All
"Newbies"
A
lot people ask me when is the best time to visit
Amsterdam .The answer is
Anytime,
the City is fast becoming an all year round destination,
though Jan -March are still relatively quieter than other
months.
Amsterdam,
nominal capital of the Netherlands, is a beautiful city,
characterized by its picturesque tree-lined canals, fine
18th century architecture, marvelous Museums and Art
Galleries and numerous Public Parks.
Amsterdam
is, however, no "museum piece", having a very
cosmopolitan population,a vibrant modern, libertarian
lifestyle - infamous
for some of its leisure facilities and nightlife -
together with a modern, efficient transport system, great
shopping, - from the top international names to the many
streetmarkets - and restaurants that feature most of the
cuisines of the world, (there are also plenty of fast
food places for the less discriminating
diner.)
English
is widely spoken throughout the city, as is German - both
compulsory subjects in all Dutch schools since 1947.
Your
Passport MUST
be valid for 6 months after
departure from Amsterdam, whatever
your nationality.
Always
take
out adequate travel
insurance
from
the day you book !
From
the UK, it is an easy weekend destination for those
seeking a quiet Romantic/Cultural break,
very
loud and bawdy "Stag" & "Hen"
parties
, and
those just looking for a good time.
People
from all over the World go to Amsterdam to
Party
(and are seldom disappointed), or arrive daily as
Cultural,
"Red-light"
or
"Coffeeshop"
Tourists.
(again, few are disappointed !)
"Coffeeshop
Newbies"
"Coffeeshop
Section"
has 20
pages on
Amsterdam`s Coffeeshops !!
Planning
your Tour Don`t
pre-plan too precisely beyond flights and accommodation.
Such detailed plans will completely fall apart after
arrival at the first Coffeeshop and a few hits of the
local "ass-welding" weed. Guaranteed.
(Check
out "Amsterdam
Diary" page
for a very typical Coffeeshop touring experience
)
If
you have a printer, I strongly suggest you download a
print of the excellent hand drawn
map
,
with most of the central area coffeeshops marked on it,
from "Amsterdam
Coffeeshop Directory"
Click on the map at the top of the page, let the enlarged
map page load, then "Print" from your browser toolbar.
You may need to adjust the page size on your printer,
usually by "Page Set Up" under your browsers "File"
menu.
A low-res version of
part of this map
is available in the "Coffeeshop" section of this
site.
If
you also want to check out the sites - Museums etc., -
best to go early in the morning, around 9-10 am, before
the Coaches & big crowds arrive - and the Coffeeshops
open and you get "distracted" !!
Note
to all types of visitors
Amsterdam,
however, is not
Utopia
- Please
be sure to read the
"Your
Safety" and
"Police"
pages
on this site.
Be
prepared for some element of culture shock,
particularly
if this is your first time in
Europe,
do not expect everything to work exactly as it does "back
home". Transport etc is very efficient, but information
etc is nearly always in Dutch alone.
Amsterdam
is a libertarian city, it has had legalised prostitution
since the 14th Century, and the prostitutes have their
own Union and representation on the City Council,
Amsterdam has had Cannabis coffeeshops for 30 years,
licenced by the City authorities, Amsterdam has never
discriminated against Homosexuals & Lesbians, the
city had overt hotels and clubs and bars that catered
solely for such prior to "Gay Liberation". Many "gay"
discos have "mixed" nights and seldom turn away
"straight" men & women at other times.
I
am not "gay", but learnt a long time ago that the wildest
party in town is to be found among the gay community.
Discos like "IT" and "COC Amsterdam" with a predominately
gay male clientele, are very popular, particularly with
parties of straight women that visit from all over
Europe.
However,
this does not mean, "anything
goes".
Drunken
behavior, screaming and shouting late at night, diving
naked, or otherwise, into the canals, drinking alcohol
& urinating in the streets is not appreciated -
least
of all by the very efficient Police and Courts.
Not
every Dutch person thinks the "Red Light" district &
Cannabis Coffeeshops are a good idea.
Not
every Coffeeshop or Bar in Amsterdam allows Cannabis
smoking.
The
Police are
NOT
"soft" on "hard" Drugs.
The
trams are not free - regular checks are made for "fare
dodgers" and the "on the spot" fines are
large.
Be
prepared for new culinary experiences - like Chocolate
and Cheese served at Breakfast in many Hotels ! (together
with the more conventional Breakfast alternatives.)
Try
it, you might like it - along with other Dutch food - the
filled rolls sold at lunchtime and the cakes etc are
particularly good.
There
are Herring stalls dotted around the city, if you like
fish. The roast Mackerel served in a bread roll is
particularly good, and, if you like Sushi, you will love
the raw herring & onion served on these
stalls.
Pancakes
are a speciality, some of the "pannenkoeken" houses offer
up to 70 different varieties of sweet or savoury
fillings.
Or
you could try another speciality, the "uitsmijter", a
large open sandwich with a fried egg on top or
"erwensoep", a thick pea soup with pork sausage chunks,
which is particularly good on cold winter days.
If
you drink alcohol, try the local firewater, "Jenever", a
slightly oily Gin , which comes in 2 varieties and
several flavours, the "oude" is smoother on the throat
than the "jonge" variety. Both, like Vodka, are drunk in
a single gulp,
and
are as strong.
"Pils",
a lager like beer, is the standard drink, Amstel,
Heineken and Grolsch are the main brands. Most Bars also
have a variety of Dutch & Belgian bottled beers and
soft drinks.
The
locals have a habit of following a Pils with a Jenever
chaser. This also a very quick way for visitors to get
very drunk, very ill, and very hungover trying to keep up
with the locals consumption rate. Worth trying once and
then staying on the Pils alone.
Health:
If you are on
medication, consult your
Doctor/Physician
prior to
booking flights and
if you intend to consume Cannabis in Amsterdam.
Never
smoke Cannabis if you are pregnant.
Amsterdam
can be hard and very tiring on the body. A lot of walking
and maybe a lot of Cannabis smoking or Alcohol
consumption, irregular meals, irregular hours, and maybe
"Jet Lag" .
(See
"Long
Haul"
page in "Travel " section of site for some more on "Jet
Lag etc.)
Combat
this to some extent by attempting to
eat
sensibly, drink real fruit juice, which is widely
available in the city, instead of always drinking Beer or
Coffee.
Avoid buying legal stimulants like "Red Bull" or "Gusto"
to give you energy, Bananas
are far better for this - and a lot cheaper ! - but don't
eat too many in a day ! !
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