Amsterdam: beery nights

[Warning: this one's all about the beer.]

Just back from a few days in Amsterdam, this time armed with Around Amsterdam in 80 Beers. (As on our Berlin trip, this sucker was always in my back pocket; an essential for cutting through the chaff in a land of excess like the 'dam.) I'll get on to the staples from my previous visits shortly, but first I'd like to a highlight two gems I discovered this time 'round:

• De Prael: I find no good reason for my failing to frequent 'The Pearl' before now. I usually favour breweries above all else, this one proves that wisdom. As suggested by the guide, their Willy was lovely. (As was the Nick & Simon, their IPA, I had at In de Wildeman.) Time constrains meant I didn't eat in the cafe, but I must say that it looked and smelled most inviting.
• Café de Koe: a fantastic little hideaway from the central madness. For its food, staff and atmosphere, this cafe has my wholehearted recommendation. Oddly, I was so excited to have found it that there was a Palm in front of me before I realized that one of their many bottles (I would put it at 14, given the guide's numbers and the three taps I saw) would've been a better choice. Still the Moroccan lamb the waitress recommended was out of this world -- honestly the best couscous I've ever had, exciting the palette with pine nuts and pomegranate seeds -- and, as if that weren't enough, as we were idly chatting at the end of the meal, the chef came over with a bowl of the lamb curry they had on special that day to share, simply because he was really proud of it and thought we might like it. As I say, an absolutely fantastic find!

And now, the staples. First up, 't Arendsnest ('The Eagle's Nest'). In some ways, it was like my first time: I mispronounced beers, somehow missed that they serve Dutch beers exclusively (O_o -- I know, right?) and was generally a source of much amusement. Over two great evenings, I had:

• Texels Tripel
• Holland Oats: an amazing collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal Ales and Emelisse; unfortunately, all my companions were too young to get the pun.
• Emelisse White Label: in case you can't read that (to the right), it's Jack Daniels barrel aged, which gave it some lovely woody notes. I'd put this down as the beer of the trip, or maybe second to a Jopen; either the one a friend kept going back to -- Jopen Ongelovige Thomas -- or the next one.
• Jopen Meester Stuk
• Snab Pale Ale
• De Molen Jaar & Dag: an excellent Saison

♫ Private eyes, they're watchin' you... ♪

Up next, its sister bar, Beer Temple. This time 'round I was really impressed with how they were able to recommend beers for a few guys I brought along who were really just dipping their toes. We spent a lot of time here:

• Tempel Bier: the house beer; a Dutch IPA
• Pretty Things Jack D'Or: a stunning Saison; love, love, LOVED it
• De Molen Two and a Half IPA: brewed to celebrate Beer Temple's years in business; nice, powerful stuff
• Mikkeler Hop Burn High: at 10%, heavy stuff to end the first night on, but so, so lovely
• Rogue Imperial Youngers Special Bitter: a gem, with a nice sweetness in the finish
• Emelisse Hoppie Mikkie IPA: the second beer brewed to celebrate Beer Temple's milestone
• Southern Tier Back Burner: just a great barley wine
• Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter: really nice currants in the finish
• Great Divide Titan IPA: a love-punch of hops; beauty

Last, but not least in anyone's book, In de Wildeman. I quickly popped in after De Prael one afternoon, and in addition to the Nick & Simon IPA I mentioned, I had Bavik Petrus (oak) Aged Pale. I'd had it in the bottle before, and this was even nicer; really refreshing and more complex than the moniker of sour ale suggests. Unfortunately, they were setting up for a beer festival when I brought some guys by early on Friday: the lady behind the bar was really friendly, but obviously rushed off her feet. In the end, I couldn't blame the guys for giving it a thumbs down. Me, I was just disappointed I couldn't stick around for the beer festival!

Baltic cruise: the North Sea and Warnemünde, Germany: "Who's the celebrity?"

[We pick up my travel journal with ruminations on sailing out of Amsterdam and the subsequent day in the North Sea.]

June 27, 2011: a few hours out of the 'dam

I can hear Stephen playing with our two-way radios in the second of our adjoining cabins. We had a great day in Amsterdam: Nancy and I joined Tea and Stephen for their second round at the Chinese massage parlour, after a breakfast of toasted sandwiches -- shredded chicken, avocado slices, loads of creamy goat's cheese, and honey were some of wonderful ingredients therein across all our selections -- out in the sun by a canal; it was the way to start the day.

