Today, we flew out of San Francisco International Airport to Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a stop in Chicago. Our United Airlines flight UA372 departed at 10:00 a.m. from San Francisco and landed at Chicago's O'Hare airport at 4:10 p.m. We changed planes and left at 6:10 p.m. on UA909 for Amsterdam, landing at 9:30 a.m. the next day (Tuesday, June 25).
Amsterdam is the first stop of our European Benelux vacation. We planned to travel from Amsterdam to other nearby cities, including Delft, Leiden, and Hoge Veluwe National Park, followed by some short trips to Germany with stops in Cologne, Bacharach, Cochem, St. Goar, and Baden-Baden, and further travel in France and Belgium, with stops in Metz, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
The flight from Chicago to Amsterdam was relatively uneventful, and we slept a few hours on the plane. When we landed at around 10:00 a.m. Both of us felt fine at Amsterdam time, with no hint of jet lag.
We picked up our luggage, exited the security/border patrol area, and boarded the downtown train to Centraal Train Station in Amsterdam. The train was conveniently located for quick arrivals and departures to Centraal Station (unlike Brussels).
We rented a small apartment for six days in downtown Amsterdam using Airbnb. Our address at Goudsbloemstraat was right next to a large canal, only 10 10-minute' walk from Amsterdam's Centraal Train terminal.
Amsterdam is the first stop of our European Benelux vacation. We planned to travel from Amsterdam to other nearby cities, including Delft, Leiden, and Hoge Veluwe National Park, followed by some short trips to Germany with stops in Cologne, Bacharach, Cochem, St. Goar, and Baden-Baden, and further travel in France and Belgium, with stops in Metz, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
The flight from Chicago to Amsterdam was relatively uneventful, and we slept a few hours on the plane. When we landed at around 10:00 a.m. Both of us felt fine at Amsterdam time, with no hint of jet lag.
We picked up our luggage, exited the security/border patrol area, and boarded the downtown train to Centraal Train Station in Amsterdam. The train was conveniently located for quick arrivals and departures to Centraal Station (unlike Brussels).
We rented a small apartment for six days in downtown Amsterdam using Airbnb. Our address at Goudsbloemstraat was right next to a large canal, only 10 10-minute' walk from Amsterdam's Centraal Train terminal.
We walked with our bags to our apartment through the beautiful Jordaan neighborhood.
When we rang the bell for Tanya, she was not there, so we got the key from the attached lockbox. Even though I entered the right lock combination, I could not open the lockbox. Inna tried and somehow managed to open it. Inside was a small key, which we used to open the outside door and enter the apartment building. After a short walk upstairs, we entered a beautiful 1 bedroom apartment with windows overlooking a canal on Brouwersgracht.
We rested for a while and unpacked some of our clothes. We decided to grab some lunch and look at the neighborhood, as we did not plan anything specific on our first day in Amsterdam.
We walked around, stopping to look at various menus. Tanya recommended Cafe Thijssen, a typical Netherlands cafe, but we found nothing desirable on the menu.
Tanya also recommended a sandwich place called Small World Catering. This place had almost no seating but was frequented by locals, and many people were trying to get in. We decided to give it a shot. The sandwiches were fantastic - the best I can recall and we liked the ambiance of local people doing business. We liked this place so much that we returned a few more times!
The quiche was beautiful, too!
This vegetarian sandwich was so delicious!
After savoring our delicious lunch, we decided it was time to find a place to purchase the Museumkaart, which offers easy access to most of Amsterdam's museums (without having to buy tickets or wait in line). I needed two Museumkaarts to enter the Anne Franke House museum the next day (for which I made an appointment at 5:20 p.m.).
We saw a lot of beautifully decorated bicycles on the way. The number of people riding bicycles is genuinely astounding.
We walked past Anne Frank's house and, seeing the huge line, decided to purchase the Museumkaart elsewhere.
There is a beautiful church, Westerkirk, next to Anne Frank's House, where we stopped by briefly for a quick look.
People transport dogs, cats, children, and almost everything else on their bikes. Notice no one is wearing a helmet!
The houses are so beautifully decorated all around.
I noticed that the Hermitage Museum was nearby (and should be selling Museumkaarts). We walked there and purchased our Museumkaarts inside. The building looks plain on the outside.
