Amsterdam
 

We'll be in Amsterdam the weekend of 4-7 April. We are planning on seeinghte Anne Frank House, Zaanseschans, Rijksmuseum and Keukenhof for the tulips. We're not late night club sort of folks (unless there's ajazz club you can recommend). What other recommendations for sightseeing does anyone have. Also for dining.

Thanks,
Greg

I was there over the Xmas period. My personal opinion would be to skip the Rijksmuseum, but absolutely don't miss the Van Gogh museum.

-- Mike

I'd suggest the same. I think the Rijks is under renovation, not sure when it'll be fully open. The Rijks is great for the Rembrandts though. The Van Gogh is awesome! Don't miss it.

My personal opinion would be the opposite: Don't miss the Rijksmuseum, but skip the Van Gogh museum.

Even though the Rijk is under renovation, there's a lot to see and a great deal of variety while the Van Gogh is, as you would expect, very one-dimensional. See both if you can, but I was disappointed with the Van Gogh. De gustibus non est disputandum. :)

?Que? :confused: :)

-- Mike

De gustibus non est disputandum. = There's no disputing about taste.

You know, to each their own. :)

Quite.

To each their own languages too, it seems!

There's also the famous "non illegitmus carborundum" anyway. We have seen a fair amount of Van Gough's works at the hermitage and other places and I really wanted to see Night Watch (I think that's what it's called) so that's why we were planning on the Rijks.

Greg

Van Gogh is crowded in the middle of the day, so try early or late. Some of his stuff was on tour in Japan , like Irises and The Chair.
Anne Frank has advance ticketing, and you can skip the long line. Middle of the day is bad.
Rijk is good idea. I heard they moved the Night Watch to a side alcove from its usual spot.
Googling their web sites might tell you something.
The Artis Botanical Gardens has a Giganticus Munchafella on display, and the girl at the ticket counter is a Scrumptious Delectii.
"Don't tase me bro!!"

I was there last year, bought this card: http://www.iamsterdamcard.com/
Discounts at some museums, front of line at some, all public transportation included and a canal boat ride, which I thought was a nice way to spend an afternoon. For me, a 1st timer, it was good.

1. Stedelijk Museum. (The MoMA of Amsterdam, but much edgier). All art is post-1968.

2. Bimhuis. (The Village Vanguard of Amsterdam). You just might catch a great jazz or avant-garde musician passing through. Of course, the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra plays there often. Speaking of that...

3. Concertgebouw Amsterdam. (The Lincoln Center/Met of Amsterdam). Check their schedule for visiting performers and guest conductors. The resident orchestra is one of my favorites, especially when Bernard Haitink is at the helm.

4. Ciel Bleu. (The Per Se of Amsterdam). Located on the top floor of the Hotel Okura. Michelin-starred. Try the chef's tasting menu. The dishes all have a unique Dutch touch to them (very hard to do for a country with such a bland culinary tradition), and the wine pairings even included Dutch wine!

5. Leidseplein. (The Union Square of Amsterdam). Sit and drink some witbier in the sun. Watch the pretty girls on their bicycles. Do not feed the American potheads with guitars.

6. Febo. (The White Castle of Amsterdam). After 2am. Get the frikandel speciaal met curry & uitjes; pataat met; & a bami kroket. Wash it down with a can of beer.

7. Get up early, no matter how much it hurts, have some delicious Dutch coffee, a soft-boiled egg, and some whole-grain bread with butter and cheese (oudekaas is the best). Have another cup of coffee.

Do *all* the museums. They're much smaller than typical US museums and you can easily do 2 or even 3 in a day, if you're so inclined.

I recommend the canal taxi as a good way to get around for sightseeing. Amsterdam is also a great walking around city - you can cover a lot in 3-4 days. Also some interesting but touristy tours avaiable of the countryside (e.g. windmill tour).

As for food - best Indonesian food in Europe. More correctly, best Dutch Indonesian food. Must try the reistaffel (sp?). if you don't mind spicy.

Re hotel, I've been delighted with the Pulitzer, but it's been getting a little expensive lately.

Good luck and have fun!

Canal Bus Tours
 

Canal Bus Tours
http://www.canal.nl/en/

The Amsterdam Historic Museum, a fascinating portrait of the history of this more than 700 year old city.
It's in a side alley of the Kalverstraat (Amsterdam's best known pedestrian shopping street).
Also look at the flower market on the Singel.
By the way, I agree that the Rijksmuseum must not be missed. I was there in 2006, and in spite of the restauration, they had put together a very good overview of Dutch art, culminating in Rembrandt's Night Watch.
I am not much of a 'Van Gogh person' myself, but the museum is good if you like that art form.

Pulling out my bookmarks:
http://www.ahm.nl
for the museum.
There's a special exhibit starting March 1.