We've just come back from an exclusive area of the ship's spa -- for a price, of course; highlights included form-fitted, heated stone benches and a Turkish bath with cold water taps (so you don't overheat). So relaxed right now. And, look! It's time for supper! What's on the menu tonight?

* * *

In port, looking off the back deck

Supper was strange. Our waiter was too chatty after delivering the food, and there were a number of presentation and spicing problems. Celebrity may be aiming to treat us as such -- at one point, Tea, reading through the events calendar, asked, "Celebrity Wine Tasting... Who's the celebrity?" Nancy's "Us!" was priceless -- but that dining room has nothing on Royal Caribbean.

Lido deck

June 28, 2011: sailing

Breakfast this morning confirms it: the level of English comprehension amongst the front-line servers is significantly below what we're used to, which is a problem when you're relying on them to serve you. (It's a pseudo buffet, for lack of a better term.) However, it wasn't crowded at all, and the air is pleasantly crisp here.

* * *

O.K., all's right in the world after a half hour in the Turkish bath, followed by a swim. Now, lunch time!

11:00 p.m.

We had an excellent supper in the specialty Italian restaurant. Many amusing moments: Stephen's 'cheesecake', which the waiter personally retrieved from the downstairs dining room, and, oddly, had all the attributes of what one would call a cheese plate. [Our waiter was a great sport about it, and each of our many trips back to that restaurant featured many a joke about accents.] And then there was the moment when Tea discovered her dessert garnish was Pop Rocks. Holy snap, crackle, pop, Batman!

* * *

June 30, 2011: Warnemünde

Yesterday was our first stop: Warnemünde, Germany. I've been to Germany a few times now, and thought I'd some idea as to the range of experiences available there; unsurprisingly, I suppose, the sea alters that, my quaint beribboned Deutschland.

Invariably it's these small ports that really speak to me. Despite my family's not having made a living from the sea in a generation, those sounds and smells -- the water lapping, the fresh catches -- take me back to St. John's harbour, and my youth. Warnemünde was closer to the South Shore of Nova Scotia or Howth, Ireland, with many fishing vessels, yes, but also many pleasure craft, as they geared up for their big regatta the following week.

I got chatting to a Norwegian gentleman who couldn't say enough good things about Warnemünde. He'd sailed all over the world, but kept coming back. He loved the proximity of the facilities, and that you could tie up to the boardwalk, amidst it all. He also had very nice things to say about Canada. (Another Roots swag win; that's why he'd stopped me.) He said it was very beautiful, and that he'd really enjoyed his time in Halifax and St. John's. I left him with an even greater determination to see the fjords; he was a very proud, if reserved, Norwegian.

A three hour train journey from Warnemünde, we quickly discard Berlin as a potential destination for the day. Instead, we set out for the nearby town of Rostock, first by train, then by tram. The Old Town was lovely, with an open air market surrounded by Dutch-gabled buildings (much like we'd seen in Zaanse Schans a few months ago).

Rostock -- across from city hall

We passed the large tower that features on the label of their brewery's beer [which I believe was the Western Gate Tower, and part of the old city wall, marking the original limits], circled by birds of all sorts, including swifts, I'm convinced, thanks to my studies on Lake Como. Bird watching has really captured my imagination as a pursuit, although I'm convinced I lack patience for it.

M'm... goulash and pils

Unfortunately, the brewery was closed, but we found a shaded patio for sampling their Rostocker pils anyway, and the house special of goulash. Stephen asked for a burger, and while it didn't look promising initially -- we think the waitress was attempting to literally translate his request for a hamburger -- he absolutely loved his selection; we couldn't get him to shut up about it for the rest of the day, truth be told.

From there, we took the train back to Warnemünde. We sat in a large car lined with folded seats -- for bicycles, mostly, we soon found out, as new arrivals pulled out hidden belts to hold their many cycles securely, while they folded down a seat beside them. (Oh, if only they'd had a car like that on the train from Schipol to Amsterdam; that train was convenient for backpackers, not cruisers.)

Back in Warnemünde, munching on a basket of fresh strawberries from a nearby stand, we made our way down the boardwalk to the pier. It was a lovely sunny day, but even so, the sight of hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people enjoying the white sandy (man made) beach and surf took our breath away for a moment; not what we expected of the Baltic!

Aside: both in an elaborate fountain in Rostock, and on the beach in Warnemünde, there were children playing, naked as the day they were born; their screeches and giggles were pure joy. It can't help but warm your heart, something so simple and natural, in a world that can seem anything but for long stretches.