At the time, the Hermitage was showing an exhibit of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, and we decided to examine the small number of paintings, relics, and other items on display. We liked the museum but ran out of time. Unfortunately, the Hermitage did not allow photography, so I could not take any photos there.
We did not have enough time to enjoy the collection, but we did our best.
Across from the Hermitage Museum is the Amstel River. As the museum closed at 5:00 p.m., we explored the area further.
A farmer's market was being torn down, so there was some tearing down of tents going about. We decided to stop by at a nearby cafe for a cappuccino and a cookie.
Looking at our Rick Steves' Amsterdam guidebook, we discovered that Rembrandt's House was nearby. We decided to stop by and have a look.
There was not much to see outside, and the museum closed at 5:00 p.m., so we missed it. We will be sure to come back next time.
Rembrandt's corner nearby looks like a popular place to hang out.
Traffic is quite interesting here, with separate lanes for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
There were several quirky stores nearby, some like RecordFriend selling old-fashioned records. There must be people still interested in owning actual records!
Nearby was a castle that was turned into a hotel and restaurant.
We also saw a few more beautifully decorated bicycles, like this Rubber Ducky wonders below.
We stopped by the Jewish Historical Museum, but it was closed (like most establishments) since the time was around 6:00 p.m.
The Portuguese Synagogue was around the corner, but it was also closed.
We decided to stop by the Auschwitz Memorial in Wertheim Park nearby.
Wertheim Park is a small park in the southern part of Amsterdam.
As it was past 7:00 p.m., we decided to return and get dinner somewhere in the Jordaan neighborhood. On the way back, we enjoyed the walk along the canals.
We saw several Cheese Museums, which are very popular in Amsterdam. It sounded a bit too cheesy, so we did not go in.
The walk along the canals is quite entertaining, as many people are doing their business.
We decided to eat dinner at the local Il Fiore Italian Restaurant in our Jordaan neighborhood. The service was cheerless, but the food was well prepared.
As it was getting late - almost 10:00 p.m. - and still light outside - we decided to go back to our apartment and sleep.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
After a delicious breakfast at Winkel Restaurant nearby, we decided to do Mike's Bikes Tour of the surrounding countryside.
We walked past Anne Franke's house downtown to reach Mike's Bikes shop.
Inna waited patiently for our group to get organized.
We paid our fees, gathered in a group, and picked up our bikes. We rode in a small group, single file, through downtown Amsterdam and then to the countryside.
The traffic is hectic here, with bikes, scooters, cars, and pedestrians moving all around. Inna was apprehensive about crossing significant intersections.
We rode by some beautiful buildings, but it was hard to focus on the beautiful scenery with the heavy traffic.
A few people were riding paddleboats on the canals. It's another way to see the city.
Once left the city, we entered a very peaceful countryside bike path along the Amstel River.
I recorded a short video of our Mike's Bikes tour below.
We saw a few boats on the Amstel River and eventually stopped at a windmill.
The Dutch used windmills for many purposes. In addition to using them to grind wheat into flour, this particular mill was used to pump water out of the canals to control water levels.
Here is our entire Mike's Bikes tour group altogether.
We did not go inside the windmill; instead, we went to a local dairy farm where clogs and cheeses are made the old-fashioned way.
Clogs are wooden shoes worn in the Netherlands. Because of the rain and the weather, they keep their feet dry. They were traditionally worn by farmers working in the fields.
A workman showed us how to make a pair of clogs in only a few minutes.
There were also a lot of cheeses - mainly Gouda. A farmhand explained how Gouda cheese is made, and we got to try a few samples.
We purchased one small Gouda cheese. Unfortunately, it spoiled (we did not refrigerate it, as we were told it was unnecessary), and we threw it away (as it started to smell bad).
After the bike tour, we stopped briefly at a Houseboat Museum. Many people live in houseboats in Amsterdam, and we wanted to see what it was like.
The houseboats are small, with attractive design choices. The doors, for example, are not rectangular, and some of the windows are uniquely designed. As you can imagine, a houseboat is quite cramped, with little room for privacy.
However, we were told that houseboat rents are very inexpensive and that Amsterdam has a long waiting list to purchase or rent one.
The Jordaan neighborhood is named after Johnny Jordaan, pictured below.
