Is it possible to be madly, crazy in love with two people at the same time? Or to love one person more than anything else in the world – until you’re with the other person? And then that person becomes the end-all, be-all?
Am I fickle? Or just plain indecisive? Or do I suffer from some short attention span syndrome?
That’s how I feel about the Netherlands. And the UK. (And sometimes Italy. Then Greece. Sometimes Switzerland…)
So today… I’m focused on the Netherlands. Amsterdam, in particular. I love this city. Old houses still lived in; old canals still boated on; old restaurants still in business (and at the top of their game); old museums whose buildings could be in a museum, not to mention the works of art inside. But it’s more than just an old city. It’s also very much a current city with new sights, new restaurants, new vistas that incorporate what has been there for so long.
Not only history, Amsterdam is, historically, a city of tolerance, and humor, fiscal prudence, and impetuous beauty.
What’s not to love?!
I first fell in love with Amsterdam during the summer of 1983; I was a graduate student on a student tour of the UK and the Continent. I’d had no preconceived expectations of what I’d be seeing so when I got to Amsterdam, I felt like a kid in a candy store.
Back to Amsterdam. I did not return for almost 40 years! Why did I stay away so long? Well, that’s another post. But I’ve been 3 times in the last 2 years. And I can’t wait to go again.
Hotel recommendations:
- Hotel Estheréa – Singel, 303-309, 1012 WJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 (0)20-6245146, frontoffice@estherea.nl, www.estherea.nl
I found this hotel when I was wandering around one day. It’s in an old seventeenth-century canal house (seven houses, actually) on the Singel canal, and I noticed that its front entry closely resembled the front entries of some of the old canal-house museums I’d been visiting that day.
Unlike the museums, though, this canal-house was open to the public for over-nights. So, the next time I made arrangements to visit Amsterdam, I booked this hotel. And I was not disappointed! I’ve stayed there twice now and each time I was thrilled with our room, thrilled with the public rooms on the ground floor, and thrilled with their food service. And it helped that they have a resident cat who wanders around at will.
My favorite highlights included:
- Beautifully decorated guest rooms featuring non-hotel-like fabrics and which take unique advantage of architectural quirks (to be expected in an old canal house).
- All guest rooms are en-suite with roomy and well-lit bathrooms.
- Public rooms are beautifully decorated with whimsical design touches, making them so inviting.
- Of course, the all-day-all-night snack table with fresh-baked cookies and pastries, and huge jars of candies (yes, the Dutch have earned their sweet tooth notoriety) only makes it harder to leave in the morning to go sight-seeing, but coming “home” in the evening sweetens the sadness of ending another day in Amsterdam.
- Their breakfast buffet is outstanding, as is their espresso bar to order.
2. Hotel Doelen (NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen, also called the Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam Hotel) – Nieuwe Doelenstraat, 24, 1012 CP Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 20 554 0600 (reservations +1 212 219 7607), doelen@tivoli-hotels.com, https://www.tivolihotels.com/en/tivoli-doelen
I first read about this hotel in a Betty Neels medical romance novel when I was in college and looking for alternatives to studying. I can’t remember which novel it was, but I never forgot that the hero was treating his sweetheart like a queen when he took her there for koffie when it was raining. So, when I had the chance to book a hotel in Amsterdam – after my 40-year hiatus, this was one of the first places I researched. I was not disappointed! It’s the oldest hotel in Amsterdam, still claims 5-star ranking, is well-located in the medieval center of the city, and yet was affordable. Admittedly, the pictures make it look much bigger than it is, but the cleanliness and old-fashioned elegance make up for that.
My highlights of this hotel include:
- They have superb omniscient receptionist-concierge personnel: my husband and I initially arrived at the hotel later than we’d anticipated, and we had a canal tour scheduled that afternoon that meant we could not waste a second. As soon as the receptionist heard of our predicament, he immediately prioritized getting us to our excursion (including a map – walking/running was faster than a taxi at that point – and provided us with water and fruit) and handled the d-d-details of checking in later. When we arrived back at the hotel later that evening, our luggage was already waiting for us in our room, and all we had to do was review the paperwork. We relied on this team many times during our stay; they made navigating Amsterdam and optimizing our sight-seeing very easy.
- The guest rooms were clean, bright and white, and had lovely views of the canals around the hotel, and the spacious bathrooms were en-suite.