We wiled away the rest of the afternoon on patios, sampling other local beers, and fried and pickled herring -- the latter is lush with fresh dill! It was getting on for 9:00 p.m. as we headed back to the ship, the sun still high in the sky. A rare treat (for cruisers) awaited us: live folk music up on deck as we sailed for Stockholm, the sun finally setting a hour or so before midnight.

Up next: Stockholm, Sweden

There are more pictures of our first days on the cruise in our on ship album, and in our Germany one.

Baltic cruise: Amsterdam

[Notes from the travel journal I kept on our recent cruise of the Baltic.]

June 26, 2011: Amsterdam

Just off the train from Schipol. Great view of the action from the Ibis. Our ship leaves tomorrow; 'til then, the mission is to give Stephen and Nancy a taste of the 'dam.

Last night, the Gloucester Old Spot was a pleasant surprise: friendly staff -- an incredulous "Why did you come here?" came from our waitress when she found out we were Canadian -- and excellent pork and beef. Such a rustic atmosphere too -- fit for a king of old. Conversation was silly, as usual: somehow, we got on the subject of the 80s TV show, That's Incredible!, and proceeded to use the phrase throughout the rest of the meal and evening in response to even the most mundane of observations. It'll probably be the catchphrase of the trip. Wild times await, my friends, wild times.

Train travel with luggage enough for two weeks is no fun, but it was a seamless morning otherwise -- the ticket machines at Schipol take Visa, unlike in Amsterdam, where it will look like it's working right up to the point verifying the transaction. Stephen is puzzled by how often he must produce his passport (e.g., the border check in Schipol, checking in at the hotel in Amsterdam).

11:00 p.m.

Couldn't even stop eating for a picture -- m'm, tapas

So tired. Lots of walking. Did the Red Light District twice; it's even stranger in the light of day. Later, on our second pass, we tried to witness a transaction closed (from across the canal); close -- the guy went back 'n' forth between the doorway and his friends for a good half hour -- but no cigar. We also walked the flower market -- stopping for tapas -- and the Dam, the latter very sparse compared to festivities of our last trip.

Tea and Stephen got Chinese massages -- complete with ladies walking on their backs while pushing down from handrails on the ceiling -- while Nancy and I went in search of a favourite pub of our last trip, "In de Wildeman". Unfortunately it was closed, but we assuaged our sorrows -- well, mine mostly -- nicely at Beer Temple. My Double Dog Double Pale Ale and BrewDog Riptide were both excellent; Nancy also discovered she's a fan of the Belgian wheat beer style. It's a great spot, with genuinely friendly staff, which is so important when you have such an extensive, intimidating menu (much like their sister pub, t'Arendsnest, on both counts, incidentally).

Up next: sail away! And Warnemünde, Germany

The Netherlands: Amsterdam and the Keukenhof

[The last of my trip notes.]

April 26, 2011: the Keukenhof

"I'm on a boat!"

After another great breakfast up in our wheelhouse, watching the world go by (on bicycle, mostly), we head to the train station; it's deserted compared to yesterday, and we quickly purchase return tickets to Leiden. Once there, we get our coach tickets for the Keukenhof at the Travelex. [We thought there was no difference between going there via Leiden or Schiphol -- the distances are comparable -- but it turns out that you can get the latter as a single fare, and therefore save money; this isn't clear in any of the documentation.]

This is surely the Disney World of gardens! From the moment I hear, and then lay eyes on, the beautiful street organ near the entrance, I'm grinning from ear to ear. They call the park the most beautiful spring garden in the world, and it isn't hard to see why. Tea (and Kae) are over the moon: "best gardens, hands down," is out of her mouth half an hour in. And while I agree, the Lost Gardens of Heligan still hold a special place in my heart. I think it's the trees; somethin's changed with me since I've come over: I can't get enough of the different trees they have over here, and the cascading blooming you'll see from month to month. Don't get me wrong, though: this park is stunning.

I think the Japanese Garden is my favourite bit. It's so beautifully laid out, with many cherry blossoms, of course. While Tea and Kae really seem to be enjoying the orchid display, I know for Tea, it's all about the tulips -- of which there are many; go figure.