After stopping by for a nice cup of coffee, Inna and I made it to Anne Franke's House.
Anne Franke's House and the attached museum have a collection of artifacts from Anne Frank's stay in hiding in Amsterdam. There was always a long line to get in - and I was happy to have made reservations in advance (for 5:20 p.m.)
When we rang the bell for Tanya, she was not there, so we got the key from the attached lockbox. Even though I entered the right lock combination, I could not open the lockbox. Inna tried and somehow managed to open it. Inside was a small key, which we used to open the outside door and enter the apartment building. After a short walk upstairs, we entered a beautiful 1 bedroom apartment with windows overlooking a canal on Brouwersgracht.
We rested for a while and unpacked some of our clothes. We decided to grab some lunch and look at the neighborhood, as we did not plan anything specific on our first day in Amsterdam.
We walked around, stopping to look at various menus. Tanya recommended Cafe Thijssen, a typical Netherlands cafe, but we found nothing desirable on the menu.
Tanya also recommended a sandwich place called Small World Catering. This place had almost no seating but was frequented by locals, and many people were trying to get in. We decided to give it a shot. The sandwiches were fantastic - the best I can recall and we liked the ambiance of local people doing business. We liked this place so much that we returned a few more times!
The quiche was beautiful, too!
This vegetarian sandwich was so delicious!
After savoring our delicious lunch, we decided it was time to find a place to purchase the Museumkaart, which offers easy access to most of Amsterdam's museums (without having to buy tickets or wait in line). I needed two Museumkaarts to enter the Anne Franke House museum the next day (for which I made an appointment at 5:20 p.m.).
We saw a lot of beautifully decorated bicycles on the way. The number of people riding bicycles is genuinely astounding.
We walked past Anne Frank's house and, seeing the huge line, decided to purchase the Museumkaart elsewhere.
There is a beautiful church, Westerkirk, next to Anne Frank's House, where we stopped by briefly for a quick look.
People transport dogs, cats, children, and almost everything else on their bikes. Notice no one is wearing a helmet!
The houses are so beautifully decorated all around.
I noticed that the Hermitage Museum was nearby (and should be selling Museumkaarts). We walked there and purchased our Museumkaarts inside. The building looks plain on the outside.
At the time, the Hermitage was showing an exhibit of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, and we decided to examine the small number of paintings, relics, and other items on display. We liked the museum but ran out of time. Unfortunately, the Hermitage did not allow photography, so I could not take any photos there.
We did not have enough time to enjoy the collection, but we did our best.
Across from the Hermitage Museum is the Amstel River. As the museum closed at 5:00 p.m., we explored the area further.
A farmer's market was being torn down, so there was some tearing down of tents going about. We decided to stop by at a nearby cafe for a cappuccino and a cookie.
Looking at our Rick Steves' Amsterdam guidebook, we discovered that Rembrandt's House was nearby. We decided to stop by and have a look.
There was not much to see outside, and the museum closed at 5:00 p.m., so we missed it. We will be sure to come back next time.
Rembrandt's corner nearby looks like a popular place to hang out.
Traffic is quite interesting here, with separate lanes for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
There were several quirky stores nearby, some like RecordFriend selling old-fashioned records. There must be people still interested in owning actual records!
Nearby was a castle that was turned into a hotel and restaurant.
We also saw a few more beautifully decorated bicycles, like this Rubber Ducky wonders below.
We stopped by the Jewish Historical Museum, but it was closed (like most establishments) since the time was around 6:00 p.m.
The Portuguese Synagogue was around the corner, but it was also closed.
We decided to stop by the Auschwitz Memorial in Wertheim Park nearby.
“The sky is wounded forever. Auschwitz was an unspeakably appalling attack upon everything that humanity stands for.” – Jan Wolkers
In 1993, the Dutch Auschwitz Comité commissioned a monument by Dutch artist and writer, Jan Hendrik Wolkers. It was initially installed in one of Amsterdam’s municipal cemeteries, but eventually moved toAmsterdam’s Wertheim Park. Called the “Auschwitz Monument” or “Mirror Memorial,” it is comprised of six broken mirrors placed in two rows. The artist chose the number of mirrors to represent the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Before the war, there were 140,000 Jews in the Netherlands. Between July 1942 and September 1944, nearly 107,000 Jews were deported, mainly to Sobibor and Auschwitz. Anne Frank and her family were among them. Of those sent to the camps, 5,200 survived and returned to the Netherlands. Each year, on January 27, Amsterdam holds a commemoration to mark the Russian liberation of Auschwitz at the memorial as a reminder of the war’s legacy.
