South Africa & Namibia
Trip Report: African Animal Adventures
Amsterdam
Since the trip to South Africa was going to be a long haul, we decided to start with a short stay in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I had a hankering to see another round of Rembrandts et al at their wonderful museums.
Day 1
We arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport without incident and hit the exit around 11am aiming towards the bus area to find Bus 197. Whaaaaat? Yes, we were taking the bus. 2 rollie bags, 1 overstuffed 500 kg purse, my trusty blue bag and 1 nylon carry-on plus 2 brain fried travelers. And don't let me forget about the water bottle. Every airport. Every town, city or village. Every experience in every possible place in South Africa or Namibia on this trip involved a water bottle. In fact, I almost used "Searching for Water Bottles" as a subtitle for this tome. But 'nuff said. We won't talk about it again, OK? So, eschewing our usual airport limo, I had read online about this municipal bus line which was direct link from Schiphol to within 1 1/2 blocks of our hotel. It runs every 1/2 hour or so. It even has its own website. €4,75 each versus a quoted €85 for a pre-arranged driver, So I figured why not?
Note: Unfortunately, Bus 197 only goes one way and the return to Schipol is much more complex.
So we milled around in the bus area and bought tickets from the wicket whose vendor assured us that another one would arrive in 9 minutes. Well, it took a whole 10 minutes and we bulled our luggage on with a bunch of others. There is no area for large cases so they sat beside us as the bus stopped at 2 other airport locations (outer car parks) and then it was off into the city. The bus only stopped at the Van Gogh Museum and at the bus area in front of the Rijksmuseum before arriving at the 3rd stop which was ours: Leidseplein.
We tumbled out on the sidewalk, took 10 steps and we were almost mowed down by a bicycle. We had crossed into the sacred bike lanes without checking for traffic. They have the right of way and they are aggressive. If you hear a dinging bike bell, leap clear immediately or you could be eating spokes. And they are on both sides of the road. So in the core of Amsterdam on the major in/out bound roads you can have sidewalks and then bike lanes on both sides with trams in the middle mixed with cars, motorcycles and small delivery trucks trying to dodge all of the aforementioned. Like NYC, you walk with care.
And the weather was absolute crap. 8 degrees C with a cold light rain.
But, our hotel was truly only 1 1/2 blocks from the bus drop-off and we arrived at our small boutique hotel in one piece.
We arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport without incident and hit the exit around 11am aiming towards the bus area to find Bus 197. Whaaaaat? Yes, we were taking the bus. 2 rollie bags, 1 overstuffed 500 kg purse, my trusty blue bag and 1 nylon carry-on plus 2 brain fried travelers. And don't let me forget about the water bottle. Every airport. Every town, city or village. Every experience in every possible place in South Africa or Namibia on this trip involved a water bottle. In fact, I almost used "Searching for Water Bottles" as a subtitle for this tome. But 'nuff said. We won't talk about it again, OK? So, eschewing our usual airport limo, I had read online about this municipal bus line which was direct link from Schiphol to within 1 1/2 blocks of our hotel. It runs every 1/2 hour or so. It even has its own website. €4,75 each versus a quoted €85 for a pre-arranged driver, So I figured why not?
Note: Unfortunately, Bus 197 only goes one way and the return to Schipol is much more complex.
So we milled around in the bus area and bought tickets from the wicket whose vendor assured us that another one would arrive in 9 minutes. Well, it took a whole 10 minutes and we bulled our luggage on with a bunch of others. There is no area for large cases so they sat beside us as the bus stopped at 2 other airport locations (outer car parks) and then it was off into the city. The bus only stopped at the Van Gogh Museum and at the bus area in front of the Rijksmuseum before arriving at the 3rd stop which was ours: Leidseplein.
