The guide .

Accommodation:

We booked at the last minute and as such couldn’t reasonably stay in the center.  But our hotel, Le 20 Prieuré, was in-between the 3rd and 11th districts and turned out to be walking distance to Bofinger.  Next time, I’d rather stay more central.  Bonne Nuit seems a good choice, and Alistair Sawday’s Special Places and My Boutique Hotel are good sources.

Click here for my Quick Guide to Paris.

Some links I’ve come across which I’ll probably want later… haven’t sifted through them yet, but look promising.

http://sprizee.typepad.com/randomness/2011/01/exploring-paris.html

http://jordanferney.blogspot.com/2011/01/secret-of-paris-by-pret-voyager.html

http://jordanferney.blogspot.com/2011/02/secret-of-paris-by-little-brown-pen.html

AMSTERDAM MAP.

Local food.  Gotta try it.

Bitteballen! These can be described as Dutch “tapas” since they are often ordered with beer as little snacks.  They consist of a rue (butter and flour mix) with miniscule pieces of meat which is rolled into balls, coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and deep-fried.  They are served with mustard and make me smile.  The best place to get some is Spanjer & Van Twist, although I hear Van Dobben on Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat 5-9 is supposed to be very good.  Bitteballen (with beef mince) are one of three popular Kroketten (croquettes), the others being Frikandelen (with sausage pieces)  and Vlammetjes (a spring roll version).   Try them all.

Appelgebak.  It’s a cross between classic apple pie and applecake and you can order it with cream (slagroom) or without.  The best place to try it is Winkel on Noordermarkt 43 where it is made fresh daily.  If you can manage it on a Saturday, you can hit the vintage flea market out front and then reward yourself with some appelgebak.

Friese Nagelkaas. Due to its spice trade, the Netherlands have loads of interesting cheese flavours and there are plenty of cheese shops to explore.  Friese Nagelkaas is a medium hard cheese with cloves and cumin and is really worth trying.

We used to stay at Hotel Wiechmann, and it was charming and magical.  They have a friendly German Shepherd which lazes about the place, a separate sitting room filled with books and old furniture (which functions wonderfully as a meeting place if any other friends are staying as well), and a breakfast room decorated with old Amsterdam artifacts, pictures, rugs, etc., combined with 1950s diner tables and checked tablecloths.  During Xmas time, the “9 Streets” area is lite up at night.  The room we requested every time- with its walls of windows and French doors opening onto the canals- faced directly down Runstraat and, surrounded by antique furniture, even watching tv late at night seemed particularly other-wordly…Xmas lights sparkling outside, snowflakes sweeping the windows and lights dancing off the two canals which surround the hotel.  Ah, memories.  Sadly, Hotel Wiechmann has decided to install enormous floodlights directed at its facade… which also drench the interior of each room in a harsh orange glow.  Not pleasant.

So, I complied a list of great hotels in Amsterdam to try.  In the meantime, Little One came along and we’ve moved on to renting flats/apartments.

APARTMENTS/FLATS/SELF-CATERING

In 2010, we used http://www.amsterdamlocations.com/

Other sites we have used or looked at are:

http://www.amsterdamcityapartments.com/

http://www.amsterdamstay.com/

http://www.shortstayapartment.com/apartments/apartment_search.php

HOTELS

The top contender is Hotel Ambassade, which has its own library: Hotel Ambassade on Herengracht 341.

Of Interest

Hotel Brouwer on Singel 83.

The Times Hotel on Herengracht 137.

‘t hotel on Leliegracht 18.  (Also goes by name ‘t hotel Lily)

The Toren on Keizersgracht 164.

College Hotel on Roelof Hartstraat 1.

For a Special Holiday

Seven One Seven on Prinsengracht 717.

The Dylan Amsterdam on Keizersgracht 384.

(Note that both of the above do have special offers so it’s worth checking. )

Click here for a map of the hotels.

This is where we spent Xmas, love this house: http://www.amsterdamcityapartments.com/de-jordaan/3-bedroom-apartment/jordaan-residence.html

Another good option:  http://www.servicedcorporateapartment.com/amsterdam/elegant_serviced_amsterdam_centre_apartment?search=NaN&page=4&sort=ApartmentNameASC

Here’s how to tell if you’ll like my suggestions:

I’m a laid-back traveller… a typical day on holiday involves: a late start, coffee and a bite, meandering towards something on the list, lunch and a good book, more meandering inspired by the list, snack/beer/nap, a really good dinner followed by more meandering.

The list is mostly comprised of the following: a boat ride, architecture, a pretty stretch of river, a particular neighborhood, an interesting historical site, some great shops, a museum, climbing the highest tower in the city, a favorite bridge, a specialty food shop, a paddleboat ride, a park, a cemetery, or a market.

If you have any interest in unusual foods, European history, anthropology, middens, simple economics, evolution, bonobos, paradigm shifts, crafts, puzzle solving, and scientific nonfiction, then you might enjoy this blog.

All travelling is done with my husband, so many of the maps will contain the locations of each city’s comic book and video game shops, and since starting this blog we’ve had a daughter, so kid-friendly places will now also be highlighted.