Wertheim Park is a small park in the southern part of Amsterdam.
As it was past 7:00 p.m., we decided to return and get dinner somewhere in the Jordaan neighborhood. On the way back, we enjoyed the walk along the canals.
We saw several Cheese Museums, which are very popular in Amsterdam. It sounded a bit too cheesy, so we did not go in.
The walk along the canals is quite entertaining, as many people are doing their business.
We decided to eat dinner at the local Il Fiore Italian Restaurant in our Jordaan neighborhood. The service was cheerless, but the food was well prepared.
As it was getting late - almost 10:00 p.m. - and still light outside - we decided to go back to our apartment and sleep.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
After a delicious breakfast at Winkel Restaurant nearby, we decided to do Mike's Bikes Tour of the surrounding countryside.
We walked past Anne Franke's house downtown to reach Mike's Bikes shop.
Inna waited patiently for our group to get organized.
We paid our fees, gathered in a group, and picked up our bikes. We rode in a small group, single file, through downtown Amsterdam and then to the countryside.
The traffic is hectic here, with bikes, scooters, cars, and pedestrians moving all around. Inna was apprehensive about crossing significant intersections.
We rode by some beautiful buildings, but it was hard to focus on the beautiful scenery with the heavy traffic.
A few people were riding paddleboats on the canals. It's another way to see the city.
Once left the city, we entered a very peaceful countryside bike path along the Amstel River.
I recorded a short video of our Mike's Bikes tour below.
We saw a few boats on the Amstel River and eventually stopped at a windmill.
The Dutch used windmills for many purposes. In addition to using them to grind wheat into flour, this particular mill was used to pump water out of the canals to control water levels.
Here is our entire Mike's Bikes tour group altogether.
We did not go inside the windmill; instead, we went to a local dairy farm where clogs and cheeses are made the old-fashioned way.
Clogs are wooden shoes worn in the Netherlands. Because of the rain and the weather, they keep their feet dry. They were traditionally worn by farmers working in the fields.
A workman showed us how to make a pair of clogs in only a few minutes.
There were also a lot of cheeses - mainly Gouda. A farmhand explained how Gouda cheese is made, and we got to try a few samples.
We purchased one small Gouda cheese. Unfortunately, it spoiled (we did not refrigerate it, as we were told it was unnecessary), and we threw it away (as it started to smell bad).
After the bike tour, we stopped briefly at a Houseboat Museum. Many people live in houseboats in Amsterdam, and we wanted to see what it was like.
The houseboats are small, with attractive design choices. The doors, for example, are not rectangular, and some of the windows are uniquely designed. As you can imagine, a houseboat is quite cramped, with little room for privacy.
However, we were told that houseboat rents are very inexpensive and that Amsterdam has a long waiting list to purchase or rent one.
The Jordaan neighborhood is named after Johnny Jordaan, pictured below.
After stopping by for a nice cup of coffee, Inna and I made it to Anne Franke's House.
Anne Franke's House and the attached museum have a collection of artifacts from Anne Frank's stay in hiding in Amsterdam. There was always a long line to get in - and I was happy to have made reservations in advance (for 5:20 p.m.)
I was surprised to see so many young people in line; it's something I did not expect to witness (having visited other Holocaust museums). Having just finished reading Anne Frank's Diary, I was eager to see the secret annex she lived in during her time in hiding.
The museum is lovely and tells Anne's story well, using movies, photographs, letters, and other memorabilia. Many rooms are empty, as Otto (Anne's father) wanted them preserved "as is." The rooms in the secret annex are pretty small, and it must have been challenging to live in such confined quarters for so many people.
Here is the famous secret bookcase used to hide Anne Frank and her family.
Here is a little bit about Anne Frank from Wikipedia:
We ventured into the "Red Light" district, which seemed run over by tourists. I did not take many photos there, as photography is discouraged (for obvious reasons).
At first, it was a bit shocking to see barely clothed women dancing in windows.