We tumbled out on the sidewalk, took 10 steps and we were almost mowed down by a bicycle. We had crossed into the sacred bike lanes without checking for traffic. They have the right of way and they are aggressive. If you hear a dinging bike bell, leap clear immediately or you could be eating spokes. And they are on both sides of the road. So in the core of Amsterdam on the major in/out bound roads you can have sidewalks and then bike lanes on both sides with trams in the middle mixed with cars, motorcycles and small delivery trucks trying to dodge all of the aforementioned. Like NYC, you walk with care.
And the weather was absolute crap. 8 degrees C with a cold light rain.
But, our hotel was truly only 1 1/2 blocks from the bus drop-off and we arrived at our small boutique hotel in one piece.
Review Hotel Roemer Roemer Visscherstraat 8-10 Very good location if you plan to do the museum circuit. Also very close to a Bus 197 stop from Schiphol. About a 20 minute walk from Dam Sq and much of the central touristic area. Comfortable beds with friendly and very efficient staff who were always willing to help with any request. We had a comfortable small suite with a small balcony overlooking the backyards and gardens of the hotel and its neighbors. The tub/shower fixtures required some deciphering but other than that, all was very good. Highly recommended! 5/5
After a brief unpack, we armed ourselves with umbrellas and what we thought were warm enough warm clothes and hit the streets heading into the canal zone. Our 1st stop was . . .
Review Satellite Sports Cafe (aka Ribs Unlimited) Leidseplein 11 We were wandering after the flight from North American & found this place in the Leidseplein, so we popped in here for a quick lunch. Far too cold to sit outside, we were seated upstairs. Sports bar decor with a young clientele playing American pop music on the sound system. The service was efficient & our basic meal was good & not expensive. Every other diner had a plate full of ribs that looked very good, so you might want to try those . . . 3/5
With some food in our stomachs we set out to one of the more interesting stores in Amsterdam: a coffeehouse. As all of you probably know, you don't got to a coffeehouse for the coffee. You go for more recreational things. While there are coffeehouses on many streets, my research had told me that the Green House was one of the better venues of this ilk, so with map in hand we started wandering the confusing curvy streets toward it. It took a while because every canal offered great photo opps and every corner required a location reset. Amsterdam is the easiest city in the world to get lost in. I had to resort to Google Maps directions many, many times. My 2.5GB roam anywhere data plan was going to take a beating here for sure. We finally found the Green House on a canal fairly near Dam Sq. The clientele appeared to be backpackers, ex-hippies and furtive oldies like myself. They had tables outside in the sun as well as a smoking section at the front of the 'coffee' bar. Interesting. Very friendly, knowledgeable staff and excellent product btw. But no, I didn't have a Snoop Dog or Miley sighting.
We also had a shopping request to fulfill for some boy's underwear at Muchachomalo ConceptStore_. Our young teenaged nephew claims that these are the most comfortable AND the coolest in the locker room at school. Since we had the time, we were happy to stop in and buy some. 2 packs ran €20-25 ea. Of course, I then had to haul them around in my suitcase for 3 weeks . . .
To get to the store we walked by Dam Sq which was bustling with a Ferris wheel and other rides in anticipation of King's Day on May 27th in honor of the King's Birthday. Well, it was as bustling as a nasty cold rain would let it. King's Day is the Nederlander's biggest holiday of the year, when Amsterdam's population jumps from 800K to 1.8M people - just for the day. And we were in town and not leaving until 7:40 pm that day, We didn't plan this and only found out after everything was booked. It seems that the partying always started the night before. And it was reputed to be quite the event.
With travel exhaustion creeping in we did a quick stop at the hotel and went out in search of a nearby restaurant for an early dinner. We found . . .
To get to the store we walked by Dam Sq which was bustling with a Ferris wheel and other rides in anticipation of King's Day on May 27th in honor of the King's Birthday. Well, it was as bustling as a nasty cold rain would let it. King's Day is the Nederlander's biggest holiday of the year, when Amsterdam's population jumps from 800K to 1.8M people - just for the day. And we were in town and not leaving until 7:40 pm that day, We didn't plan this and only found out after everything was booked. It seems that the partying always started the night before. And it was reputed to be quite the event.
