Spring weekend in Amsterdam

1. The Van Gogh Museum: it took me uncharacteristically long to get there but was I glad I finally made it! An added bonus was the Van Gogh 150 Vincent’s Choice exhibition: seeing his works side by side with other masterpieces that he admired, copied or reinterpreted.
2. Keukenhof: an enormous park where annually the best Dutch horticulturalists show of their craft. The main attraction is bulbs with tulips the eternal favorite.
3. Taking a boat cruise along the canals of Amsterdam. I’ve done it many times and probably will again on my next visit. By both day and night these cruises reveal the magic of this beautiful city.
4. The Crowne Plaza Amsterdam The American: for once the hotel itself was an experience and a joy to return to after a hard day of walking, sightseeing, shopping and dining.
5. Dutch food: I like it, love it, live it. I enjoy traditional Dutch food, modern Dutch food, colonial (Indonesian) Dutch food and the coffee is a joy as well. I never return home without picking up some Dutch delicacies at the supermarket and stretch a trip to Holland into months rather than days.

Quick Tips:

1. I was disappointed to see to what extend crime seemed to have increased during the seven years that I haven’t been to Amsterdam. Even banners across shopping streets give police warnings of petty crime in the area. The red light district also had more people idling around rather than ogling. I would feel less safe in some areas than on previous visits.
2. The flower market at Singel: although most guide books warn that this market has more cheap souvenir stands than flower sellers it is still fun to visit if you are in the area. It is apparently still the area to buy bulbs but of the 100 bulbs I bought at Euro 8 and guaranteed to flower in six weeks only about 20 surfaced!(I don’t mind the Euro 8 - planting them was backbreaking work!)
3. The Central Station is currently being rebuilt and in a total chaotic mess.
4. The average Dutch don’t wear klompen (wooden clogs) anymore.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is generally the best mode of transportation. The tourist part of the city is relatively small and you could probably walk from the Central Station to the Museum Area in about 40 minutes.

The trams are the second best option and may well be the fastest trams in the world by far. The best way to pay is by strip cards - day tickets are only worth it if you are going to spend most of the day on the tram, as you need to make at around seven trips before it works out cheaper.

It is possible to rent bicycles in central Amsterdam but being totally ignorant of pedestrians and other vehicles seems to be a born in Amsterdam trait. The average tourist won’t master it in one go and you’ll be forever stopping and starting trying to let others pass ruining the reputation of Amsterdam cyclist for being rude, in a hurry and being king of the road. Rather cycle in rural areas and walk in the city.

Once again surprised by the high prices of hotel rooms in Amsterdam I spent hours surfing the web looking for bargains. Once again the major hotel chains, especially the traditional American brands, were much more inclined to discount prices for weeknights when business is slow. So I forsake a more character independent hotel and plumped for the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam The American, which went for Euro 130 per weeknight rising to Euro 155 for weekend nights.

I was somewhat afraid that picking the cheapest room on the website, although a non-smoking double guaranteed, may result in either a cramped or dated room. My fears were not eased when enquiries at check-in if a baby bed was available resulted in a call to housekeeping to check whether a baby bed would indeed fit into the room. I need not have fretted - the room was fantastic. It was spacious with light colors and huge bay windows that opened over the canal.

The room was well equipped, as one would expect of a four star Crowne Plaza. It had a large satellite TV with various European channels, radio alarm clock, sufficient lighting options, large closets and more than enough storage space for suitcases and other large items. The bathroom was somewhat small but with a large bathtub shower combination and enough flat surfaces for toiletries. An iron was available as well as a kettle with a well-stocked selection of teas and coffees. A small bar fridge was of the irritating "remove something and it automatically registers" design - I could squeeze some yogurt and cheese on top but no place for the baby’s milk.

The American is famous for its art deco exterior and is a listed building. Inside the rooms are modern and the only signs of its former art deco glory were in the bay windows and to a lesser extend the shape of the closets and lesser fitting. The Café American maintained its original art deco interior. Breakfast and dinner are expensive with lunch and afternoon coffee more viable options.

I was initially worried about the hotels location at Leidse Plein - a busy nightlife area booming with especially foreigners drinking too much and smoking pot. However, the hotel is about a block away from the square and no noise from there penetrated the room. As a bonus the excellent public transportation facilities from this area included several tramlines including three leading to the central station. It always seemed as if a tram was either waiting or approaching. Further more the Museum Quarter including the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseums are within easy walking distance and even walking to areas such as Rembrandtplein or Spui were possible along a busy shopping street in less than 20 minutes.