We headed back to Jordaan when it got darker, as we had dinner reservations at Caffe Toscanini. The dinner was delicious, but the service was below average (slow). Waiters in the Netherlands do not expect tips (most European customers do not tip), so they are usually not very motivated to provide fast and efficient service. It's something we had to get used to (coming from the United States).
Inna ordered Italian ravioli, and we enjoyed eating them.
After dinner, we walked around a bit and went to bed. Surprisingly, it did not get dark until after 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 27
After our usual breakfast at nearby Winkel, we visited the famous Rijksmuseum (recently re-opened after a long restoration).
From Winkel, we took a tram to the Rijksmuseum. Getting around Amsterdam is easy. There are trams, buses, and bicycles available. It's an easy city to get around.
The Rijksmuseum is quite large - though not as vast as the Louvre in Paris, France.
There are many beautiful paintings by Rembrandt, Versponck, and many other Dutch Masters.
The stained glass at the Rijksmuseum is quite beautiful.
After viewing paintings at Rijksmuseum, we explored the grounds, including beautiful, well-manicured gardens.
There are also lots of modern sculptures and fountains.
The Rijksmuseum is unique in that bicycle traffic goes right through the building!
There are fascinating sculptures in Museumplein - near Rijksmuseum.
The Van Gogh Museum was very close, so we decided to explore it next.
We were hungry and tired, so we stopped by for lunch at the Van Gogh Cafe. The food there was quite delicious!
After the delicious lunch, we explored all of Vincent's beautiful artwork.
We really enjoyed looking at Van Gogh's artwork. The museum has multiple levels, and we thoroughly explored each one.
After the Van Gogh Museum, we stopped by briefly at the Stedelijk Museum. We are not connoisseurs of modern art but wanted to keep an open mind.
There were a few pieces that we liked there by Marc Chagall, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
There was some intriguing furniture on display as well.
After visiting the museum, we climbed the "I AMSTERDAM" structure in Museumplein.
We walked around a bit and headed toward Spui, near the center of Amsterdam, stopping by at Cafe Luxembourg.
Cafe Luxembourg is an excellent location to relax and people-watch in the Spui neighborhood. We saw many young people (I presume students) and engaging graffiti on the walls.
From there, we walked toward the Dam - the main square in Amsterdam.
There sure are a lot of bicycles here (and people too)!
There are lots of street performers, and we saw many doing different dances or playing music throughout Amsterdam.
As Indonesian food is famous in Amsterdam (because the Dutch were one of the first countries to trade with Indonesia), we wanted to try Rijsttafel at a well-regarded restaurant in the Spui neighborhood.
We chose Kantjil & de Tijger Indonesian Restaurant, and the dishes were quite delicious.
As it was getting late, we walked back to our apartment in Jordaan, wandering through brightly lit canals.
Amsterdam is such a beautiful city. We can't wait to return.
The museum is lovely and tells Anne's story well, using movies, photographs, letters, and other memorabilia. Many rooms are empty, as Otto (Anne's father) wanted them preserved "as is." The rooms in the secret annex are pretty small, and it must have been challenging to live in such confined quarters for so many people.
Here is the famous secret bookcase used to hide Anne Frank and her family.
Here is a little bit about Anne Frank from Wikipedia:
After the museum, we explored Amsterdam some more.Annelies "Anne" Marie Frank (Dutch pronunciation: [ɑnəˈlis ˈɑnə maˈri frɑŋk], German pronunciation: [anəliːs ˈanə maˈʁiː fʁaŋk] ?,pronunciation (help·info); 12 June 1929 – early March 1945) is one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Her diary has been the basis for several plays and films. Born in the city of Frankfurt am Main in Weimar Germany, she lived most of her life in or near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Born a German national, Frank lost her citizenship in 1941. She gained international fame posthumously after her diary was published. It documents her experiences hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.
The Frank family moved from Germany to Amsterdam in 1933, the year the Nazis gained control over Germany. By the beginning of 1940, they were trapped in Amsterdam by the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July 1942, the family went into hiding in some concealed rooms in the building where Anne's father worked. After two years, the group was betrayed and transported to concentration camps. Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, were eventually transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they died of typhus in March 1945.Otto Frank, the only survivor of the family, returned to Amsterdam after the war to find that Anne's diary had been saved, and his efforts led to its publication in 1947. It was translated from its original Dutch and first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl. It has since been translated into many languages. The diary, which was given to Anne on her 13th birthday, chronicles her life from 12 June 1942 until 1 August 1944.
