Getting Around Amsterdam Part II

Saturday - 8 May Early in the morning we visit Anne Frank's house, near the hotel, a stone's throw from the Wester Kerk, whose bells we hear from the hotel; Anne Frank also mentions it in her diary (the house is practically next to the church); a long queue; we pass through the rooms where the testimonies of the anti-Semitic persecutions are displayed, documents, photographs and, in a display case, some original pages of the diary; we go up into the house and reach, via a steep staircase, the rooms where the eight people in hiding were housed, who spent more than two years in silence and darkness; we also see the secret passage hidden by a bookcase and the attic with the chestnut tree that appears at the little window.

We come out rather moved and continue walking along the canals, with guidebook in hand, looking for the historic buildings so as to see the differences, in particular of the gables and the decorations; then we head towards the Oude Kerk, passing through Centraal Station we visit the Catholic church of St Nicholas; nearby we see the Schreirstoren (Tower of the Weepers), an ancient medieval fortification, very similar to the Waag; inside there is a shop.

The Oude Kerk is in the red-light district, squeezed between the canal and the adjacent streets (a few steps away are the characteristic windows with the girls); it is the oldest church in the city, in Gothic style; the bell tower is one of the most beautiful in the city; this too is used only as an exhibition venue; the interior is rather bare, with a single nave, large windows with interesting stained glass, the famous 18th-century organ, and the floor is practically made of tombstones. We return to the Centraal to take a boat trip on the canals (the tours almost all depart from here, included in the card), also because it has started to rain and we are rather tired.

The tour is very interesting, it lets you get a precise idea of the city's architecture, its canal system and the houseboats, in particular comparing the various types of gables and the projecting beams (hoists) that are the typical features of the buildings and which, in my opinion, allow you to date the buildings; the oldest are the beak, stepped and bell gables; some of these have frames and sculptures and other decorations, features also found in more recent constructions — of course we already knew all this before leaving; later, with the help of the guidebook, we went looking along the canals for the most characteristic buildings one by one; not to be missed is the Golden Bend area near the Leidsestraat on the Herengracht.

We then go to the Hermitage to visit the exhibition "from Matisse to Malevich", about 75 works by great Impressionist and modern painters, coming from the Hermitage of St Petersburg and other Russian galleries. First, though, we go to the museum restaurant, the Neva, elegant and bright with a wide menu, very modern furnishings, a bar with large sofas, table service (a bit slow); we have a potato soup, a Russian vegetable soup made with vegetables and meat, a dessert, a glass of wine and a beer, 2 coffees, for about 28 euros, fully satisfied. The exhibition is very well curated, great masterpieces such as Matisse's "La Danse" and "The Red Room", to name just two, but also works by Picasso, Utrillo and other great artists. Taking advantage of the kinder weather, we do a stretch of the Kaisergracht to go and see some buildings, including the one at no.

123 In the evening we go to the Leidesplein, where the city's nightlife is concentrated; the square is very crowded, young jugglers and musicians perform on every corner, there are countless restaurants, pizzerias and various venues; we then go into the pub Cafe Reynders, a young atmosphere, music on a big screen etc.; you go there just to drink too. We order tomato soup and leek soup, French fries, an Irish stew, beer, wine, 2 coffees, a bill of 39.60; we were satisfied. Sunday 9 May The weather has improved so we take the chance to walk along the Herengracht and the Kaisergracht; we see buildings dating back to the Golden Age with their characteristic gables and outdoor stairways; we reach the Rembrandtplein, a fine square with the monument to the famous painter, surrounded by bars and restaurants.

We then move on to the Reguliersgracht with its famous seven humpback bridges, whose arches are reflected in the water forming perfect circles, and some buildings have a facade leaning slightly forwards: these are the famous "leaning houses". We then arrive at the Bloemenmarkt, the floating flower market on barges (though to realise it you have to know), on the Singel; we also buy some bulbs. At the side of the square another medieval gate, the Munttoren, an old mint with the clock tower on top. Then a visit to the Rijksmuseum, under renovation; you can see only some rooms, dedicated to Golden Age painting, in particular the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer; needless to say the most crowded room is the one where The Night Watch is displayed. We come out and go to lunch at the Canaletto restaurant, not excellent.

In the afternoon we visit the port area, with tram 10, then take a pedestrianised street along the canal at the mouth of the port; many people are jogging; the outlying district consists of not very tall buildings; the area appears very tidy and the streets cleaner than in the city centre. We return by a bus that, going around the port, takes us back to the station In the evening, dinner at the restaurant bar In the Waag, in the Nieuemarkt, the oldest market in the city; the building too is one of the oldest in the city (the Waag); originally it was one of the gates of the walls that surrounded it; to look at it, it almost seems like a castle. The menu is quite rich, Dutch cuisine. We had: slow-cooked chicken with turnips and risotto, soup of the day, French fries, beers and coffee, spending about 51 euros.

Monday 10 May: a short visit to Zandvoort and Haarlem We start the day with sunshine; we take the chance to visit the Prinsegracht, to see some buildings with particular gables, then we go to the Cuypmarkt, an ordinary neighbourhood market. Then lunch at the Cafe Il Panorama on the Herengracht, the usual, then by train (18.4 euros round trip 2 people) we go to Zandvoort, on the North Sea, a small town about 40 km from Amsterdam, where in the past the Formula 1 Grand Prix was held The town is almost deserted, a beach of fine sand, like Rimini, very wide, stretching out of sight, cold wind, few people, but in the sea there are some surfers; on the beach some deckchairs with screens to shelter from the wind.

Then by train to Haarlem, a Renaissance city, where we visit the Grote Markt; a market is taking place; on the large square many bars with outdoor tables, historic Renaissance buildings, some with facades with Baroque sculptures; in the centre of the square the statue of Laurens Coster, said to be the true inventor of printing type; the famous church of St Bavo, a building dating back to 1300; the church was closed, we can only appreciate its massive Gothic exterior, a very tall bell tower (Lantern Tower), some little shops leaning against the walls; we take a tour of the city We return to Amsterdam and go to dinner at the Cafe Bloemers, where we dine on soup of the day, a meat stew, vegetables, dessert, spending around 40 euros for two; we were satisfied. Tuesday 11 May: departure, a last round of the canals Ferny Forner Rita Risoli