Saturday morning we had our group picture. Caroline and Merel agreed we should get together on Monday when I had scheduled a concert at Het Concertgebouw, and off we went with Merel as a guide on a walking tour of Amsterdam, where inter alia we saw Montelbaanstoren, the open air Nieuwmarkt, the University, Spui, the Begijnhof, crossed the Singel-, Heren-, Kaisers-, and Prinzengrachts, making our way to the Amsterdam American Hotel at Leidseplein, and finally to the Hotel Vondel. After checking in and getting a recommendation for a cheese shop from Merel (Fromagerie Kef), we said our good-byes and were free the rest of the day. From the charming Lianne at Reception I was able to order two more tickets at Het Concertgebouw on Monday for Caroline and Merel. She also was able to tell me where the nearest florist was, and after grabbing a sausage roll for lunch at a deli on the way, ordered an orchid corsage for each of my Monday dates. Heading back to Leidseplein, I bought a ticket for one of the canal sightseeing boats and went for the ride—a relaxing way to spend part of the afternoon, and another look at the city from a different perspective. After finishing the boat ride, I walked around the Leidseplein area. In addition to a couple of canal boat tour stops, it has two major tram lines intersecting there, making it a very convenient jumping-off spot to get around the city. Some of the buildings are architecturally interesting. While it would be greatly overstating it to say it was honky-tonk, the general ethos of the place was very touristy. There were a lot of restaurants, especially along Lange- and Korteleidsedwarstraats. Having seen enough for now, I retired to the hotel to freshen up, and later went for dinner at Bojo, an Indonesian restaurant. The seats were low with no backs, but the food was good, and I’d consider eating there again. After dinner I wandered up Leidsestraat and found a gelato store and had my dessert. Walking back there was a souvenir shop where I picked up the obligatory fridge magnet mementos, then to the hotel to read a little and to bed.
After breakfast at the hotel on Sunday, I hopped a tram from Leidseplein to the Centraal Station area. It was amazing to see all the bikes parked there. It was probably more crowded than normal on a Sunday, as there was some kind of charity run about to take place. From Centraal Station I walked east, crossing the pedestrian bridge again to Oosterdok and the NEMO museum. The run began about the time I reached the base of NEMO, and while there three divisions of at least a thousand runners each started at intervals. (There may have been more after I left.) I wanted to get a view from the rooftop plaza at the museum, so I climbed the long ramp. There was probably more elevation there than cumulatively on the whole of the bike tour! The view was OK, but tempered by the visibility that day. After finishing at the NEMO I walked back to Centraal Station to try out the metro, which brought me to Waterlooplein and the opera house. From admiring the opera house the next stop was to be the Bloemenmarkt, and I hopped a tram which I thought would stop at Muntplein, but it overshot to Spui, so I got off and walked back. The Bloemenmarkt was a row of stores on one side of the lane and tacky souvenir shops on the other. A disappointment, especially when compared to the one in Ghent. At Muntplein I took a tram back to the opera house, stopping at Rembrandtplein to see the statues of Rembrandt surrounded by soldiers (from The Night Watch?), and to check out my return trip from the opera on Tuesday, transferred to the metro, getting off at Weesperplein, then to the tram back to Leidseplein. While there I bought a Pepsi from a local vendor and went back to the hotel to rest a little. After recovering, I went for a walk in Vondelpark, spending a fair amount of time there and getting lost. I exited to find I was at Emmalaan, which my map informed me was on the far side of the park. Back into the park and walked back to Roemer Visscherstraat where I started, thence to the hotel to regroup. Dinner was at the hotel restaurant Joost, which turned out to be good, probably the best meal I had in Amsterdam. For postprandial exercise, I walked up to Leidseplein, caught the #5 tram, and got off at Museumplein where I saw Het Concertgebouw, the back side of the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum. I was getting dark, so back on the tram to Leidseplein, a stop at a different gelato store, and on to the hotel and bed.
