Brussels/Amsterdam

[CooterBrown 17949]

1 hour ago, Gardner Barnes said:

Read though this entire thing. I don’t dig pot. Seen plenty museums.

 

I like to eat and drink.

 

Company is sending me to AMS for a week for work in 2 weeks. I have a 2 hour pres on Tues, a 1 hour pres on Friday and a dinner thurs Pm

 

Other than that I don’t have shit to do. I have a corporate card. Where should I eat like the pro that I am.

 

Get high AF and get a whore. Post pics.

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

Get high AF and get a whore. Post pics.

Not doing either one of those things. When I get high I turn into the Hulk.

“GB Smash”

[shnsajax 3590]

Not doing either one of those things. When I get high I turn into the Hulk.

 

“GB Smash”

 

The hookers like to be smashed.

 

Honestly walking the Red Light District can be pretty entertaining.

[DCA_HORN 725]

 
The hookers like to be smashed.
 
Honestly walking the Red Light District can be pretty entertaining.

Also can be pretty depressing. Eastern European sea slaves and all...

[HenryJames 65919]

9 hours ago, shnsajax said:

 

The hookers like to be smashed.

 

Honestly walking the Red Light District can be pretty entertaining.

Make sure you take pictures of all the girls you see.

[midtown 3344]

Trip report.

Took the eurostar from London to Brussels. Generally Brussels was pretty meh and my airbnb had no hot water. Huge place right in the city center. But as others have said. It's good for a day trip but two nights was too much.

Brussels
Fin De Siecle
Grand Palace
Manneken Pis


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[midtown 3344]

Bruges. Took the train from Brussels. Easy and easy walk to my hotel. Academie. Great little place. Away from the crowds. Did the canal boat tour but wandering at night was the best. The town is empty.

The mussels are from a place called Poules moules. Also went to the Halve Maan for lunch.

Found an Irish bar to watch some ucl. Ended up hanging out with some locals. After one them won a parlay on Ajax and Spurs they were going to drive to a whore house in Germany 3 hrs away and wanted me to go. If I were younger and didn't have kids I would have taken them up on it.

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[midtown 3344]

Amsterdam.

Took the train from Bruges to Ghent then into Antwerp and Thalys to Amsterdam.

Stayed at the Arcade Hotel which was video game themed. Odd. But great neighborhood.

Anne Frank Huis first morning.
Then went to Paradox and bought a cake and ate half.
Canal boat tour.
Van Gogh
And wandered around dropping into pubs for a bite and drink and coffee shops to maintain.
Did a group walking tour.
Dinner at Stork

I know I missed a lot but I don't vacation like Clark Griswald.  I will definitely go back to Amsterdam and will still have lots of places to go. 

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Edited May 8, 2019 by midtown

[seven 1367]

Rembrandt square was my favorite place to just sit, chill, and people watch. Those statues are pretty neat

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

I just got back. Some impressions on AMS:

Public transportation is outstanding. Use it. In fact the entirity of AMS infrastructure including the airport is outstanding.

Centraal sucks and is full of fat tourists and 20 year olds looking to get shitfaced. The red light district is the worst. It feels like a cross between New Orleans and Boston - but not in a good way. Spend some time there but know what you are getting into.

Jordaan and De Pijp are outstanding neighborhoods for walking and embracing the city.

The May weather is absurd.

Take a canal tour.

Dutch food is mediocre but there are gems to be found. Highlights of my trip was the Indonesian food at restaurant Max and the pizza at Sotto. The hoods that these restaurants are in are excellent for walking also.

Things in NED are surprisingly cheap.

Everyone speaks English and is very friendly.

The Heineken brewery tour was the biggest wast of money of my trip.

I’m sure I’ll think of some other stuff. All in it is a great place to visit this time of year. Apparently it is not as crowded right now as it gets in the summer.

[DalTxHornFan 3088]

10 minutes ago, Gardner Barnes said:

I’m sure I’ll think of some other stuff. 

Coffeeshops, perhaps?

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

since I was there for work and didn’t want to spend my limited free time in a museum I decided to just walk and explore. Target for free day 1 was the Albert Cuyp Market in De Pijp. The market was meh (except the fresh stroopwaffel, get one of those) but the hood was awesome. Reminded me of the NYC LES.

Did the same on free afternoon 2 and just wandered Jordaan.

My advice is to pick a direction and just walk. It’s a small city. And only took me 20-30 minutes to walk to De Pijp which looks like a haul on a map.

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

Coffeeshops, perhaps?