- Breakfast was delicious. Their dining room has beautiful views also.
- Restaurant Blauw Amsterdam (there are also two Blauw restaurants in Utrecht) – Amstelveenseweg 158-160, 1075 XN Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 20 675 50 00, https://restaurantblauw.nl/
Internet searching will often list Restaurant Blauw as first choice for rijsttafel. (Rijsttafel means “rice table” and refers to the Dutch colonial tradition of showing off the cuisine of Indonesia – their colony for some 350 years – by serving as many varieties of sauces, and rice dishes as possible; 40 dishes were not unusual! Of course, the servings were small, and the dishes were meant to be shared, but 40 is still 40 – that’s a lot of spoonfuls.) Indonesian cuisine is unique because there is a focus not only on flavors (read, spices and heat), color, and variety (of meats, vegetables, and rice served), there’s also attention paid to the texture of food – so, is there crunchy? Crispy? Soft? Chewy? Compared to the other rijsttafel restaurants I tried, Blauw was notably fresh, and light despite the challenge of serving so many dishes simultaneously.
2. d’Vijff Vlieghen – Spuistraat 294-302, 1012 VX Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 (0)20 530 40 60, https://www.vijffvlieghen.nl/
The 5 Flies – that’s what d’Vijff Vleighen means! Could any other name sound so unappetizing? This restaurant opened in 1939 by an antiques dealer who liked to serve wine to his clients. He kept 5 copper flies in a vintage birdcage and used this visual as his mascot for his “culinary museum.”
I cannot fathom why, but it seemed to work and his restaurant has been incredibly popular ever since. Once I got past the ickiness of 5 flies, I was totally won over by the ambiance, the décor, the antiques, and the food! Everything there is Old World elegant.
It was the kind of meal where you want to sip and savor as slowly as possible (6 courses from the prix-fixe menu took a little over 2 hours).
It was a bit pricey, but so uniquely delicious, that the (euros) we spent were well worth it.
3. Foodhallen – Hannie Dankbaarpassage 16, 1053 RT Amsterdam (located in De Hallen Amsterdam – a shopping mall), Netherlands, https://foodhallen.nl/venues/amsterdam
We got this tip from our daughter who had been to Amsterdam a few months before our visit. It seemed to be in the most unlikely, very urban setting, but once we got inside the warehouse? convention center? (turns out it was an old tram depot), we were so happily surprised.
Foodhallen is basically a huge foodcourt – but what a food court! 19 different stands – Dutch specialties, Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Dutch-pub food, ice cream, sushi, dim sum, pastries, seafood, vegetarian, Indian…
On a Friday night at 9 pm, the place was hopping. And not just with the young and beautiful, all ages were there – families with young kids in tow, couples on dates, older generations, groups of young people – all sitting together at communal tables. The energy was infectious, and the food was delicious. I was especially happy to try the bittebollen, which I’d read about but never tried (basically, tasty gravy gets refrigerated in a pan until it’s solid, then a chunk is scooped out, gets dipped in batter, and then deep-fried. What you’re left with is warm liquid gravy encased in a deep-fried pastry ball. It was so good, I later made them at home for my Dutch dinner party.)
I also had Mexican tacos that rivaled any gourmet Mexican taqueria in my Southern California hometown. And finally, I finished off with boterkoekjes – butter cookies, sinfully and simply elegant and elegantly simple and sinful. I would return to this place, too!
4. Italian Restaurant Rossini – Regulierendwarsstraat 3-5, 1017 BJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 20 639 0102, https://rossini-amsterdam.nl/
I know, you’re thinking, “why would you eat Italian food in the Netherlands?!” Well, we were making our way back to our hotel after visiting our respective museums all afternoon, and ended up following our noses down a small side street to this restaurant. I think I remember being very hungry, and suddenly, I had a taste for Italian food. We were not disappointed. Not only did the resident cat welcome us, but the food tasted like something my grandmother (if she were an Italian nonna – which she’s not) would make.
The pizza funghi and the lasagna Bolognese were delicious; the ceramic Deruta tabletops were the perfect backdrop setting for their dishes.
So, it was a feast for eyes and taste. And yes, I’m looking forward to returning there, too!
