We flew to Amsterdam from Norwich - a smooth 35 minute flight. A good thing about Norwich Airport: You can park near the entrance. A terrible thing about Norwich Airport: Hidden somewhere in the very tiny small print is something about charging you £10 to go through departures. Rip off! This should be made clear when people book.
I love the Netherlands. It is easy to get from the airport into Amsterdam and there are friendly people everywhere. However, after a while the sickly smell of dope in the air in parts of Amsterdam does become a bit tiresome. We had a pretty good hotel - the Barbizan which was a two minute walk from Centraal Station.
Our first evening meal was superb, at Daalder on Lindengracht. Ten scrumptious taster dishes and great service. Highly recommended!
Monday 23 December
After breakfast in an adjacent restaurant, we visited the Van Gogh Museum, which houses the most comprehensive collection of Vincent's work in the world. As expected the place was busy but it was not really a problem. What did baffle me though were the ubiquitous Numpty types who walked up to a painting, often blocking the views of others, give the beautiful artwork barely a glance, photograph it and then walk away. Never mind the incredible skill or the spirituality, the symbolism or the historical or religious significance, just make sure that you can show a snap to your friends on your mobile phone!
In the afternoon we visited the nearby Stedelijk Museum. It was fairly quiet and we were able to enjoy works by Picasso, Braque, Leger and a collection of Marc Chagall's dreamlike paintings.
That evening we dined at a great Italian restaurant on Geldersekade - the Piccolo Mondo.
Tuesday 24 December
We spent the morning at the Rijksmuseum, home to the world's greatest collection of 17th Century Dutch art and an absolutely wonderful place. Yes, the Rembrandts are truly impressive but the Dutch painter I admire the most is Jan Steen.
Though the weather was a bit grey in the afternoon we nevertheless enjoyed our hour-long cruise along and around the canals of the old city.
The Christmas Eve meal was at another Italian restaurant, this time it was Vasso on Rozenboomsteeg. Good food and a lovely atmosphere.
Wednesday 25 December
After two days of intermittent rain, Christmas Day dawned with a clear blue sky. After a hotel breakfast we walked the Jordaan area then had coffee outside a restaurant on Prinsengracht. As always, the streets were virtually free of motor vehicles but as pedestrians we had to be constantly on the alert for bicycles which seemed to appear from all points of the compass and rarely with the warning ringing of a bell.
Christmas dinner was at Brasserie Bleu on Prinsenstraat where we enjoyed superb French cuisine.
Thursday 26 December
A leisurely breakfast then a stroll. We spent the afternoon at the Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder which is an absolute gem. The museum is basically a 17th Century house which has a church concealed in its upper floors.. After the Calvinist revolt against the Spanish Hapsburgs which began in 1568, Catholics were not allowed to worship in public but could do so in private. A number of hidden churches were built and the Ons' Lieve was used for worship from 1663 until 1887. The building has been perfectly preserved. It is located in the red light district so you can combine the Ons' Lieve with other sightseeing!
The gastronomic extravaganza was completed with our visit to Ganesha, a very good Indian restaurant run by a family from Delhi and located just around the corner from our hotel on Kampstraat.
The ladies tried and failed to spend anything in the shops but I visited one of the city's many vinyl shops and bought 4 LPs.