Not for me.

[Carl Spackler 3473]

Heading to Amsterdam in late October with the GF/fiancee (no pics) for about three days.  She has a work obligation that will occupy her for a day.  After that, we'll both be free for a couple days before taking the train to Paris.  Lodging is covered -- hotel room through her company.  Not sure which hotel yet, but I assume it will probably be in the Central area.  She has never been to AMS; I visited once a looooong time ago.  Just need recs re: restaurants (esp. Indonesian), coffeeshops (for her), and places to visit.  Red Light district is probably a no go.  Not really into pot. 

I'd say at this point that the Rijksmuseum, a canal tour, Dam Square, and the Anne Frank House are probably going to be high on the list of things to see, but I'm sure we'll need to add an item or two to that list.  And I'm open to having my mind changed as to any of those if you think something is a "must see."  With only a couple days in the city, we'll only be able to cram in so much,  

I've read the other posts in this thread -- some good ideas and recs.  Just want to see if anyone has anything else to add.

 

 

[TornACL 7690]

Just need recs re: restaurants (esp. Indonesian), coffeeshops (for her), and places to visit.  Red Light district is probably a no go.  Not really into pot.

 

Ummm, there's something we need to tell you about the red light district...

[shnsajax 3590]

Just need recs re: restaurants (esp. Indonesian), coffeeshops (for her), and places to visit.  Red Light district is probably a no go.  Not really into pot.

  Ummm, there's something we need to tell you about the red light district...


I was more confused about coffee shops but not really into pot.

Honestly wife and I had a blast walking the Red Light district. Look for a walkway where the walls are slowly closing in on you.

Just make sure you stay far far away from the Blue Light District!

[midtown 3344]

Just get on viator and find whatever activity you like.

Otherwise just wander around and do some tours and the typical shit.

[4th and 5 4914]

15 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

Heading to Amsterdam in late October with the GF/fiancee (no pics) for about three days.  She has a work obligation that will occupy her for a day.  After that, we'll both be free for a couple days before taking the train to Paris.  Lodging is covered -- hotel room through her company.  Not sure which hotel yet, but I assume it will probably be in the Central area.  She has never been to AMS; I visited once a looooong time ago.  Just need recs re: restaurants (esp. Indonesian), coffeeshops (for her), and places to visit.  Red Light district is probably a no go.  Not really into pot. 

I'd say at this point that the Rijksmuseum, a canal tour, Dam Square, and the Anne Frank House are probably going to be high on the list of things to see, but I'm sure we'll need to add an item or two to that list.  And I'm open to having my mind changed as to any of those if you think something is a "must see."  With only a couple days in the city, we'll only be able to cram in so much,  

I've read the other posts in this thread -- some good ideas and recs.  Just want to see if anyone has anything else to add.

 

 

I was there last month

 

Canal Tour: Those Dam Boat Guys

 

Indonesian:

Bhatti Pasal, Authentic Nepalese Food - awesome, small and not easy to get into so plan accordingly

Ko-Chang - incredible and inexpensive, my kids loved this place so much they got take out another night

 

Rijkmuseum: meh

go up in the Westerkerk church tower (next to Anne Frank)

Anne Frank House: definitely go, but buy your tickets 60 days out or you won’t be going

 

Walk and shop the Jordaan / 9 streets area

 

And definitely the Brouwerij 't IJ (IJ Brewery) man I could go for an IJ Wit right now

 

 

 

[Carl Spackler 3473]

15 hours ago, shnsajax said:

  Ummm, there's something we need to tell you about the red light district...

 

Lulz.  Those were two separate thoughts/comments, i.e., (1) I doubt the GF is going to be jazzed about the Red Light District, so suggestions that we go there will likely fall on deaf ears; and (2) neither of us smokes weed, so suggestions that we get some pot/edibles at one of the jillion coffee shops and other dispensaries won't be of much help, either.  I didn't word things very well.   

But I'll still push your suggestion about walking the Red Light District.  Who knows?  Maybe the GF will surprise me and want to explore it.

 

  

Edited August 21, 2019 by Carl Spackler

[shnsajax 3590]

5 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

Lulz.  Those were two separate thoughts/comments, i.e., (1) I doubt the GF is going to be jazzed about the Red Light District, so suggestions that we go there will likely fall on deaf ears; and (2) neither of us smokes weed, so suggestions that we get some pot/edibles at one of the jillion coffee shops and other dispensaries won't be of much help, either.  