Following the hotel breakfast, today was the day for the Rijksmuseum. A short tram ride got me there between nine and ten, and after checking my umbrella, entered and got an audio/video guide. Getting there early and with the prepaid tickets for entry and audio guide got me in without any waiting in line. It was not crowded early on, though it did fill up later. I headed first to the second floor where the major Rembrandt display was located—superb—then branched off from that. I expected that the museum’s collection would be rather catholic as were those of most major metropolitan museums, but it was instead wholly devoted to Dutch art and culture. However this was not a real limitation, as what was there was as good as in any museum anywhere. Around noontime I retreated to the museum café for lunch. I was just starting as Jack and Bonnie, whom I hadn’t seen on arriving, stopped by on their way out. It was a tiring and rewarding morning. After leaving I hopped on the #10 tram to far down on Marnixstraat for a stop at Fromagerie Kef where I hoped to pick up some cheese to give to Caroline and Merel that evening, as well a a little to munch on myself, but alas it was closed on Monday. I came back to Leidseplein and walked to the florist to pick up the corsages I had ordered on Saturday, and on my way back to the hotel stumbled on another cheese shop where I was able to get something after all. At the hotel I showered and dressed appropriately. Later Merel met me at the hotel and we went to dinner. Caroline was busy with moving, but was to meet us at the Concertgebouw later. I had left the choice of restaurant to Merel, as she had more local knowledge, and she picked a place on 1e C. Huygensstraat called Toto, convinient to both the hotel and the concert.. On being seated, I presented Merel with her corsage. In Amsterdam they are not fastened on with a pin, but a magnet is attached to to corsage and a second is put inside the lady’s dress to hold it on. Clever. Unfortunately the florist had neglected to supply the second magnets, which rather mortified me. Apparently the restaurant had gotten good local reviews, but it was the single worst dining experience I have had in Europe. We entered at 6:30, immediately informed our waiter that we had a curtain to make, and ordered, an antipasto plate to begin and pasta, which would have been easy to cook. The antipasto came out, and we started on that. It was not until 7:40, and after pleading, that we were finally served our entree. I only was able to take a couple bites, and asked for the check, which required more pleading. We left, I left a negligible tip—shouldn’t have left anything—and barely made it to the Concertgebouw where we joined Caroline. Had not Merel, who was excellent company and the only saving grace of the experience, been there, words or more would have been exchanged. (This is the only time I have ever left an online review of a restaurant.) Being with Merel and Caroline, who was really dressed nicely, calmed me down and we went inside for the concert where I presented Caroline with her corsage sans second magnet. The program was the Mahler 10th, which has its highs and lows, but was overall enjoyable. The much vaunted acoustics of the Concertgebouw are not overrated. Post concert we walked down a side street to a place the ladies knew, the Café Welling, and had a drink. After that it was time to say goodbye, so while Merel stopped in a store to pick something up, I walked Caroline to her car in the parking garage and we gave each other a good-night hug, following which she got a kiss on her forehead. I then met Merel, we hugged as well, she caught a cab, and I walked back to the hotel happy despite the dinner.
My last day was spent in the centrum. First stop was the Dam with its Koninklijk Paleis and the Nieuwe Kerk. I first visited the Nieuwe Kerk which was not particularly nieuwe and no longer really a kerk. There was a show about Ghandi, M.L. King, and Mandela, which was only marginally interesting, and there didn’t seem to be any particular religious activity that occured there anymore. The interior, including the windows, was a good deal less ornate than other churches I’d seen. The austerity of Protestantism does have its drawbacks. On leaving the church I thought about visiting the paleis, but was not in the mood, after the disappointment of the church. Walking across the Dam I came to the National Monument, which was reserved but worth a look. From there I crosses to Spui and hopped a tram for a visit to the Van Loon Museum. Missed my stop and ended up at Weteringcircuit, but I caught a tram back. It was a representation of how the upper class of an earlier era lived. Cross the courtyard and you find the carraige house, where one may purchase a slice of apple pie and tea, which I did for my lunch. I was getting touristed out by this point, and I caught trams back to the hotel where I rested for the last part of the afternoon. As tonight was opera night, for dinner I wanted something fairly quick after the dining misadventure of the previous evening, I chose De Blauwe Hollander on Leidsekruisstraat, which was on the VBT list, and ordered stampot, quintessential comfort food. After finishing it was on to the opera. Got on the #10 tram at Leidseplein and headed toward Weesperplein for a metro connection. There were three American women tourists who got on the tram at the same time, and asked the conductor how to get to the opera house. She clearly didn’t know or care, so she mumbled something about a stop near the end of the line. The three women might still be wandering around Amsterdam like Charlie on the MTA, but having explored the route previously, I was able to set them straight, and we all arrived at the opera together. On stage that night was La Forza del Destino. A sane production, not some wild exhibition of directorial ego, and the singing was good. The acoustics, at least where I was sitting in the upper balcony, were excellent. There were two screens with supertitles, one in Dutch, and one in English. As the evening went on, I was getting tired, and in view of the early connection I had to make for the plane the next morning left before the last act. Back to the hotel by metro and tram, and to bed.
There was an early pickup for the airport on Wednesday, and I was in the same van as June and Alice. After check-in there was an extra security stop we had to make before getting to the scanners, but after that it was just waiting at the departure gate for the flight. Once again I had an economy plus seat, making the flight back a lot less burdensome. It was raining in Boston, causing us to be in a holding pattern for an extra half hour, but once on the ground there were no special hold-ups in Customs beyond the usual. I had missed my bus by about half an hour, so there was an equivalent wait for the next one. There were the usual traffic stop-and-go delays on the highway home, but at last the bus made North Londonderry, and the end of a great trip.