Gotta love the street art

Once back in Amsterdam, we decide to check out the Mexican restaurant, Guadalupe, that Tea spied on our first evening out. The owner is a real kidder, and before we've sat down, he and Kae strike up some Spanish banter. I don't pretend to follow it all, but I think he poked a bit of fun at one point when she used 'gran' to say that she learned some Spanish (or Portuguese?) from her grandfather. I heard something along the lines of, "Do you have a small father too? Oh, pity," around that cheese-eating grin of his. [If I've got this right, you could literally translate what Kae said as "big father," where they would typically say "abuelo"... maybe.] The food was really good too, breaking a long drought for Tea and me. [The Brits do not understand what Mexican is supposed to taste like, as far as I can tell.]

April 27, 2011: Our last day in Amsterdam

One of our many great suppers 'aboard'

A lazy morning. Anne Frank is growing up before my eyes (again). I forgot how heart-wrenching it is, to read about her wishes for the future. I certainly have a lot more context this time, having now walked the view she looked at with such longing.

The Van Gogh Museum is on the agenda this morning, so we buy tram day passes again -- it's well away from the city centre. Long queues seem to be the norm in Amsterdam, but, thanks to Kae, we can bypass the one outside this museum: she points out an English sign in the middle of the sidewalk, claiming that fast passes are available at the Diamond Museum. The funny thing is, you can see the Diamond Museum from the line, just down the road. We are there and back in five minutes -- you don't need to buy any extra admissions; it's just another till -- and then straight in.

Dessert at De Balie

I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying myself. The layout is great: a good mix of his works and influences at various stages of his life. I'm not familiar with a lot of it. My favourites (on display) include: Crab on its Back, Pink Orchard, and the Sheep Shearer; the latter, a striking example of his influences.

From there, lunch at De Balie. Our waiter is another kidder.

Kae: "I had a teacher..."
Waiter, whip quick: "You did?"

The menu is in Dutch. For every second thing Tea points at:
Waiter: "I can't tell you that."

Handing him our near-sparkling cleaned plates:
Tea: "Oh, that was terrible. Can we see a dessert menu?"
Waiter, hand on chest: "No. You've been rude. On your bike and go."

And, again, the food is amazing; pesto to die for. They have lots of interesting beer on tap too. Enjoying my two glasses of Wieckse (pronounced 'vicks').

* * *

"In de Wildeman"

I'm sitting "In de Wildeman" now. Probably the best pub in Amsterdam. The ladies are shopping. Tasting notes so far:

• Blanche de Namur: tasty, with ginger notes.
• t'Volen Zeebonck: fruity and sweet, full body. (The bartender translates this as "sailor", puffing up his chest; love the way he serves me at the table.)
• De Prael De Melkman: a milk stout; very tasty, and just a touch sour. According to Beer Advocate, it was brewed for the 25^th anniversary of In de Wildeman. Cool! Got that T-shirt too; it's awesome.

If you only have time to visit one bar in Amsterdam, this has to be it. The ladies are back now. We're heading to the last one on my list: 't Arendsnest (or "Eagle's Nest"). It's a lovely little spot. Another friendly barman; runs a tab without my even asking. I have:

• Texelse Skuumkoppe: I've had their Wit as an imported selection with the (now defunct *sad face*) CAMRA Beer Club; this one has more body. Very nice. Followed by;
• De Prael Koude André: the same brewery as the milk stout, and just as impressive.

Cinema Paradiso

Italian is the consensus this evening. After striking out a few times, we find ourselves at Cinema Paradiso. As the name suggests, it's a old converted cinema with a lot of charm. The food is very good, and the real mint teas -- lots of mint leaves and hot water; that's it -- are a perfect end to one heck of a good trip.

Check out our Keukenhof and Amsterdam albums for more pictures from the last two days of our trip.

The Netherlands: Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans

[More notes from the trip, covering the next two days.]

April 24, 2011: Amsterdam

Inside our houseboat

Waking up in the houseboat is a dream: it's naturally cool; easily five degrees lower than the outside temperature. And it isn't stale either, even though there's no obvious air circulation (with the windows closed). After relaxing for a bit, it's off to the tourist information, across the tram lines from Amsterdam Centraal Station.

The place is packed -- with the ubiquitous "take a number" system in effect; the Dutch don't queue well -- but Tea and Kae manage to wrangle someone stocking shelves; as well as pointing out which tram we'll need to take to the Dutch brewery, Brouwerij ’t IJ (attached to the De Gooyer windmill), she offers some excellent suggestions for both windmill and flower gazing. (The plan for the next two days.)

[Note: you don't need to stand in line at the tourist information unless you're booking something (e.g., tours, hotel rooms, etc.), which isn't immediately obvious when you first enter the madhouse.]