But I'll still push your suggestion about walking the Red Light District.  Who knows?  Maybe the GF will surprise me and want to explore it. 

Its fascinating to see, and while we did it every night any time my wife heard a door open she would still jump. 

Agreed on Brouwerij 't IJ is the brewery I would hit up, great location and great tour and you get two pints afterwards if I remember correctly. 

De Bierkoning for a beer shop with every Dutch and Belgian bottle possible and for a 1/3rd the cost as in the US (Westy 12 being the exception).

De Carrousel for  poffertjes and pancakes, its touristy and by Heineken. 

Beer Temple and Het Elfde Gebod were my favorite bars, but its hard to wrong.

Vondelpark is worth checking out as well.

Personally I liked Van Gogh and The Holocaust Museum more than Anne Frank. Nothing wrong with Anne Frank just personal preference.

[midtown 3344]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler said:

But I'll still push your suggestion about walking the Red Light District.  Who knows?  Maybe the GF will surprise me and want to explore it.

It's more of a part of Amsterdam's notoriety  than anything.  My guess is that 75% of the people walking around the red light don't participate.  People who don't drink still walk down bourbon street  Maybe look at getting out of the city and seeing the countryside on a day tour if you aren't big on what the city has to offer.  

[Carl Spackler 3473]

41 minutes ago, midtown said:

It's more of a part of Amsterdam's notoriety  than anything.  My guess is that 75% of the people walking around the red light don't participate.  People who don't drink still walk down bourbon street  Maybe look at getting out of the city and seeing the countryside on a day tour if you aren't big on what the city has to offer.  

I'm sure we'll have plenty to do/see in Amsterdam.  If we had more time, I would definitely get out of town and see other parts of Holland.  That will have to wait until another trip, though.  We have one week, and we're committed to splitting it between Amsterdam and Paris.

I won't give up on the Red Light District.  But I have a feeling that if we end up seeing it, it'll be a spur-of-the-moment type thing after I talk her into it.

 

[Neonmoon 38127]

6 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

And definitely the Brouwerij 't IJ (IJ Brewery) man I could go for an IJ Wit right now

Listen to this man. 

Also, if you like gardens, go to Keukenhof Gardens to see the Tulips 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Neonmoon

[HenryJames 65919]

Don’t think the tulips will be in season.

[midtown 3344]

18 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Don’t think the tulips will be in season.

I'm sure his fiance's tu lips will be

[WBT 20483]

8 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

Indonesian:

Bhatti Pasal, Authentic Nepalese Food - awesome, small and not easy to get into so plan accordingly

Ko-Chang - incredible and inexpensive, my kids loved this place so much they got take out another night

[mycox 582]

The Red Light District is way overrated these days. Just take a quick stroll and then go elsewhere.

[midtown 3344]

10 hours ago, mycox said:

The Red Light District is way overrated these days. Just take a quick stroll and then go elsewhere.

This is true..walk through for about 15 mins to just check it off the list

[shnsajax 3590]

Forgot to say, go to an Ajax game.

[Chopper 17174]

Amusing story about the live sex show. My wife was colleagues with a very senior manager who once held his team meeting of worldwide staff in A'dam and after dinner treated them to tickets to go see the sex show. Fucking dummy lost his very lucrative job soon thereafter. 

Just a few travel ideas that I didn't see mentioned here for anyone heading to Amsterdam. I had the pleasure of living there for 6 months due to a work assignment. 

The first restaurant I'd personally head to is Cafe Bern. Dinner only. The menu is primarily beer, wine, steak and cheese fondue and it's a longtime favorite. It's what used to be called a Grey Pub because of all the cigarette stains on the walls and ceilings. I don't think they allow smoking anymore though. Though even if they did, it would still be somewhere on my list of worldwide favorites. I'd also strongly recommend Restaurant d'Vijff Vlieghen. It's upscale and they serve seasonal, traditional dutch food in a beautiful, historic art-filled carved out of 5 adjacent 500-year old canal houses. If you don't find the entrees particularly appealing go for a group of starters and for sure get the cheese plate too. 

If you're near the Jordaan and want to grab a sandwich or soup to eat by the canal, go to Fa. H. Wegewijs, a small deli. Doing a cheese tasting is something I'd say is a must. De Kaaskemer on Huisenstraat was a favorite just based on how amazing it smelled the first time I walked into a Dutch cheese shop (kaashuis) but there are many cheese shops around town so find one that's convenient for you. 