With travel exhaustion creeping in we did a quick stop at the hotel and went out in search of a nearby restaurant for an early dinner. We found . . .
Review Grand Café Heineken Hoek Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 3 To be honest we were barely functional when we dined here. Exhaustion from jet-lag had struck but the early evening atmosphere was pleasant watching the bustling square outside and the food was surprisingly good. I had schnitzel (OK, not as good as true Hungarian or Austrian schnitzel & not as thin either) but tasty and filling. And not a crazy price for the quality offered - 2 simple meals plus a glass or 2 of wine was only €37.
Day 2
We got up refreshed but the weather had taken a turn for the worse. A thin layer of ice covered our patio. Snow pellets came down from an unforgiving grey sky. Really? Yes, really. What can you do with a miserable day when you are on holidays? Make the most of it, of course is the optimist's response. After coffee in the hotel, we bee lined for a bakery - Simon Meijssen - for some pastries for a walk and eat breakfast on our way to the nearby Museumplein. The inclement weather virtually ensured that we would be happy spending our time inside for the day and Amsterdam has enough museums to satisfy.
So we hit three of the big museums. The Rijksmuseum, the Amsterdam Hermitage and the Van Gogh Museum. I bought tickets for all three that I downloaded to my phone to jump the ticket lines. And THAT was a good plan because waiting outside was no joy. In fact, walking outside was a pitiful experience for most of the day with icy temperatures and a cold blustery wind that attempted to turn your umbrella inside out when you rounded any corner. We started with the Rijks. A great collection with a very good layout, grouping like art in alcoves around the main display room. Not to forget Rembrandt's The Night Watch which dominated its own alcove.
We got up refreshed but the weather had taken a turn for the worse. A thin layer of ice covered our patio. Snow pellets came down from an unforgiving grey sky. Really? Yes, really. What can you do with a miserable day when you are on holidays? Make the most of it, of course is the optimist's response. After coffee in the hotel, we bee lined for a bakery - Simon Meijssen - for some pastries for a walk and eat breakfast on our way to the nearby Museumplein. The inclement weather virtually ensured that we would be happy spending our time inside for the day and Amsterdam has enough museums to satisfy.
So we hit three of the big museums. The Rijksmuseum, the Amsterdam Hermitage and the Van Gogh Museum. I bought tickets for all three that I downloaded to my phone to jump the ticket lines. And THAT was a good plan because waiting outside was no joy. In fact, walking outside was a pitiful experience for most of the day with icy temperatures and a cold blustery wind that attempted to turn your umbrella inside out when you rounded any corner. We started with the Rijks. A great collection with a very good layout, grouping like art in alcoves around the main display room. Not to forget Rembrandt's The Night Watch which dominated its own alcove.
After the Rijk, we decided to walk to the Hermitage with a lunch stop on the pedestrian street of Albert Cuypstraat . Bad, bad idea. After trudging miserably for 15 minutes, the rain and the wind forced us to retreat to the comfort of a cafe somewhere in the blustery wind tunnels near the Rijks for a lunch break. Miserable is too weak of a word to describe our mood at this moment. Warmth and food gave us the energy to slip into the polar vortex again, to search for one of the rare taxis to take us to the Hermitage. And I stupidly left my umbrella in this taxi . . .
After seeing the Spanish 'Meesters' exhibition and with no taxis in sight, we started walking back. What nonsense this was. I mean, we were approaching hypothermia. We finally spied the Intercontinental hotel and we went and tipped the doorman to call us a taxi. We taxied back to our hotel briefly, bought a new umbrella from reception and then walked the short distance to the Van Gogh Museum for our 4pm timed entrance to finish up our in-climate weather museum fest. OK, officially arted out now!
Fed up with walking in the horridly uncomfortable streets, we gave up and taxied to our dinner reservation at Johannes - a restaurant that appears on everybody's lists as a Michelin candidate. This was our 'gourmet' meal of Amsterdam. We walked back to the hotel as the wind had died down. The streets and the canals were all ablaze as parties started for Kings Day. But not for us.