5. The Avocado Show, Keizersgracht 449, 1017 DK Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 85 071 52 50, https://www.theavocadoshow.com/
Another testimony to the idea that Amsterdam may be firmly rooted in the past, but is completely forward facing with a great sense of humor: just about everything on The Avocado Show menu involves avocados. The only exceptions may be some of the drinks – teas and coffees and the like, and even some of those featured avocados.
Their tagline is “Pretty Healthy Food”, and it is. Pretty and healthy.
Besides that, their menu is very punny. So, it made me giggle often. There are two locations in Amsterdam (and a few more in London and Stuttgart); we went to the Keizersgracht location and sat canalside – which was beautiful.
Their food was beautiful, too, and delicious. I was so pleasantly surprised – I thought I’d be eating TexMex all morning, but I was wrong – how did I know that the humble avocado could be so versatile? Well, it is, so this is another restaurant I recommend, and I look forward to visiting again.
Well, obviously, museums are big in Amsterdam, and by that I mean, museums are popular in Amsterdam, and some of them are very large, indeed. There are over 40 museums in Amsterdam proper, and more than 85 in “Greater Amsterdam.” There are museums for almost every interest – The Rijksmuseum for Dutch and Flemish masters, the Van Gogh Museum for Van Gogh, museums for science, film, photography, cats, pipes, fluorescent art, canal houses, houseboats, the Anne Frank House – too many to list. But, if I had to choose, these are the top 5 museums I would pick:
- Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam, Netherlands, https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en
Obviously, the Dutch and Flemish masters are a huge draw, but so are the ship models, the doll houses, and the porcelain.
And the café is lovely.
2. The Versetz Resistance Museum, Plantage Kerklaan 61, 1018 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands,
+31 (0)20-620 25 35, info@verzetsmuseum.org, https://www.verzetsmuseum.org/en/world-war-ii-in-the-netherlands
My husband and I originally alotted 2 hours to visit this museum, but we ended up staying twice as long – there was so much to take in. What I most remember was the Dutch honesty about the resistance fighters and the collaborators; it would be nice to think that our loyalties are clear and our courage sufficient, but this museum truly made you think and respect those who made difficult decisions. This museum is especially compelling if you are interested in WWII history.
3. The Anne Frank House, Westermarkt 20, 1016 DK Amsterdam, Netherlands, https://www.annefrank.org/en/
A visit to this edifice is sobering but illuminating. From my perspective, I’m fairly well-informed of Anne’s story (and her diary), and yet I found much in the small, unfurnished rooms to broaden my mind and imagination. At the end of the visit, a short video clip of Otto Frank (Anne’s father) is presented:
“When I returned, and after I had the news that my children would not come back, Miep gave me the diary, which had been saved by, I should say, a miracle. It took me a very long time to read it, and I must say, I was very much surprised about the deep thoughts that Anne had, her seriousness – especially her self-criticism.
“It was quite a different Anne [than] I had known as my daughter. She never really showed this kind of inner feeling. She talked about many things, we criticized many things, but what really her feelings were, I could only see from the diary.
“And my conclusion is, [even] as I had been in very, very good terms with Anne, that most parents don’t know, really, their children” (Italics my own).
While the remainder of Mr. Frank’s life efforts after the war were to endorse peace and tolerance, beginning with the individual, his last words at the Anne Frank House are more global in their outreach to all parents and their understanding of their own children – such an incredibly generous statement. As saddened as I always will be about Anne Frank’s death, and all the victims of the Holocaust, I felt uplifted with this gift of common humanity with Otto Frank.
(Special thanks to Angus Johnston, who transcribed the interview in his blog, https://studentactivism.net/2015/01/02/otto-frank-on-not-knowing-his-daughter/.)
4. Museum Van Loon, Keizersgracht 672, Amsterdam, Netherlands, tel +31 (0)20 624 52 55, https://www.museumvanloon.nl/
While there is a museum dedicated to canal houses, this is your chance to actually go inside a real, still lived in, grand canal house of Amsterdam – built in 1672, and still occupied by the Van Loon family, who bought it in 1884. (The Van Loon family were co-founders of the VOC – the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Caompagnie, or more commonly, the Dutch East India Company – in 1602.) However, they do have family portraits hanging at Keizersgracht 672 which date from the sixteenth century.
I wanted to move in or be adopted by the Van Loon family – who still hold family functions in the house and supposedly live on the top floor (closed to the public so I could not verify).
