Hello and welcome back to the Hotelbook.com podcast. In this episode we’re taking a trip to continental Europe and exploring the canals and narrow streets of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
There is something for everybody in the city of Amsterdam – from the Rembrandt and City museums, to the sex and marijuana museums. And when you’re not seeing great art, eating or shopping, then just walking or sailing around the city is an enjoyable experience in itself. Amsterdam has retained its characteristic horseshoe shape, the pattern of which is still clearly visible in the network of canals and streets in the city centre. The canals are lined by beautiful 16th and 17th century houses, which are now very desirable as each has its own story and history.
Although the Netherlands’ seat of government is Den Haag, Amsterdam is the nominal capital. It is the country’s largest city, with a population of around 800,000, receiving more than 1.5 million visitors a year. The city started as a fishing village and soon became the principal trading city of Europe, and ultimately the world, in the 17th century.
The city is divided up into 6 “quarters” or areas, with the two nearest the Station Centrale making up medieval Amsterdam, while the museum quarter was developed in the 19th century and holds the three most important national museums: the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and the Van Gogh Museum.
For a fairly small city, Amsterdam has a surprisingly large number of museums and galleries. The quality and variety of the collections are impressive and many are housed in buildings of historical or architectural interest. The Rijksmuseum, with its Gothic façade, is a city landmark, where Rembrandt’s work is exhibited in his original home. The world’s most important collection of Dutch art is on display at the Rijksmuseum. This vast museum contains approximately 5,000 paintings, including works by Dutch masters Rembrandt and Vermeer.
A short stroll across the museum quarter will bring you to the Van Gogh museum. In addition to the large collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings, which trace his entire career, you can see hundreds of his original letters to his brother Theo and Van Gogh’s private collection of Japanese prints.
The Rembrandt museum opened in 1991 and is housed in the three-story house where Rembrandt lived for 20 years. In addition to providing an insight into the artist’s life, this museum contains an important collection of his etchings and drawings, including a fascinating series of self-portraits.
Various aspects of Amsterdam’s fascinating history are documented in several of the city’s museums. The Amsterdam Historisch Museum, housed in a converted orphanage, covers the growth of Amsterdam from its origins as a fishing village in the 13th century. The city’s glorious maritime history is recalled at the Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum. Its vast collection of model ships includes a full-size replica of an 18th century sailing ship – which is a lot of fun for the kids!
In general, moving around the city is very easy. Everything is within walking distance. To walk from one end of the city (at the Station Centrale) to the other (at Vondelpark) takes about half an hour. If you are laden with luggage, or just want to try other forms of transport, the city has an incredibly efficient system of trams, which are easy to use and get around on. A word of warning though – beware of the bicycles! The Netherlands is a very flat country, and so bicycles are a cheap and easy way to get around: however, it is not clear if they have to adhere to any kind of road rules, so look around you at all times when crossing roads! You know you’re in Amsterdam when you see people sending text messages from their mobile phones while cycling down the road dodging pedestrians!
Amsterdam, for many people, is synonymous with drugs and seedy brothels. These racier aspects spring directly from the city’s long and honorable tradition of religious, philosophical and political tolerance. The notion of individual freedom of conscience was fought long and hard for, and still stands today, with the caveat that no one should be harmed by the actions of others. And, as any local is quick to point out to you, cannabis is not legal in Amsterdam, possession is merely tolerated.
First-time visitors to Amsterdam really should take a canal boat ride. There is a huge selection to choose from, though the one that seems to present the best value for money is Lovers at around 8 euro. All the starting points are on the canal directly outside the Station Centrale at which all visitors arrive, and they do a circular tour of the city providing you with a bit of background and orientation on your first morning in a new city.
Jewish life in the city is remembered in the absorbing Joods Historisch Museum – made up of four adjoining synagogues. The famous Anne Frank House provides a poignant reminder that Amsterdam’s Jewish community was almost wiped out in WW2, and its secret annex shows what life was like for those hiding. A memorable experience, without which a trip to Amsterdam is incomplete.
With a visit to the Heineken Experience, you can learn about the history of beer-making and one of Amsterdam’s most famous exports. On a tour of this former brewery, you are, of course, rewarded with plenty of samples and a special free gift. It is definitely an interesting, well thought-out and entertaining museum.
Eating and dining in Amsterdam is excellent – there is a cuisine to suit everyone’s taste. Indonesian cuisine is very big in Amsterdam at the moment, so there are a lot of very good restaurants, but be careful you are not tricked by a few of the Chinese restaurants that claim they also do Indonesian food. And naturally, you’ll be able to pick from a wide variety of European cuisines. For fast food, Amsterdam locals enjoy fries or chips with mayonnaise served from many street vendors.
