Archive for the ‘Amsterdam’ tag
[AMSTERDAM] Random Snippets
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And here are some random snippets from Amsterdam that don’t fit into any of the previous posts…
On the train en route to Amsterdam
Amsterdam Central Station
Rowdy kids on the tram
[AMSTERDAM] Restaurant De Kas
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Restaurant De Kas
Address: Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE Amsterdam
Tel: +31 20 462 45 62
Hours: [Lunch] 12:00pm ~2:00pm [Dinner] 6:30pm~10:00pm (Closed on Sunday)
Website: www.restaurantdekas.nl
Price: [Lunch] €37.50 for 2 courses [Dinner] €49.50 for 3 courses
“A kitchen surrounded by fertile soil where vegetables and herbs thrive, where daylight shines in from all sides and where the chefs are free to express their creativity daily using the best the season has to offer.” This, is Restaurant De Kas, a unique dining space serving beautiful dishes of fresh vegetables harvested each morning from their very own herb garden and farm. Love the concept? Read on.
Restaurant De Kas
Restaurant De Kas
It was quite a trek to get to Restaurant De Kas, as it’s located in the outskirts of Amsterdam (approximately 30 minutes by tram from Central Station). Once we arrived, however, I knew it was worth the travel. The 8-metre high glass conservatory provides spectacular views during the day with ample sunlight, and I can only dream about how enchanting it must appear when illuminated at night.
Interior
[AMSTERDAM] Concertgebouw
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Concertgebouw
Address: Concertgebouwplein 10, 1071 LN Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20 671 83 45
Website: www.concertgebouw.nl
Because of its highly regarded acoustics, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is considered one of the finest concert halls in the world, along with places such as Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Boston’s Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna. Naturally, attending a concert in the Concertgebouw is on my must-do list.
Beautiful expanse of lawn in front of the Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw
Ticket prices vary according to each concert, and ours was around 40 euros for one of the better seats in the hall. The best part is that if you are under 30, you can get a discounted ticket for 11 euros if you line up 45 minutes before the concert (given that there are leftover tickets, and there usually are). I wish they’d do the same for young people in Shanghai!
Concertgebouw Cafe
[AMSTERDAM] Zaanse Schans
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The original plan was to visit Giethoorn for its beautiful wooden arch bridges and canals, but the 2-hour train+bus commute was too much of a hassle for us lazy travelers. So instead, we went to Zaanse Schans, a small windmill village just 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. This spontaneous trip turned out to be one of the highlights of our Amsterdam trip.
Hello there.
[AMSTERDAM] Van Gogh Museum
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Van Gogh Museum
Address: Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1070 AJ Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 570 5200
Hours: 10:00am~6:00pm, Friday ~10:00pm (closed January 1st)
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Price: Adults €14, 0-17 years free / Audio Guide €7
My 2.5 hours at the Van Gogh Museum was time very well spent. With an audio guide in hand, I waltzed through the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings, including The Potato Eaters, Bedroom in Arles, The Yellow House, Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, nine of the artist’s Self-Portraits, and some of his earliest paintings dating back to 1882. An enchanting experience to say the least!
We thought we could beat the crowd by arriving 5 minutes before the museum opens, but nope, there was already a long line forming at the entrance. To avoid the wait, I recommend ordering tickets online before you visit.
But the line moved rather quickly as soon as the door opened. We got the audio guides (available in English, Dutch, French, Japanese, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese) and began the chronicle of Van Gogh’s life.
[AMSTERDAM] Canal Area
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Walking around aimlessly in Amsterdam’s canal area is great fun.
Throw away your map and just go with it!
[AMSTERDAM] Vondel View B&B
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Vondel View B&B
Address: Gerard Brandtstraat 14 hs. 1054 JK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 612 6055 / +31 (0)6 4395 3680
Website: www.vondelview.com
Email: info@vondelview.nl
Price: € 120~165/night
For those who are bored of the typical hotel experience, try Vondel View. This beautifully designed Bed & Breakfast, located in a quiet residential street of the Vondel Park vicinity, was where we stayed for 2 nights during our visit to Amsterdam. How was it? Let’s take a look.
The building that houses Vondel View dates back to 1898, but its interior has been renovated by Rita (a very warm and hospitable host) and her husband (an architect, hence the beautiful interior design).
We stayed in the Flower Room. Tasteful decor, wouldn’t you agree?
[AMSTERDAM] Itinerary
Canals, cheese, windmills, bicycles, Van Gogh, tulips, sunflowers, trams, Indonesian food, FEBO, red light district…and of course, magic brownies.
My Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival -> Check-in to Vondel View B&B -> Lunch at Vertigo -> Canal Area -> Red Light District
Day 2: Van Gogh Museum -> Windmills at Zaanse Schans -> Indonesian take-out for dinner -> Evening Concert at Concertgebouw
Day 3: Rijksmuseum -> Lunch at Restaurant De Kas -> Departure…Random snippets