There's actually 3 RLD's around town. Most tourists walk through the main and largest one but if you google the three red light districts of Amsterdam you can decide if any are worth your while. The two smaller ones were at one time devoid of most tourists at least in my recollection. I lived not too far from the main one and it was not a pleasurable stroll, particularly in the evening when it was packed with tourists.

The outdoor markets are pretty awesome too. There's a different one with a different focus (farmers, art, books) scattered around various locations around town nearly every day of the week. Albert Cuyp Market is the largest and doesn't have a real specialty but has great street food and was always a fun stroll just to people watch. 

As you walk around town you'll see various vendors selling herring from a stall. These were phenomenal. 

 

 

 

 

[Carl Spackler 3473]

Post-trip report.  Had a fine time in Amsterdam.  D'vijiff Vlieghen rec was spot-on.  Food was very good and the atmosphere was tremendous.  Great time at D'Brouwerij as well.  Indonesian at Tujuh Maret was outstanding, too.  Anne Frank House was powerful stuff.  Dam Boat Guys canal tour was very good.  Picked up some good weed at one of the coffee houses -- the menus cracked me up.  Didn't venture into the red light districts.  Uber is super easy to use there -- we didn't have to wait more than a minute to be picked up after placing the order.  All in all, had a blast.  

Only a few negatives, and they were minor.  Stayed at the Marriott (fiancee's company was paying), and it was conveniently located, but the rooms were meh.  Rijksmuseum was overrun with tourists like us (I can only imagine what it's like during high season) and they were working on restoring the Night Watch, so that was a bit of a bummer. 

[zork 629]

6 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

</snip>  Rijksmuseum was overrun with tourists like us (I can only imagine what it's like during high season) and they were working on restoring the Night Watch, so that was a bit of a bummer. 

That is a bummer.  I stood staring at it for about 45 minutes when I was there in '99.  Up close, then as far back as I could stand, amazing.  So much to see in one giant painting.  Did you catch the Van Gogh museum?

[Carl Spackler 3473]

1 minute ago, zork said:

That is a bummer.  I stood staring at it for about 45 minutes when I was there in '99.  Up close, then as far back as I could stand, amazing.  So much to see in one giant painting.  Did you catch the Van Gogh museum?

No.  I would have liked to, but we simply ran out of time.  Same thing with the Rembrandt house and some other places.  (Return trip agenda starting to take shape . . .)

We could still view the Night Watch, but they had two restorers working on it on a scissor lift, which obscured part of the painting.  It's an amazing work, but it was unfortunate that it was partly obscured.  Still glad we went to the Rijksmuseum, though.

 

[Chopper 17174]

18 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

(Return trip agenda starting to take shape . . .)

If you need something to convince your wife to make another trip the tulip festival at Keukenhof gardens in the spring may help. It sells out so tickets in advance are req'd. Lots of other Dutch cities worth exploring including Utrecht, Leiden and The Hague. 

[Vertuzzi 1362]

Bumping this thread. 
Heading to Amsterdam and Belgium in December. I feel like I have a very solid grasp of what Amsterdam has to offer. I’m looking for opinions on options for Belgium. Will be a birthday trip for my wife (no pics), and we enjoy nightlife as well as exploring cultural spots. Bruges seems like a must do based on what I’ve read in this thread and from conversations with friends and family. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Brussels though. A family member told me it’s basically Frankfurt; more of a home base that you can use to travel around the country than it is a nice place to visit. How accurate is that?

[midtown 3344]

Do it.  I'm going to do this in reverse in the fall.   Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Ghent, maybe another night or two in Bruges then into London for a NFL and hopefully EPL game double.   I will skip Brussels except for catching the eurostar and maybe a few beers at Delirium.   But if you've never been to Brussels; ;a day to see a few of the tourist sites is good. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by midtown

[thunderlounge 7778]

You’re going at a perfect time. The Christmas markets will be all over. Brussels was a great time for that, although the entirety of it can be had in an afternoon and evening. They so a light show on the Grand Place that is nice. A day for that and a day for the standard tourist stuff should be fine.

 

[Chopper 17174]

I know when you look at the typical weather in Amsterdam in December it doesn't look so bad but due to the dampness it can feel colder than fuck. I'm sure you'll bring appropriate layers and coats but don't overlook either awesome gloves or those heat packets. Also the days are very short (less than 8 hours).