We ventured into the "Red Light" district, which seemed run over by tourists. I did not take many photos there, as photography is discouraged (for obvious reasons).
At first, it was a bit shocking to see barely clothed women dancing in windows.
We headed back to Jordaan when it got darker, as we had dinner reservations at Caffe Toscanini. The dinner was delicious, but the service was below average (slow). Waiters in the Netherlands do not expect tips (most European customers do not tip), so they are usually not very motivated to provide fast and efficient service. It's something we had to get used to (coming from the United States).
Inna ordered Italian ravioli, and we enjoyed eating them.
After dinner, we walked around a bit and went to bed. Surprisingly, it did not get dark until after 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 27
After our usual breakfast at nearby Winkel, we visited the famous Rijksmuseum (recently re-opened after a long restoration).
From Winkel, we took a tram to the Rijksmuseum. Getting around Amsterdam is easy. There are trams, buses, and bicycles available. It's an easy city to get around.
The Rijksmuseum is one of Amsterdam’s grandest museums and it finally showed off its new (and old) look in April 2013, following 10 years of extensive restoration and renovation. Designed by renowned Dutch architect P.J.H. Cuypers, construction began in 1876, with the monumental building finally opening in 1885 as the largest museum in the Netherlands.
The Rijksmuseum's internationally revered collection features some of the nation’s most famous works, including historic art by Vermeer, Frans Hals, and perhaps most notably Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’, which once again has pride of place in a beautifully lit hall that allows visitors to enjoy every tiny detail.
The Rijksmuseum is quite large - though not as vast as the Louvre in Paris, France.
There are many beautiful paintings by Rembrandt, Versponck, and many other Dutch Masters.
The stained glass at the Rijksmuseum is quite beautiful.
After viewing paintings at Rijksmuseum, we explored the grounds, including beautiful, well-manicured gardens.
There are also lots of modern sculptures and fountains.
The Rijksmuseum is unique in that bicycle traffic goes right through the building!
There are fascinating sculptures in Museumplein - near Rijksmuseum.
The Van Gogh Museum was very close, so we decided to explore it next.
We were hungry and tired, so we stopped by for lunch at the Van Gogh Cafe. The food there was quite delicious!
After the delicious lunch, we explored all of Vincent's beautiful artwork.
We really enjoyed looking at Van Gogh's artwork. The museum has multiple levels, and we thoroughly explored each one.
After the Van Gogh Museum, we stopped by briefly at the Stedelijk Museum. We are not connoisseurs of modern art but wanted to keep an open mind.
There were a few pieces that we liked there by Marc Chagall, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
There was some intriguing furniture on display as well.
After visiting the museum, we climbed the "I AMSTERDAM" structure in Museumplein.
We walked around a bit and headed toward Spui, near the center of Amsterdam, stopping by at Cafe Luxembourg.
Cafe Luxembourg is an excellent location to relax and people-watch in the Spui neighborhood. We saw many young people (I presume students) and engaging graffiti on the walls.
From there, we walked toward the Dam - the main square in Amsterdam.
There sure are a lot of bicycles here (and people too)!
There are lots of street performers, and we saw many doing different dances or playing music throughout Amsterdam.
As Indonesian food is famous in Amsterdam (because the Dutch were one of the first countries to trade with Indonesia), we wanted to try Rijsttafel at a well-regarded restaurant in the Spui neighborhood.
We chose Kantjil & de Tijger Indonesian Restaurant, and the dishes were quite delicious.
The Indonesian rijsttafel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛistaːfəl]), a Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table", is an elaborate meal adapted by the Dutch following the presentation of food from the Padang region of West Sumatra.[1] It consists of many (forty is not an unusual number) side dishes served in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. In most areas where it is served, such as the Netherlands, and other areas of heavy Dutch influence (such as parts of the West Indies), it is known under its Dutch name.
As it was getting late, we walked back to our apartment in Jordaan, wandering through brightly lit canals.
Amsterdam is such a beautiful city. We can't wait to return.
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