Amsterlog
Tales of Amsterdam

Questions? Try me

16/05
Nothing short of amazing: 360thecity.com. That is, if you're lucky enough to have a broadband connection (the great internet divide: the site is anything but amazing without a broadband connection). Don't worry though, this site will stay pure html ;-)

16/05
I told him, don't smoke before you fly!

Man Tries to Open Airplane Exit on Amsterdam-Newark plane

16/05
Amsterdam stories is worth a visit, though the number of entries is still somewhat limited.

16/04
Nice little article about the museums (most notably the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum) in Amsterdam:

The art of Amsterdam

01/04
The lone woman walker feels invisible here. Every man's attention is riveted on the windows. It's like strolling though the menswear section of a large department store.

From: Amsterdam provides view of two different worlds

01/04
World headlines!

World's first legal gay weddings held in Amsterdam

Dutch gay couple exchange vows

21/03
Just South-West of the city lies the forest of Amsterdam ("Het Amsterdamse Bos"), a large man-made forest in English country style. Every year some 4,5 million people visit the forest. It includes an outdoor theatre and a rowing canal ("De Bosbaan"). A great place to unwhine. See:

http://www.dds.nl/~scouting/scstay.html

for these and other camping spots.

13/03
AOL Question:

"Tell me more about prices for cheap hotels and cost of pussy there in the red light district please. thanks, Ramistyle"

Well Ramistyle, the prices of cheap hotels are low. See bookings.nl

As for pussies, they are mostly free, unless you want a certain breed. A thorough bred pussy might cost you quite a bit, something like 50 guilders.

26/02
The center of the city is covered by dust from all building / renovation / restructuring activities. See Damcam. Avoid at all cost! Plan your trip after May 4th.

15/02
"The image of Amsterdam has two main pillars: the 17th and 18th century which gave the canals and the magnificent townscapes and some of the worlds most prolific artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt. The second pillar is Amsterdam as the only surviving hippie colony in the world...

However, these two images are so strong that they tend to dominate in the city and perhaps also tend to block alternative images, counter images and the creation of new images. When images become too strong, reality may take the passenger seat. And perhaps this is the danger of Amsterdam becoming a theme park, or two theme parks as has been suggested.

From: Amsterdam, comments on a city of culture (pdf, 506kb) by Trevor Davies

04/02
"Amsterdam's housing market is incredibly tight, and many residents are forced to clutter up the canals with houseboats. (sic!)

Yes, congestion and population crunch are givens in European cities, but even by European standards Amsterdam is pretty bad. I did not look too much into employment prospects, but based on the little I knew, it did not look too promising. The climate is awful as well, with mosquito-infested summers thanks to the canals, as well as the windy, bitter, and dark winter I experienced."

From: I felt unsafe and frustrated

03/02
Slowly the future queen is introduced to the country.

There's still a lot of discussion about her father's past, who was a Agriculture Minister in the military Videla regime in Argentina, but Maxima Zorreguieta will most probably become Willem-Alexander's wife and thus queen of the Netherlands.

Maxima's first official public appearance was in Amsterdam, at Queen's Beatrix birthday party in the Stedelijk Museum. Yesterday the future king and queen were spotted at restaurant De Keyzer, with among others the legendary owner and founder of Heineken: Freddie Heineken.

More in Dutch prince's Meet the Parents or in Pictures of Maxima.

03/02
Following the fire in a bar in Volendam, which killed twelve youthful guests, all bars and clubs in Amsterdam are scrutinized for fire safety. First victim: Korsakoff.

24/01
A connoisseur speaks out on who's really the best football player of the century:

Cruyff the conductor edges the successful solo artists

20/01
Amsterdam's inner city is quite untouched. Geert Mak, a writer and honorary professor, commented on this in his inaugural speech.

"The rescue of 17th century Amsterdam is in large part caused by the poverty of Amsterdam in the 19th century".

By the time there was money for large developments, like the boulevards of Paris, the city could no longer take leave of the city plan of its past.

There's more history of Amsterdam on the Amsterdam Heritage pages.

17/01
Added some miscellaneous information on Amsterdam's population and history.

Also mentioned are some movies which are set in Amsterdam. I'm sure there are more worth mentioning. Just can't seem to think of them.

The cinema-scene in Amsterdam is quickly expanding. Large new multiplexes have been built in the South-East (Pathé Arena, next to the Ajax stadium) and in the centre (Pathé De Munt). Me, I prefer The Movies or the beautiful art deco (huh?) Tuschinski, which is closed at the moment due to a restoration.

