Amsterdam: Vice City

We planned a quick and cheap trip over to Amsterdam for the weekend. We flew out on Saturday morning at 8am and came back Sunday night at 10pm. We were a bit worried initially as the Tube (London Underground) had planned another closure of some lines, including the connection to Heathrow airport. The tube, although very handy, sucks majorly sometimes when the staff go on strike or when stations are closed due to the "non-availability of staff". It's worse than Sydney sometimes.

Anyway, its a short and sweet flight of about an hour and suddenly the plane is making its descent and then you're in the Netherlands. It's even colder than it is here in London, but its redeeming quality is its brilliant blue skies (but then again, the winters here in London aren't as terrible as what some people make them out to be - sure, it's cold, but not freezing cold all the time, and we haven't seen much rain or sleet or snow, there are sunny blue skies sometimes, and we haven't seen much fog or mist). We then arrived by train at Centraal Station and queued at the Tourist Information Centre where we got transport info, a strippenkart (similar to a travelten), and some museum tickets (better to line up for 10 minutes once than at each place).

We caught a tram first to the hotel near the Vondelpark and Museum district to drop off our daypacks, then visited the Van Gogh Museum. Yes, Vincent Van Gogh, the guy who chopped one of his ears off (and gave it to a prostitute at the local brothel called Rachel). Sad story. Brilliant man. Inspirational in a way cos he started off as a no-talent bum and then made it through his own style.

Sorry, we didn't take any pictures inside or of his works (although you are allowed to for some), but we did buy some postcards and a print of some of his works we really liked which we'll show you when we come home if you ask us really nicely. For now, you can check out the museum's website.


This is the Rijksmuseum just a few hundred metres east of the Van Gogh Museum. We didn't visit this one as we couldn't be bothered. On the right outside of the frame, there was an ice rink, where we watched kids fall over for a few minutes. Back and behind the Van Gogh Museum was the Concertgebouw (concert hall). Sorry Tom, forgot to take a photo for you.


This is one of the traditional dutch 'delights' - a broodje haring. We got one of these to share at a local market. It's a raw herring in a bread roll with chopped raw onions and pickles. Not something we'll ever want to eat again. We also had some pancakes for lunch, but the ones in Paris were much better. We didn't much rate the food in Amsterdam. Though they do make a tasty croquette. But more on that later...


This is the Dam Square (main square). They've got the Koninklijk Paleis where Queen Beatrix lives (some of the time), a Madame Tussaud's, the Nieuwe Kerk, a war memorial, and some shopping centres.


Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace)


Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)


This is the Magna Plaza, which is not in the Dam, but behind the Paleis on the other side. Its a big shopping centre. It used to be the Post Office. The guide books say that people didn't really like the look of it and they called it "Postal Gothic".


We're not sure if its just age or poor construction or whatever. But a lot of the buildings seem to be a bit slanted. Or maybe it's just because drugs are decriminalised.


This is the one of the stalls at the Bloemenmarkt. It would be nice to come and visit in Springtime when they've got more tulips out.


One of the best things we did in Amsterdam was the Anne Frankhuis. We weren't allowed to take any photos inside the Anne Frank House but it was fantastic. It's the actual house where the Frank family hid from the nazis, and they take you through the secret annexe behind the bookshelf and into their tiny home where the Franks and another Jewish family lived in secret for about two years until someone betrayed them and they were taken away by the nazis. She died about a month before the liberation as she thought her family were all dead and gave up hope. She didn't know that her father Otto was still alive. He was given her diary (by one of his former employees who had managed to save them from the nazis) when he was released and found out that all of his family died in the camps.

On a more happier note, the other cool thing we did was the Heineken Experience. It only cost 10 euros each to get in, and that included all the exhibitions and stuff inside (like the Cinimagic-style "What it feels like to be a bottle of Heineken" ride, or the virtual shire horse and drey tour around Amsterdam, or pretending to be a DJ), 3 glasses of Heineken, and a souvenir glass to take home.


Old (and very cool) Heineken Ads


Tams playing the Heineken Drums


Although not obvious, this is the virtual shire horse and Drey tour through Amsterdam.


On the back wall at the last bar where you use up your beer tokens. Heinekens, as far as the eye can see.


This is a view up the Keizersgracht (King's canal). You can see some of the buildings don't look so straight ;)


FEBO! This place is awesome. You can buy hamburgers, croquettes and stuff like in a vending machine. Although we don't have any photos, we did walk through the Red Light District, which kind of works in the same sort of way as FEBO. You walk up and down one of the canals and they have women dressed in bikinis in the windows of the buildings. It's quite weird and a bit scary. You're not allowed to take photos there or else. We did see some people getting arrested by the cops. And when you get to one end of the canal (up the northside), you can find all the weirdo hard drug pushers. And you have to walk by really quickly. Amsterdam is bizarre.


This is the Bulldog at Leidseplein. There are many branches of the Bulldog. It's one of the most famous coffeehouses (i.e. soft drug shops) in Amsterdam. We were told before we came to Amsterdam to avoid the milkshakes but to try a spacecake. We chickened out and avoided everything. On the Saturday night, we saw this one guy running along one of the squares. Running full-pelt. He suddenly stopped on a mound of dirt and started yabbering away in jibberish. Then he took off across the street and started yelling at parked cars. We don't need none of that. We're sensible.


More architecture - St Nicolaaskerk


At the Damrak


The Grasshopper Coffeeshop (with the Oude Kerk in the background)