for years - now that some are Chinese makes it worse? Do you also decry the non-Chinese tour buses?

Zaanse Schans is a big site and IME the tour bus groups only go to the one windmill that is open and boom back - several years ago the influx of Chinese was threatening to ruin Paris... don't hear much about that now.

Maybe you want a sign at ZS - No Chinese Allowed? Sounds like the once tolerant Dutch (well you are a Brit but) are not so tolerant anymore?

Back to Tarah's query - in most of Europe I do not think you would find such severe zero tolerance about getting served at age 17 with your parents even if the age limit is 18 like in France or other countries but in strict Holland apparently don't even try. Nevertheless as a foreign tourist you could always claim ignorance of drinking ages and laws - can't see you having any problem except in Britain which does card folks (but not nearly as severely as in the U.S.) or in Holland which now apparently does always check ages.

Come off it PalenQ! You do go on and on and on. Why the question: have you been to....?
Yes yes yes and yes. I've even been on a tour bus to Zaanse Schans, it was a birthday gift. It was ok, but Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen is much much better. You have your favorites and you go on and on about it.

You're accusing hetismij of racism now? You need to see someone for that, seriously.

Signalling out Chinese when there have been many tour buses there for a long time?

Enough said - back to the drinking age only and I know from many previous posts that hetismij is unlikely to be a racist but why signal out Chinese as making it unpalatable anymore when there have been many tour buses everytime I've been there thru the years - many of the American.

We've diverged enough from the OP's question so will bud out with this - check this thread of mine and others for views on a Rice Table and try to include this rather exotic meal in your Amsterdam/Netherlands trips plans:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ite-things.cfm

There are several posts about Rice Tables from foreign tourists who really really liked the experience - I understand some Dutchmay disdain them but foreigners love em - here are some reviews of good Rice Table restaurants:

http://www.eatingeuropetours.com/ams...n-restaurants/

try out you will love it!

Over and out.

>Maybe you want a sign at ZS - No Chinese Allowed? Sounds like the once tolerant Dutch (well you are a Brit but) are not so tolerant anymore?<

Surely not the same tolerant Pal who suggested tourists might want to avoid Scottish cities, with non white folk, for a more "authentic" experience?

Surely not the same tolerant Pal who suggested tourists might want to avoid Scottish cities, with non white folk, for a more "authentic" experience?>

Bck only to say that that is completely taken out of context - kind of slanderously so - that's it.

Tarah - you may not sneak in a drink (I'd try anyway if your parents OKed it and just say you thought the drink age was 16 - since it was only changed this year)- but you don't need to be any age below 35 or so to love FEBO - these street snack bars are an iconic Dutch thing - only seen on such a scale in The Netherlands (used to be in NYC long time ago - the automats - put a coin and get what's waiting behind the glass door - these places have Indonesian foods like bami and nasis - well think they are Indonesia but I think perhaps menachem corrected me before on this - but anyway rather exotic Asian snacks to us - plus things like frinkandels - dried out hot dogs IMO, etc.

And at the counter you can get sumptuous Frites - or french fries - served in a paper cup and thing a variety of sauces - some exotic are piled on - like mayo, curry sauce, ketsup - onions - my favorite is a frites speciaal - mounds of mayo, ketsup, onions and relish all over a pile of fresh cooked frites! Yummy.

FEBS are extremely popular with the younger Dutch crowd and some older ones too - they are unique so try one - there are other companies besides the big kahuna FEBO

Even folks from Thailand find them exotic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhPJ7WHGIPo

http://www.febodelekkerste.nl/catalog/

FEBO is a Dutch institution - give it a try at least once - no not the type of food you should eat daily probably but for tourists a real treat!

https://www.google.com/search?q=FEBO...=1600&bih=1075

Images of the iconic FEBO - mouth watering images!