From there, we catch a tram to the flower market on the banks of the Singel. Lunch, at De Beiaard's 'bierencafé' (on Spui), is our first order of business, though; happily, it's another excellent choice: the smoked chicken salad with pineapple, walnuts and raisins that I share with Tea is fantastic, and Kae really enjoys her fried mushroom and pesto sandwich with cheese. They also have De Bekeerde Suster's beer on tap; I enjoy their tripel this time, while the ladies stick with the excellent Witte Ros of the previous evening.

Brouwerij ’t IJ, attached to De Gooyer windmill

(Very cheap) tulips -- and a cheese shop -- rule the next hour or so. Then we take another tram a ways out of the city centre to Brouwerij ’t IJ. Unfortunately, there are no brewery tours today -- a private function, it seems -- but we still enjoy a few glasses of their beer -- both the Natte, and their tripel, Columbus; neither much to write home about, incidentally -- on the banks of the Nieuwe Vaart, watching dozens of boaters go by. The bar is packed as we leave; evidence that they need more breweries in Amsterdam, I'd say.

Kae in Oud Holland

We jump off to see the Anne Frank museum afterwards, but the line goes on for blocks. [This would continue for the rest of our visit, unfortunately. I'll echo Lonely Planet on this point: if you do happen to see a short line out front, drop whatever you're doing and see it, as that's rarely the case.] So it's back on the tram -- day passes are key! -- to the 'Dam', as we'd scoped out the nearby Oud Holland for supper the night before. We then pass a lovely few hours with their excellent 'home cooked' food, served family style, and friendly staff.

April 25, 2011: Zaanse Schans

The lady working in the tourist information said Zaanse Schans was the place to see windmills, so we are braving the holiday Monday crowds and buying return tickets to Zaandijk. We're puzzled as we disembark, however, because the scent of chocolate is all around (like when Mom lets you lick the mixing bowl and your whole head is in there), and we don't really know where to go. The former is easily solved -- ADM Cocoa is just down the road -- as is the latter, when the convenience stand man gives us a map in exchange for buying some bottled water. [Turns out the maps are free just outside the train station. You have to admire the man's ingenuity.]

It's a quick walk from the train station to the bridge that connects Zaandijk to Zaanse Schans. Looking out to that flat horizon, broken by so many spinning windmills, is really mesmerizing. According to our guide book, the heyday of the Zaan Region saw 600 such mills in operation, but the tourist attraction before us this day has its roots in the mid twentieth century: in an effort to preserve the region's cultural heritage, a plan was conceived to consolidate the iconic houses and mills in Zaanse Schans. De Zoeker (or "seeker/viewfinder") oil mill was moved to its current spot in 1968, for example.

The mill in De Zoeker

They still make peanut oil there today -- it's an amazing sight, watching the enormous wheels grind those peanuts down -- and, in a brave moment, we climb a steep, narrow ladder to take in the view from its platform. It's hard to grasp just how fast those sails are moving, until you're right next to them, that is, with only a rope and a sign separating you. From there, we continue along the path, past De Os (a mill without sails, preserved as an example of the transition from wind to steam power), to De Bonte Hen (or "the speckled hen"), where a small ferry takes us back to Zaandijk. We slowly walk back to the train station, Tea reading off notes from the ferryman and his wife, telling us all about the region's famed decorative facades as we pass them.

The view from De Zoeker

There's a queue at the locks back in Zaandijk

Walking through Zaandijk, toward the train station

[My notes jump around a bit, with the history of this and that. After we crossed the bridge, but before we got to the mills, we spent some time in the clog workshop and museum.]

The clog workshop is a treat! Kooijman Souvenirs & Gifts combines a wooden shoe workshop, store and museum, and is "one of the largest and best collections of clogs in the Netherlands," according to our guide book. We see them made before our very eyes -- the demonstration of how wet they are prior to the days of drying is my favourite bit: blowing inside, toward the toe, causes an enormous froth to gush forth -- and we spend a good, long while trying to decide which ones to buy.

"Start the car!"

You're supposed to be able to fit a finger in comfortably behind your heel when wearing good wool socks; as a satisfy myself that I've picked a good pair, a worker comments on my "good arches" for clogs -- ha ha! A use for flat feet! We stop for a snack -- Dutch pancakes, which look like crepes made with cheese and salami, and a sandwich for me -- before heading to the mills.

Up next: the Keukenhof, and the best pubs in Amsterdam

Check out our Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans albums for more pictures from the two days.