5. De Nieue Kerk, Dam (Square) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31(0)20 626 81 68, https://www.nieuwekerk.nl
While church services are no longer held at “The New Church,” it is worth going to see any exhibition you can just to get inside this magnificent building.
The gothic interior is an impressive backdrop for any exhibit.
6. Canal ride
This is a most convenient activity to get your bearings in Amsterdam, so maybe consider booking this first on your to-do list. If you purchase an IAmsterdam card, a free canal ride is included, which is all well and good. But I prefer the canal rides which feature a live guide – who incidentally can speak 4-5 languages fluently, an open boat, and 2 hours in length. Just one more thing to wonder at in Amsterdam. And any time is a good time, but close to sunset is lovely. Here’s the link! https://www.viator.com/en-GB/tours/Amsterdam/Amsterdam-Canal-Cruise/d525-75227P1
7. Picnic in Vondelpark, 1017 AA Amsterdam, Netherlands
Stop by a cheese shop for ja, cheese and crackers; stop by a bakery for stroopwafels and coffee (or your beverage of choice), then head over to Vondelpark and have a seat as you watch the Dutch world walk/cycle by. Or join the audience when free concerts are offered. (Sometimes, it’s nice to just take a break for a few minutes and breathe.) And if you’re still hungry, the nearby Rijksmuseum has a very nice café.
8. Boom Chicago, Rozengracht 117, Amsterdam, Netherlands, +31 (0)20 217 0400, https://boomchicago.nl/
Just reading this website will make you laugh. I first heard about Boom Chicago from my mom who is good friends with Ilke, the mother of Andrew Moskos – one of the Boom Chicago founders. It was an excellent tip. We signed up for an evening of “The Ladies of Boom Chicago,” which followed their 30th anniversary show the night before. At least one alum stayed on for the next night’s show; without any other prior knowledge of what the evening would bring, I knew we were in for something special when Brendan Hunt/Coach Beard walked in and took a seat in the audience. (No, I didn’t take a picture because I nobly thought I should leave him his privacy. Maybe, on second thought, he wouldn’t have minded?) Anyway, the lightning fast jokes – all spontaneous – had me laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. I know it was truly spontaneous because my daughter (who I know for certain was not a plant) called out one of the words on which they did a skit. The word? Marmite. Yes, Marmite.
The other reason I sing the praises of this establishment is because of how nice they were to me. Somehow, I’d lost the emailed version of our tickets that were sent to me. But I did have the email of a later ticket I’d bought for another guest, with a request about sitting together. When I got to the very crowded door, Cherish (who was taking tickets in addition to everything else she does) sent me to the bar to speak with Finn, Mr. Moskov’s son, who was also managing the (very busy) bar in addition to a million other things. He patiently checked his lists, then assured me that all was well – and we took our seats. And that was all it took. No stress at all. What impressed me was how positive all the staff were; it set the tone for the evening – kind, and funny as all get out. (Yet another reason to return to Amsterdam!)
9. Visit the Begijnhof, 1017 AA Amsterdam, Netherlands, https://www.amsterdam.info/sights/begijnhof/
This place can be a challenge to find but that’s all part of the fun.
Hints: It’s not far from the Amsterdam Museum; from the Amsterdam Museum, make your way over to the Kalverstraat, and from there, look for the entrance on Spui. There is a carved sign on Kalverstraat pointing the way to the Spui entrance. That’s it. There is nothing to really do there but soak in the peaceful respite of this enclosed community of celibate women (historically Catholic, but not nuns, nor obligated to stay) in the middle of bustling Amsterdam.
The oldest house in Amsterdam is there (built in 1420), but most of the other buildings were built in the 1700’s. If you visit at 10:30 am on Sunday, you can attend worship services with the small Church of Scotland congregation who meet in the 14th-century church that is within the Begijnhof.
The Church has posted a Mission Statement that summarizes the ambiance of this special place: they “aspire to to be Christ’s people, transformed by the Gospel, making a difference in the world.” Their five goals are, to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom; to teach, baptize, and nurture new believers; to respond to human need by loving service; to transform the unjust structures of society; and, to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, to sustain and renew the life of the earth.” The sense of inclusiveness was profound – and I was there on a day that was not even Sunday.
This place is a gem.
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