Amsterdam

[andy-hughes]

Just returned from four days in Amsterdam - what an amazing city.

It is so happy and relaxed, and it has the sensible attitude to marijuana and prostitution, but that aside, its churches and museums, as well as its quality hotels and restraurants made it a wonderful place to visit.

 

Highly reccomended a visit if you can.

[New Judge]

Not the best experience for you then, NJ.  ;o)

Certainly not, naomi, and not something I shall be repeating any time soon. The first time we stayed there we visited the Keukenhof Gardens, which are absolutely wonderful. Alas, to get to them from Amsterdam you have to take a train to Schiphol and then a bus from there. I could not believe there was no direct bus from Amsterdam to one of the premier attractions in the area. Schiphol airport is a nightmare. We spent more time taxiing after landing than we did in the air from London City. I think we landed in Belgium and did the rest of the journey overland. Our second trip was only to keep my sister-in-law company as she wanted to visit Anne Frank’s house. But her husband would not book in advance (despite our strong recommendations to do so) and the queue was so enormous he wouldn't wait, so we didn’t make it. 

The next time we visited Kueukenhof we actually stayed within walking distance of the gardens, in a B&B above a patisserie (we got a few free samples on checking in). Far more pleasant, but we had the misfortune to be returning on “King’s Day” or “Queen’s Day” or whatever they call it. Apparently it is customary for the world an her husband, all dressed in ghastly orange clothes, to descend on Schiphol for the day’s celebrations. The airport resembled a mixture of a funfair and a disco.

So, no, not somewhere that is near the top of my list of “must go to” destinations. In fact, it’s not on the list at all.