We were pleasantly surprised by The American and it may be our hotel of choice on further visits. It was definitely worth paying about Euro 5 per night more than what a three star hotel of unknown reputation would have saved us.

We were strolling through the New Market area of Amsterdam when we suddenly felt peckish but no restaurant looked appealing. Some looked a bit dirty and others seemed to be more "coffee shop" than restaurant. Also the close proximity to the red light district made walking back towards the station area to find somewhere to have a decent repast an unattractive option. I then remembered reading a dining entry by IgoUgo’s resident Dutch guide, Marianne, on De Waag - a restaurant serving organic food where they assure you that the veal is made of a calf who spent its entire life at the side of it’s mother! I couldn’t really remember what the exact name of the place was supposed to be but I hoped to find it once we got to Nieuwmarkt.

I need not have worried about the latter. Once at Nieuwmarkt it is simply impossible not to find Restaurant Café in de Waag. It is located in a large fortress like building, which was one of the city gates erected during the fifteenth century. This imposing building stands on its own in the center of the large square. Outdoor seating is available but as the weather was rather unpleasant everyone was inside.

Inside the place is beautifully yet plainly decorated with lots of candles, dark solid furniture and white washed walls. There are dining areas on several levels and in several rooms - some reserved for larger private parties.

The menu selection is not particularly large but it is varied with lots of vegetarian options, as one would expect from an organic food establishment. My wife had the soup of the day, which was a tasty thick vegetable soup served with fresh wholesome bread. I thought it would be a shame to pass on those dear calves and had veal croquets (kalfskroketten) served piping hot with slices of white bread. They were a bit more expensive than usual but the taste was worth the splurge. However, I would have preferred a rather more substantial type bread. The portions were not particularly big so with only a few hours left in Amsterdam I thought it wise to load up on the bitterballen - very tasty small meatballs served with strong mustard. Once again the taste was a cut above the average.

We topped the meal off with two strong cappuccinos and a piece of apple tart which had that mix of spices that only the Dutch seem to use in apple tart which is a shame as it is a winning combination. In contrast to the meal this piece of cake was really big so I made a mental note to arrive here at coffee time on future visits.

Adding two more drinks this repast came to Euro 30, which is not exactly cheap but fair for the location and the quality of the food.

Keukenhof is a 32-hectare garden set in the heart of the Netherland’s flower bulb growing area. The garden is open for about two months during spring and during this period leading Dutch horticulturist compete to produce arguably the best display of flower bulbs in the world. Each participating nursery is allocated a plot of land and must maintain it and change the plants to ensure a continuous display of flowers.

Circumstances forced us to go to Holland slightly earlier as would have been optimum to see the tulips but several early bloomers provided color and of course the daffodils were in full bloom.

Navigational aids in the park are very limited with maps only available close to the entrances and small number of sign boards scattered through the park. Buying a small pamphlet with a map is helpful to see it all.

The park is laid out in various styles in order to show of the versatility of the flowers. My favorite area is at the lake where artificial hills - everybody knows Holland is flat like a pancake - make for beautiful panoramas. The grass here is golf course smooth and so green it almost hurts the eyes. This area for me provides the perfect setting to offset the yellows of the daffodils and reds and purples of the tulips. Various other lilies, hyacinths and crocuses complement the better-known flowers.

Several pavilions are scattered throughout the park providing varying exhibitions and other service facilities. During out visit the exhibitions included chrysanthemums, which we always enjoy after seeing so many during eight years living in Japan, as well as tulips in the main pavilion. The latter was especially fortunate as the tulips blooming outside were still limited to the smaller early bloomers. New variants are introduced here annually and cause great excitement amongst experts but a novice would hardly have known if it wasn’t for the large signboards proclaiming the new variant, its name and creator.

The self-service restaurants provide uninspiring overpriced food, as one would expect from an establishment open only two months each year. I postponed the main lunch until we were back in Leiden but my child found the too sweet tomato soup absolutely divine. Ironically the stroopwafels - thin round waffles stuck together by a thick syrup - sold inside the park were significantly cheaper than those sold in the supermarket in Amsterdam which was fortunate as I picked up three packets to sustain me throughout the weekend.