Leidesplein is the place to go at night. The square is full of bars and restaurants, and the streets surrounding the square have many more. For an evening out, Boom Chicago is an English comedy night. You can book online, and it costs around 18 euro for the show, or 32 euro for dinner as well. It is a lot of fun, mainly improvisation, and the cocktails are great!
When it comes to hotels in Amsterdam, we have a great pair to recommend. The first property is the four-star Amsterdam American Hotel located in the middle of the Leidesplein. The hotel was built in 1902 and is actually listed as an art nouveau monument. You will be staying within minutes of the Riksmuseum, Vondel Park and seconds away from Amsterdam’s best fashion and clothes shopping. The Leidesplein area will meet all your needs for nightlife and great dining.
The second hotel is the family-owned Estherea Hotel located on the banks of one of the four main canals in Amsterdam. This four-star hotel is located about 300 meters from Dam Square, so you will be close to the Royal Palace, all the museums and the theatres. The hotel itself has been refurbished and refreshed recently, adding to the warmth and intimate ambience. The rooms are equipped with all the conveniences that you would expect, and have views over the canals.
We hope you’ve enjoyed exploring Amsterdam with us today. With all the things to see, it’s no surprise that this is one of Europe’s most visited destinations. For more information and links to these hotels, visit the hotelbook blog at blog.hotelbook.com.
Wednesday 5 2006 , 15h37
Geneva (AP) - To discover a Van Gogh painting at a flea market is every amateur’s dream.
Nathalie Ogi
To discover a Van Gogh painting at a flea market is every amateur’s dream. Three years ago, Jules Petroz, a Swiss antiques dealer, purchased a painting from a colleague. It was a picture of a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Dutch master. Could it be a self-portrait? The experts are sceptical, but this enthusiast will not easily be discouraged. These days, the process of verifying a painting’s authenticity resembles more often than not an assault course.
Seeing this portrait for the first time in 2003, Jules Petroz felt compelled by this man’s countenance under his hat, his eyebrows raised.
“I thought of Bonnard at first” M Petroz declared. He did some research and discovered that the painting, which was clearly from another era, might correspond to the time of Van Gogh’s sojourn in Paris. Between 1886 and 1888 Van Gogh completed about twenty self-portraits, all of which were not signed. While in Paris he lived with his brother Théo and subsequently shared a room with a friend. He became ill, underwent an operation, all of which resulted in a considerable loss of weight. This would explain, according to Jules Petroz, his thin appearance in the painting. However, the antiques dealer does have another hypothesis: it could be the work of one of Vincent’s contemporaries.
For now, the difficulty lies in establishing the painting’s authenticity or, at least, in determining the origin of the work. In November 2004, M Petroz sent a photo of the painting to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, who replied in the negative: the work could not be attributed to Vincent Van Gogh. Nevertheless, one is free to dream. The Dutch institution does not easily accept the existence of a new work. The complexity of the process of authenticity is confirmed by the French art historian, Pascal Bonafoux, for whom the work appears excludes the master’s brush.
“The Van Gogh Museum apportioned itself the sole right to authenticate the master’s works, which has proven problematic,” noted M Bonafoux. He too was confronted with a similar case – a landscape painting which many experts attributed the Dutch Master. All the technical requirements converged. The professor, who teaches in the Sorbonne adds,
“The museum in Amsterdam did not even want to see it, and, to this day, the work remains unverified. The art market, being what it is, the stakes surrounding Van Gogh’s works being so high, nobody dares to take a stance.”
The other museums refuse to give an opinion. As for the auction houses, they operate strictly by the rules and will not deviate from this position. Sotheby’s of Geneva would automatically send the painting Amsterdam for approval.
Nonetheless, Jules Petroz, on the strength of a certain experience will not give up just yet. In 1997, he made discovered another painting hidden beneath a pastel bought in the same flea market. It was a portrait of Mery Laurent which he attributed to Edward Manet. The work has yet to be formally identified but it has attained a certain amount recognition owing to a publication in the catalogue of the National Museums of France. Will this self-portrait meet the same fate? After all, to dream is an integral component in the world of art.
http://www.petroz.com/Van-Gogh.htm
Posted by: petroz | July 20, 2006 at 08:28 AM
Do you happen to know where the first chinese restaurants where located? Some source shows that the first ones appeared in the 30s and some served smimple indonesian dishes as well. I heard that they were on the docks in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but now sure exactly what dock area.
Posted by: Jack Margolis | August 29, 2007 at 05:39 PM