Fed up with walking in the horridly uncomfortable streets, we gave up and taxied to our dinner reservation at Johannes - a restaurant that appears on everybody's lists as a Michelin candidate. This was our 'gourmet' meal of Amsterdam. We walked back to the hotel as the wind had died down. The streets and the canals were all ablaze as parties started for Kings Day. But not for us.
Review Johannes Herengracht 413 I read the reviews of this restaurant before we went & many touted this as a Michelin candidate. No, not yet. In my mind, a Michelin starred restaurant has to have 2 main things: Elegant refined service & exquisite dishes - both in design & taste. While Johannes is getting somewhat close in the latter, the service - while very, very friendly - just doesn't have the level of hushed, superb efficiency required.
We dined there on cold & wet King's Day eve.We had the 5 course selection with wine pairing. All very good & a delight for the eyes. But the tastes weren't 'oh my God amazing' as the reviews led us to believe. The wine pairing was well chosen. So overall, a good but not great experience so they lose a point. Worthy of note: the price is expensive but it has not hit the heights of Michelin star yet - and that is good.
We dined there on cold & wet King's Day eve.We had the 5 course selection with wine pairing. All very good & a delight for the eyes. But the tastes weren't 'oh my God amazing' as the reviews led us to believe. The wine pairing was well chosen. So overall, a good but not great experience so they lose a point. Worthy of note: the price is expensive but it has not hit the heights of Michelin star yet - and that is good.
Day 3 - King's Day - Koningsdag
It was King's Day and while it was still very cool and the weather still threatened, the sun did peak out. Since we had a series of flights to get us to Cape Town (thank you Aeroplan for no easier options) we had most of the day to kill until a 3:30 pm departure to the airport. We stored our bags and went out to enjoy Koningsdag with the Nederlanders. Once again, we aimed toward the pedestrian Albert Cuypstraat. Closed with evidence of some serious partying the night before. We fell upon nearby Sarphatipark where the celebrations were in swing. People jammed the park and the walkways were lined with children selling their old toys. A very festive atmosphere prevailed and it wasn't raining! Still chilly however but much better. The whole canal district was vehicle free (except for the insane bicycles and some motorcyclists who don't quite understand the concept). But with the crowds everywhere they had difficulty getting anywhere anyway. Music was blasting on street corners as bars set up stages outside. The color orange prevailed. The usual tourist boats were also docked for the day and the canals were filled with private boats loaded with partyers. Even though attendance was expected to be lower than usual because of the weather, some streets and squares were packed. A good time was had by all. We walked the streets enjoying the show.
It was King's Day and while it was still very cool and the weather still threatened, the sun did peak out. Since we had a series of flights to get us to Cape Town (thank you Aeroplan for no easier options) we had most of the day to kill until a 3:30 pm departure to the airport. We stored our bags and went out to enjoy Koningsdag with the Nederlanders. Once again, we aimed toward the pedestrian Albert Cuypstraat. Closed with evidence of some serious partying the night before. We fell upon nearby Sarphatipark where the celebrations were in swing. People jammed the park and the walkways were lined with children selling their old toys. A very festive atmosphere prevailed and it wasn't raining! Still chilly however but much better. The whole canal district was vehicle free (except for the insane bicycles and some motorcyclists who don't quite understand the concept). But with the crowds everywhere they had difficulty getting anywhere anyway. Music was blasting on street corners as bars set up stages outside. The color orange prevailed. The usual tourist boats were also docked for the day and the canals were filled with private boats loaded with partyers. Even though attendance was expected to be lower than usual because of the weather, some streets and squares were packed. A good time was had by all. We walked the streets enjoying the show.
Review Beems Brasserie Rokin 74 With King's Day in full swing on a cold sunny day, we stopped in for warmth & a bite. Their coffee was good, their food was good & the service was attentive despite the crowds.
So all in all we loved Amsterdam but it would have been much, much better with milder temperatures. It did however, give us the time to visit the museums without guilt. We may go again sometime in the summer. But now is off to Africa . . .