I came across an article recently about how Einstein spent 6 months living at the seaside near Bruges after Hitler came to power, biding his time and deciding where to go next. If I were in Bruges I'd be tempted to take the short trip to check out De Haan, although perhaps not in December. https://www.timesofisrael.com/einsteins-risky-1933-belgian-stay-after-hitler-came-to-power/

[Vertuzzi 1362]

1 hour ago, Chopper said:

I know when you look at the typical weather in Amsterdam in December it doesn't look so bad but due to the dampness it can feel colder than fuck. I'm sure you'll bring appropriate layers and coats but don't overlook either awesome gloves or those heat packets. Also the days are very short (less than 8 hours).

I came across an article recently about how Einstein spent 6 months living at the seaside near Bruges after Hitler came to power, biding his time and deciding where to go next. If I were in Bruges I'd be tempted to take the short trip to check out De Haan, although perhaps not in December. https://www.timesofisrael.com/einsteins-risky-1933-belgian-stay-after-hitler-came-to-power/

I’m from Massachusetts so the weather shouldn’t be anything I haven’t experienced at home. 
 

De Haan looks pretty cool, thanks for the rec!

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19096]

I was just in Antwerp, so this hits close to home.  I personally like Brussels.  There are some really cool places in Brussels if you know where to look.  My personal favorite bar there is Poechenellekelder (https://poechenellekelder.be/en).  The wooden puppets are freaky to the extreme.  

I really liked Antwerp, but then again, I am a bit of a fashion geek, so Antwerp is where you go (though Brussels is the home to Delvaux). 

For Amsterdam, lots of fun little nooks and crannies to explore.  I have not been since 2015, but there were a couple of places I felt were must visits.  Will take a look and add them here.

[Vertuzzi 1362]

1 hour ago, Chopper said:

I know when you look at the typical weather in Amsterdam in December it doesn't look so bad but due to the dampness it can feel colder than fuck. I'm sure you'll bring appropriate layers and coats but don't overlook either awesome gloves or those heat packets. Also the days are very short (less than 8 hours).

I came across an article recently about how Einstein spent 6 months living at the seaside near Bruges after Hitler came to power, biding his time and deciding where to go next. If I were in Bruges I'd be tempted to take the short trip to check out De Haan, although perhaps not in December. https://www.timesofisrael.com/einsteins-risky-1933-belgian-stay-after-hitler-came-to-power/

I’m from Massachusetts so the weather shouldn’t be anything I haven’t experienced at home. 
 

De Haan looks pretty cool, thanks for the rec!

[52-80 19128]

13 hours ago, Vertuzzi said:

Bumping this thread. 
Heading to Amsterdam and Belgium in December. I feel like I have a very solid grasp of what Amsterdam has to offer. I’m looking for opinions on options for Belgium. Will be a birthday trip for my wife (no pics), and we enjoy nightlife as well as exploring cultural spots. Bruges seems like a must do based on what I’ve read in this thread and from conversations with friends and family. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Brussels though. A family member told me it’s basically Frankfurt; more of a home base that you can use to travel around the country than it is a nice place to visit. How accurate is that?

Vibes, man, vibes.

The nearby cities feel more 'romantic' on account of their size, that you're really covering every nook and cranny of a medieval town.  Belgium is a bigger city with more modern, commercial development so it can feel more distant.  But it's far cooler than Frankfurt.  If you spend lots of time enjoying the beers and bars and restaurant of Brussels it's a great time.

[LebongJames 1787]

Another bump. Recently took a position with a company that has their headquarters in Waregem Belgium. Been here a week and am in Brussels now. 
 

Had an event in Kortrijk yesterday. Super cool little city. 
 

Brussels is very busy. Went to Delerium and world beer hall of fame. I am at pub currently in the town center. I have seen some art and weird sculptures. Any must dos before Tuesday?

[Mother mopar 3308]

On 10/5/2024 at 3:14 PM, LebongJames said:

Another bump. Recently took a position with a company that has their headquarters in Waregem Belgium. Been here a week and am in Brussels now. 
 

Had an event in Kortrijk yesterday. Super cool little city. 
 

Brussels is very busy. Went to Delerium and world beer hall of fame. I am at pub currently in the town center. I have seen some art and weird sculptures. Any must dos before Tuesday?

Down the alley the other way and to the left is little Delerium and it's much better if you want to hear your self think and have a beer. Then walk across to mekanos and grab some fries. 

I spend alot of time in Brussels doing consulting over there. Always a great time. 

[mycox 582]

The Cantillon Brewery is a must visit

[Pimphand 5648]

If it gets better than European fine dining across the canal from mobile home looking non mobile homes replete with a pontoon boat out the back door well then I just don't know....