Getting to Keukenhof from Amsterdam takes just more than an hour if you get the connections right. Take the train to Leiden and from there the bus to Keukenhof. Connexion sells combination tickets right outside Leiden station that includes the return bus fare and park entry at a slightly reduced price. Similar options are available via Harlem but I found the Leiden connection faster and less complicated.

Despite several previous visits to Amsterdam I have never managed to get to the Van Gogh Museum - mainly due to museum fatigue after the mammoth Rijksmuseum. This time I was determined to visit it and as it was within easy walking distance of our hotel we set out immediately after check in.

There were no queues whatsoever when we arrived but this good fortune was somewhat outbalanced by both elevators being out of service forcing me to either wait or drag baby and stroller up steep narrow flights of stairs! The main floor is dedicated to the museum’s enviously vast collection of Van Gogh paintings displayed more or less in chronological order and grouped together according to the different locations where he produced his art. This way of displaying made it easy to compare how his style developed; also reflecting his changing personal circumstances. Sufficient information is available both on signboards and free pamphlets to make sense out of it all. Unfortunately the descriptions of the individual paintings themselves are so small that one literally had to push a nose against the wall to read them. The top floor is dedicated to Van Gogh’s contemporaries especially the painters that he admired and whose works he reinterpreted. Coming down from the third floor the elevators were again available but the guard asking the service contractors why they don’t take permanent positions at the museum seeing that they were there all the time inspired little confidence!

From here to the main attraction - the special Van Gogh 150 exhibition "Vincent’s Choice" to commemorate his birth in 1853. The curator of this exhibition was inspired: it consists of 161 works - most are Van Gogh of course and they are displayed next to works of other artists that he copied, reinterpreted or found inspiring. Free booklets in various major languages are available that explain the exhibits and various combinations and groupings. It also lists the names and permanent home of all the works. I found this most useful although ironically in this part of the museum the descriptions are actually large enough to read at ease from a distance.

Now read this and weep! The exhibition ends 15 June 2003 but as most of the Van Goghs on display have their permanent home in this very building, and most of the other works are from the nearby Rijksmuseum you can still make your own comparisons locally. It will of course require a bit more legwork not to mention mental concentration to keep the correct paintings in mind at the right time.

Van Gogh first came to my attention in 1987 when we all marveled at the television images of the Sunflowers sold for almost $40 million to the Japanese insurance giant Yasuda. My wife actually paid around $10 to see this painting and a small number of others in Tokyo. Against that paying Euro 9 to see all the Van Gogh museum has on offer is an absolute bargain.

Open daily 10am -18pm.

Taking a boat cruise of the canals of Amsterdam seems to be the ultimate tourist experience. It is fun, a great way to see the city, and I’ve taken one on every single trip I’ve made to this city. Both the night and day cruises are worth it but if time or money is limited take a late afternoon cruise that ends in the dark and you can get both experiences squeezed into one.

There are several companies vying for your custom with most located in close proximity to the Central Station. Prices and routes are basically the same but I have always been more satisfied with the blue boats of Holland International - now part of TUI - than with others. Boats have see-through roofs, which apparently fog up fast when it is rainy. Commentary on virtually all boats is via pre-recorded tape in several languages - Dutch, English, German, French, and Spanish. This is of course great if you understand all five - no need for note taking or guidebooks, you’ll know the history of Amsterdam by heart at the end of the tour.

The tour takes around an hour and includes a trip through the harbor and of course various canals. Highlights include seeing the Magere Brug - a narrow double-leave drawbridge across the River Amstel, and to see the gables of the stately homes in the wealthier areas. Another highlight is the point where you can see seven round arch bridges spanning a narrow canal. This is best seen at night when lights light up the curves of the bridges.

Depending on the route you may also pass by the Anne Frank Museum where there always seems to be a queue and the Westerkerk with the glittering crown of Emperor Maximilian at the top of the steeple.

An interesting alternative to a boat tour is to take the Museumboat - this boat covers most of the same route from the Central Station but allows you to get off at five points along the way: Anne Frank Museum, Museum quarter (Rijks and Van Gogh Museums), Bloemenmarkt (Flower market), Waterlooplein and Maritime Museum. A day ticket allows for unlimited trips. The journey will take much longer than the tram but will be more interesting.