Yes Hoppe is nice, and for even more quintessential dutch drinking, a tasting house isn't bad either, like Int Aepjen on Zeedijk.

I love The Hague, it's the only truly decadent city in The Netherlands, with hidden perversions all its own. That's also the reason why many people are bored by it, when they visit it, because it's a city of restrained exteriors that give no clue about what goes on behind them.

Apart from the Mauritshuis, there is the Gemeentemuseum and its "modern art" annex "Gem"

The Gemeentemuseum is known for its collection of Mondriaan paintings, and has a good collection of modernist art, in Dutch art history that's De Stijl, of which Mondriaan was a member. The Gemeentemuseum is also a beautiful creation by its architect, Berlage.

Highlights from the Mauritshuis are now displayed in the Gemeentemuseum

http://old.gemeentemuseum.nl/index.php?id=1&langId=en

Thank you all. Menachem, I see a blog in your future, Hangin' In The Hague (and other cities.)

http://www.madurodam.nl/en/

a popular place in The Hague is Madurodam - where you can see all of Holland in miniature.

a popular place in The Hague is Madurodam - where you can see all of Holland in miniature
______
My wife and I are short, but can't we see the real places?

<i>BigAleinstein on Jul 22, 13 at 8:25am
a popular place in The Hague is Madurodam - where you can see all of Holland in miniature
______
My wife and I are short, but can't we see the real places?</i>

Einstein, you call yourself Big Al but now you say you are short. I think you are short in appreciation of PalenQ's excellent suggestion. I have been to Madurodam several times. It is unique. You will enjoy it.

It's a friggin joke. You may not think it is funny but there is no evil intentions.

Life is short and so am I.

If you go to Spaarne's profile you file find that he is just another one of this self-important bloggers who has ads for others and is his selling his own book. And when he sees the most mild joke about Holland he cries, because it effect his commercial interest.

If people like him were earnest in helping others, there would not be a link to a commercial site.

<i>BigAleinstein on Jul 22, 13 at 11:17pm
If you go to Spaarne's profile you file find that he is just another one of this self-important bloggers who has ads for others and is his selling his own book. And when he sees the most mild joke about Holland he cries, because it effect his commercial interest.
If people like him were earnest in helping others, there would not be a link to a commercial site.</i>

You have an attitude. Sorry for my contributions to your inquiry. My site is mentioned because the Fodor's Profile form asks for it. To call it commercial is a joke considering the millions it makes every day. Not. Everything on my site is free. It survives thanks to readers who shop Amazon there, as clearly stated on every page.

@BigAleinstein

re blog: been there, done that. I used to live in The Hague and it took me years to figure out which doors to open and which to leave safely shut.

This is the city where Eline Vere went mad....

well, bigAl, I've read many of spaarne's contributions to this and other threads and always found what he had to say helpful and polite.

I never knew he had a website, though, so thank you for pointing it out to me. in fact I wish I'd gone there sooner as he's got links to some accommodation in Holland which might have been useful when we went there last year.

better late than never!

Spaarne writes: Everything on my site is free
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Including your book that sells for $28.50?

Sorry folks. Before I drop this with Spaarne, I have one suggestion, put a hole in your chair, so the stick will not hurt you so much.

To all others:
You have been spectacular with your advice and have changed the way I am looking at our trip. We have been traveling to Europe for over 40 years and somehow we have not been Amsterdam except to change planes. And due to your responses, I am more enthusiastic about going. Thanks again.

<i>BigAleinstein on Jul 23, 13 at 6:51am
Spaarne writes: Everything on my site is free
__
Including your book that sells for $28.50?</i>

You don't need to buy the print edition of the book, which BTW is ten years old. The entire text, all 30 chapters and updated as needed, is absolutely free on my site. There is plenty of other information and travel links also. No pop-ups and no registration required.

I would consider taking a day from Amsterdam and adding it to Brussels.

Then one day from Brussels take the fast train to Maastricht for a day trip.

Probably, with Nijmegen, the oldest town/city in the Netherlands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht

Iris

Amsterdam includes three day trips outside of the city. But we are open to suggestions. We are winding our way through guide books. I will see if I can get Michelin Greens at the library for Holland and Belgium.

It seems the best solution is a longer trip with a bigger budget, but isn't that always the case?

Is it true people from Belgium are Belch?