Chillin' in Amsterdam

We did not miss the Floating Flower Market on the Singel Canal, and then took a lovely tour of the Keukenhof Gardens at Lisse(not to be missed). Of course, we tried to admire the entire collection in the Rijksmuseum with the "Night Watch" and were spellbound by the Van Gogh Museum. Later we even ventured into the forbidden Rosse Buurt(Red Light district).

Quick Tips:

It is cool and wet in The Netherlands in late March, the tulips love it, but we could have used a wooly cap for the blustery wind and gloves for our chilly fingers. Best way into the city is the shuttle from the airport will stop at almost any hotel(.50) per person. Treat yourself to some of the best variety of food anywhere especially the Indonesian Riestafel.

Best Way To Get Around:

Best way to get around is by bike or tram as they have traffic signals for them all including people. Buy stripkarte for the tram at stations, tobacco stores, almost anywhere. Having a car in the city is a big liability, parking is very expensive and if you overpark you will be towed and the fine will be steep. To travel to other cities the train service is excellent as are the bus services. A small car is nice for those hard to reach villages in the north and a drive through the flower fields.

Our charmer of a hotel was located right behind the Amsterdam Marriott just off of Stadhouderskade, one of the names of the ring road that circles the inner city. Looking more like a personal town house instead of a hotel, Terdam has classic brick front with small entry flooded with flower boxes. After the narrow enty hall the desk is just to the right and the spacious lobby opens back toward the front with wall of windows and lovely stuffed chairs and polished tables. Service at the desk was prompt and pleasant even though we were part package from Sky Auction. Just to the left is a small door way and an even smaller bar, really cozy with semicircle bar in the right corner and two booths across the room. Maybe enough room for 10 people who really like each other. Now down a windy little hall way to the left is the road to our room, first turn left, then right, then left and into the corner on the ground floor. Reaaly Reaaaaly Cozy is the word, but not uncomfortablely so. It is decorated in green and blues with really nice double bed, with puffy coverlet that matches the long full drapes that make it so quiet and dark we almost missed breakfast the next morning. We had everthing including desk with phone ,television, clothes cabnet, and bedside table s with lamps, just a little snug to walk between. The bath was clean and really efficient. You could walk in and take care of it all in three steps including louging in the huge tub with lots of hot water. Breakfast was buffet with juice, tea, coffee, milk, cereal, soft boiled eggs, sliced cold cuts, fruit, yogurt and a variety breads. One really nice thing was the location. Step out and around the Marriott and cross over the Stadhouderskade, and you are on the Leidseplein, the plaza, square, where all the action begins in Amsterdam.

Location! Location! Location!...... One street away from the Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum ,and two streets away from Vondel Park and the Leidseplein. A tall basic narrow building with wide concrete steps at the entry opened to the left inside the glass door into a tiny desk (reception 8-11) with no lobby and to the right steep steep stairs shot straight up in front of us and I mean up, no gentle slope, and quite a climb. Elevators are for the three star hotels and we had to carry our luggage up three flights of these strairs. Our Hotel was not reccommended for people with knee problems and had no hadicapped facilities. Located on the top floor, of course, our room had a large window opening on the front directly under the huge crane that is on the front of all the Netherland houses for lifting heavy and large items into the slim buildings. Ours was a close square bright attic room with comfy double bed layered with white down cover sacks, night tables and one chair. Space seemed to be at premium in Holland. Breakfast was served 7-10 in the second floor tv room. A long dinning table loaded with cheese, cold cuts, bread, yogurt, cereal, coffe and tea was brightened by a snowy cloth, cheery flowers and a mass of floor to length windows spilling cool morning sunshine. I did miss not having a shower in the room, however we did have sink with mirror in the corner by the window, and the facilities were only 10 feet down the hall on the left, just like at home. There was no waiting, the bath was clean with small towels and the toilet was located in another small room next door. Again the location could not be better, with the spendid view of the Rijksmuseum, and in the expensive city of Amsterdam you cannot beat the price if you are on a budget.

One of the things that I like about Amsterdam is the ultimate variety of food found in this worldy city and the availability of timeless service. You can get something to eat anytime. After a long flight from Houston to Paris, a 3 hour wait and then finally Amsterdam, we made it around 5 or 6 in the afternoon. So we were getting around to being hungry at about 10 PM local time. Knowing we were not going to find a restuarant serving at this hour, we rushed out just in case and there it was just around the corner with its total glass front with curled neon signs blinking from over the glass and brass double doors.

Up several steep steps and we were in a foyer where the tables stretched off to both sides with all the tables facing the huge picture window and the bar behind a brass railing to the rear. The lovely windows ran the entire length of the room on both sides as it stradled the corner. White, White cloths covered all the tables along with fresh flowers and crystal wine glasses. Our waiter rushed to help us, and that was the last time he rushed us or himself. Holland believes that good food is worth waiting for, and takes time to prepare properly (and they were right!). We both had Primavera, mine with veggies and Robert''s with shrimp. The portions were huge and the sauce creamy and tangy clinging to the al dente pasta, with crusty bread on the side. Small green peas, carrots and asparagus blended well and added beautiful color. White wine was a good choice and coffee sufficed for dessert. We made it home just after the witching hour.

An amusement park for the flower lover, that is what I call 15th century Countess Jacoba van Beieren''s Keukenhof (Kitchen Garden), and it was this flower lover''s answer to all the damp weather and lagging spirits. Even if the sun was not shinning when we entered the gate marked by the Tulip image, the blossoms brightened the landscape and my attitude in rainbow masses.

Our entrance (there are at least three more entrances and parking lots marked with flowers), lead to a wide boulevard bordered by huge leafless trees. We were just a bit early in the Spring, this being the first week of April, however the bulbs were already splashing the grounds with their colors. Huge plots hovering around the trees sprouted sunny daffodils while others contrasted with pastel pink and honey Hyacinths. Numerous paths wound away from the walkway amid freeform ponds and amist a jumble of colorful bluebells and purple crocuses.

Our wide walkway to the left lead to a brimming green house filled with orchids, hanging from the roofs, planted in pots and sprounting from the indoor landscape. A nice self-serve cafe was next door and another cafe at the opposite end of the park overlooking the ponds and tulip shaped white sculptures.

Deeper into the park were several pavilions with flower displays, the vibrant gerber daisy exhibit and the tremendous showing of the new hybrid tulip bulbs. Small hutches scattered along the lanes provided a place for us to order some of the flowers on display as the almost 8,000,000 bulbs are planted by the Dutch tulip growers, each one has his own plots with ID sign. Past the flowers, almost to the bulb fields surrounding the 74 acres, we found the petting zoo complete with playground for the children and picnic area for the family. Finally we stumbled on the azalea garden (would you believe it - orange azealas) after getting lost in the hedge maze and hungrily snacked sitting on a lovely bench in the shadow of the towering windmill (open for climbing).

Admission is about $9 and the park is open late March to late May from 8am to 7:30pm. Buses arrived constantly, both tour and special buses from Leiden. Just take the train to Leiden and at the train station you ask for the bus to Keunkenhof. Also special tours can be arranged -- contact the tourist office.