07/01
All you rednecks out there are probably glad to hear that even in Amsterdam, the godly family is still the cornerstone of society.

Dutch homosexuals plan a mass wedding this spring in Amsterdam to celebrate the introduction of a ground-breaking law allowing same-sex marriage. From: Dutch gays plan mass wedding.

23/12
As of 15 January, Amsterdam has a new mayor: Job Cohen. Which is no big suprise. He seems to be the candidate of choice for most people in this city. Currently he's Secretary of State for the Justice department. One of the reasons he took the job was to be closer to his wife, who has multiple sclerose.

15/12
Not all is bliss. We walked into the Central Train Station and it was full of teenagers and early 20's laying all around on the floors. The city streets were also full of young people sprawled over the storefronts in the evenings either drunk or passed out on drugs. There was garbage everywhere in the city - on the sidewalks, in the gutters, in the canals. From: Amsterdam - Filthy City.

13/12
This is how Amsterdam looked today. The pictures are from the Nobodyhere website, which is a great ride. In case this got your attention: another fine (Dutch) website is Modern Living.

12/12
Another question. Jarvis asked:
I was in amsterdam 15 years ago and got addicted to the mayo they serve with their fries. i would like to find out what it is called or where i can get it as i'm thinking of opening fast food place and this would be a great change to fries and gravy or ketchup. any help would be greatly appreciated. Jarvis.

Dear Jarvis,
The mayonaise which is mostly used in snackbars is the one from Remia. You can find some information on the yellow pages of Dutch exporters. The Remia website is in Dutch.

Of course you can also try to make mayonaise yourself. And when you are fed up with mayonaise you can join the Worldwide I Hate Mayonnaise Club.

9/12
Crimewave?

Amsterdam Sushi bar killings reflect deadly new trade

Balkan Gangs Carve Up Amsterdam

Turkish ‘honour’ killings fuelling Dutch crime wave

02/11
An actual question from a reader. Tiff asked:
"While I was in Amsterdam I bought a Herbal Fantasy Joint from a store called "The Magic Mushroom." Can you tell me how to email them to find out what this contained or can you help me in any way. "

Dear Tiff,
The Magic Mushroom has its own website, but it's crap, lots of errors and has been 'under construction' for ages. You might find the spirits of nature website more interesting

19/09
For the next ten years Amsterdam is going to be a total mess. The area around the Central Station will be completely 'restructured' and a new subway line, the North-South line will turn the city upside down. More on the north-south line website (in Dutch).

16/09
Just visited the new Chinese Temple on the Zeedijk. Very nice & definitely worth a visit. It's no San Francisco yet, but the Zeedijk (just east of the red light district) and surroundings are starting to get a Chinatown-feel.

16/09
Busy day in the city: a parade of trams and buses from the last 100 years passed through the inner city. There a nice Flash thing (from gvb.nl) with pictures of all vehicles.

16/09
Amsterdam's best-known market has its own site: www.albertcuypmarket.com. In Dutch and a bit basic.

1/09
Some latest news and a chance to spill your guts on Amsterdam.

18/08
"Life in Amsterdam... throw in hoi (hi), lekker (delicious), bedankt (thanks), tot ziens (see ya) and you're ahead of 75% of the tourists. These four words will get you by in most restaurants and the red light district. But this ain't France. You can get by with English for everything, guilt-free. The only other words you really need are duwen, push, and trekken, pull. Pushing the door that needs to be pulled looks stupid in every language." From: Boom Chicago

18/08
"If you visit one of the women, we would like to remind you they are not always women."

Amsterdam guide spells it all out

10/08
An inspired essay on Amsterdam:

"Before you know it, everything seems to look like a penis, and you begin to wonder whether or not the town planners were playing with your mind"

In: Amsterdam: The city closest to my philosophical ideal

08/08
Mayor Schelto Patijn in a letter to the inhabitants of the red light district:

"Do not buy stolen goods...Ask users friendly but sturdy to use somewhere else, but watch your own safety...Cafe-owners: do not allow drug-prostitution in your cafe...Please do not give coffee, sandwiches or shelter to users."

07/08
Last Saturday (6 Aug.) the Gay Canal Parade took the Prinsengracht stage. Might be the last time, because the city council is acting queer over the issue of noise pollution. The organising party has threatened to go somewhere else. Worth visiting? See for yourself.

04/08
The city needs to stay awake. Thank God easyEverything can serve 24h coffee (and sandwiches) again.

24/7
Official news: Amsterdam’s city council has decided there will not be a referendum on whether Amsterdam wants a chosen mayor. However, there might be a referendum on this decision.