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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Our travel issue was this: If you have a layover in Amsterdam — which is inevitable with Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — is it worth it to stay over a day or two?
You’re not going to be able to take in everything a traveler might see on a five-day visit, but you probably could see enough and maybe even develop a taste for a return trip. Besides, it’s a good way to recover from jet lag, particularly when you are traveling onward to Africa. KLM is the airline of choice to Tanzania as well as other European cities.
We arrived on an overnight flight on KLM, giving us the arrival day and the next to tear through the city before leaving early the third day. And after taking the chance and hanging around, we are happy to report the answer is, yes, it’s worth the stay.
Amsterdam is a picturesque, uncomplicated city, filled with canals and narrow streets that prove to be remarkably efficient. Nine feet below sea level, the city is mostly flat, compact and easy to navigate, whether you are walking, biking or taking a taxi.
Most places are within walking or biking distance. One of the first things you notice about Amsterdam are the bicycles. There are an estimated 600,000 of them in a city with a population of 788,763. It even has a four-story parking garage dedicated exclusively to bikes.
Our first quest was to find two things that would help us get our bearings: a view and a canal boat tour.
We set out to find the old Gothic Westerkerk, which has stood on the bank of the Prinsengracht Canal since 1620 and is where Rembrandt is buried. The church and its famous spire offer an incredible view, but the building was closed.
Next stop: A canal boat ride. There are a variety of choices, particularly near Central Station, with most of the tours lasting about 90 minutes. The one we picked stopped at most of the city’s top museums.
English speakers
The tour was narrated in English and Dutch. Although you hear many languages, English is widely spoken.
We saw the narrowest house in Amsterdam — 1 meter wide (31/4 feet), not much wider than its front door.
We also saw many houseboats (there are 2,500 in the city) and locks that date back to the 17th century.
Amsterdam has 165 canals, which is why the city is often called the “Venice of the North.” Since 1878, the City Water Office has maintained the water levels in the canals and opened and closed gates, causing the water to change direction. This nightly process keeps the canals clean, even though they have a murky green look because of algae.
Our museum for that day was the Anne Frank House, which is close to the Westerkirk. We chose it because there was no line at the time, a rarity since the lines can be several blocks long.
The house is haunting and a must-see. You walk through it, while taking in displays, photos, history and videos that show interviews with Holocaust survivors and neighbors of the Franks.
Framed quotes hang on the walls. A video shows a friend of Anne’s from the concentration camp. Another shows a woman who helped the family and saved Anne’s diaries. The visit was sad, yet uplifting.
Our full day began with the renowned Rijksmuseum. Undergoing extensive renovation through 2008, much of it was closed. But most of the “good stuff” at the art gallery is in a reasonably sized exhibit called The Masterworks on display in the Philips Wing.
The collection of more than 400 masterpieces is much less daunting than the huge collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings the museum owns.
The highlights, which are what you want to see anyway, are magnificent.
“Nightwatch,” often described as Rembrandt’s greatest painting, is displayed near the end of the suggested route and is very dramatic. Other popular paintings include Vermeer’s “Milkmaid” and Franz Hals’ “The Merry Drinker.”
A surprise display included two charming 16th-century dollhouses. These were not made as toys but as a hobby. Both are fully furnished with items made to scale. One features three floors with 700 objects, while the other has more than 200 miniature silver pieces and 20 wax dolls.
Not limited to van Gogh
It’s a short walk from there to the Van Gogh Museum. The heart of the collection is Vincent van Gogh’s paintings that his brother Theo, an art dealer, owned.
There are also paintings by contemporaries such as Gauguin and Seurat. Some of van Gogh’s most famous works are there: “Sunflowers,” “The Potato Eaters,” “The Bedroom at Arles” and “The Yellow House.” It’s a beautiful building with a nice cafe.
We managed to cram in a bit of shopping both days. There are antique stores galore. You can buy Delft ware easily (although not cheaply).
We also opted to scour Metz and Co., a smallish department store with designer clothes and luxury goods in a beautiful building with a fantastic view from a cupola on top. Be warned, however, that they don’t like you to enjoy the view without ordering food.
Speaking of which, the food in Amsterdam was mediocre. [See DutchAmsterdam's suggestions on where to get great food] We saw one menu listing “roe buck deer,” and culinary highlights often included herring or eel.
With more time and if it had been open, we would have seen the Stedelijk Museum, with its modern art. Undergoing renovation, it is due to reopen in the spring of 2006.
Other highlights we would have liked to have seen were Rembrandt’s House and the flower market. We never saw the Red Light District, where nearly everything goes. So, we substituted by studying the off-color ads in the phone book.
Other than that, we think we caught the flavor of Amsterdam and are happy to recommend the two-day layover. Anyway, there’s always the next time.
Sidebar:
Check out some of these high spots in low country’s capital:• Getting there: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Northwest, US Airways, United, Delta and Continental offer round-trip flights from Indianapolis to Amsterdam for $522 to $563, according to orbitz.com.
• Getting around: Amsterdam is a city better off not traveled by car. Explore it by foot, bicycle, tram or canal boats. Since so many locals use bikes, they generally have the right of way. Day tickets on the Canalbus allow you to get on and off when needed.
• What to see: The Anne Frank House, the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II; The Rijksmuseum, the largest museum for art and history in the Netherlands; Van Gogh Museum, the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings; Magna Plaza, a four-story shopping mall; The Rembrandt House Museum, former 17th-century residence of famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn; Artis Zoo, animals from all parts of the world, plus the Geological Museum, the Zoological Museum, the Plant Houses, the Aquarium and the Planetarium. Floating flower market, flower stalls on houseboats with tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and flowers.
• Where to stay: Lodging, especially cheap accommodations, can be hard to find during summer and around Easter and Christmas. Some of the budget hotels and most of the more expensive hotels can be booked online. Go to www.visitamsterdam.nl or www.amsterdamhotspots.nl for lodging and dining information.
• Climate: Lots of tourists visit Holland in summer. Spring is a good time, too, as the bulb flowers are in full bloom in this season. April is the best month for daffodils, May for tulips. Rain is spread pretty evenly over the year. Winter can be quite cold.
Source: Ease jet lag with quick tour of Amsterdam, by Myrta Pulliam, IndyStar.com, Jan. 23, 2005
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