One night in AMS

One of the great things about woodenshoeland is that every flight in the world stops there. Once on a flight from SFO to LAX I had a 2 hr layover there.  Amsterdam is truly a vibrant city.  So easy to get around.  Great young vibe.  This coupled with the fact that it is one of the most storied cities in Europe.

What to see during a layover?

1) Anne Franks House

Read the book, stand in line, see the house.

2) National Museum (Rijksmuseum)-candidly we were not incredibly awestruck by their expanse of their collection, by you must, must, must see the Night Watch by Rembrandt.  It is a massive painting that is uber-compelling.  Don’t go looking for the girl with pearl earing.  she doesn’t live here.  She hangs at The Hague.  But there are a lot of “hot” milkmaids…aka Vermeers.

3) Willet-Holthuysen Museum-Ok, so we may be a little biased on this one…as Mike may be distantly related to the former owners of this old mansion.  Located on a side street not far from Rembrant square is this well preserved, traditonal Dutch mansion.  For travel buffs, it is not to be missed as Mr. Willet was a travel buff of his time.  The house is filled with trinkets and souvenirs he purchased while getting his passport stamped all over the then known world.  Ok for those of you not into beautifully restored mansions, priceless art collections, statues and furnishings…there is the Museum of Handbags a couple of doors down.  I think that Luci is still there.

Where to Dine?

You really cant go wrong in the AMS.  Such an eclectic mix true to is mariner heritage.  We did seek out and were richly rewarded with a visit to Greetje.  The food was simply scrumptious.  A strong mix of traditional Dutch fare.  The owner Rene was an absolute pleasure.  Reservations are almost mandatory to get in.  Please, please help us vote them higher on Tripadvisor.  This is too good a place to be ranked #8.

Where to stay?

If you are on layover, this may limit your options.  We were, but with the exceltnt tram and train service we opted to stay in central AMS.  Where would be the ideal place for a couple of peace hating, fighting, ugly Americans to say?  Yep, you guessed it, two floors above John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s honeymoon suite.

Take the time to see AMS.  When scheduling your flights, take the 8 hour layover option there in lieu of the 2 hr.   Afscheid!

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3 Responses to One night in AMS

  1. Angenette September 22, 2010 at 8:41 am #

    I love amsterdam and have it on my list of places to revisit. Anne Frank’s house was cool, of course, but Night Watch changed my life.

  2. Connie Hum October 3, 2010 at 8:18 am #

    AMS! At first I thought you were going to talk about Acute Mountain Sickness, but then I realized you meant Amsterdam! HA! Well, Amsterdam is a gorgeous place and I have very fond memories of it! Thanks for the great reminder!

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