amsterdam, netherlands - part 2

our second day in amsterdam started off with blue skies and bright sunshine, a very welcome change to the grey drizzle that formed the backdrop for our first day.

we set off for town early and arrived at our first destination: the heineken experience. now, we're not really all that into drinking, but we know other people who have gone before and enjoyed it. besides, it's an iconic, globally recognised brand and, as marketers, we thought it would be interesting to see how well the 'experience' was executed.

the guidebook was a little off in terms of the opening times, so instead of waiting around, we took a quick stroll down to the rijksmuseum. we've hit our limit as far as museums and art galleries go, so unless there is something very compelling or world-renowned, it's quite unlikely that we're going to actually go in any more. which is all well and good because the rijksmuseum was undergoing renovations and only a small wing comprising less than 1/3 of the building was open to the public. the fact that they weren't charging 1/3 of the entrance fee was also a little unpalatable.

by the time we got back to the heineken experience, they were ready to open. located on the site of the original heineken brewery, the heineken experience essentially takes you through the entire history of the company, as well as the process of creating heineken - from the sourcing of the ingredients all the way to the marketing and distribution around the world. given the depth of information on offer, it was little surprise that we spent four hours there. or, at least that's how we'll justify it. highlights include the spaceship-like pods where you can watch heineken tv ads dating back to the early 20th century, the ceiling made out of heineken bottles, and the stables with clydesdales and the delivery wagons that are still used for special occasions. included in the admission fee are three beers - one in a 'tasting session' where a heineken rep talks you through the flavours, and two more in the bar at the end of the tour controlled by toggles on a rubber 'live strong'-style bracelet. we also got the opportunity to pull our own pints (more like half-pints), which was fun.

from there, we walked back to the rijksmuseum for a couple more pictures. we strolled through the park that sits between the rijks and the van gogh museum, which we also walked by (again, we didn't actually go in).

there was a museum that we were interested in seeing, but alas, the nederlands scheepvaartmuseum (maritime museum) was closed for the winter. so we contented ourselves by casually strolling back towards the city centre. we toyed around briefly with the idea of renting some bicycles for the authentic dutch experience, but the clouds started to look threatening again, so we decided to pass.

instead we visited albert heijn, the local supermarket, to pick up some souvenirs for colleagues and friends. isaac had recommended we pick up some stroopwafels, essentially caramel sandwiched between two thin, almost cookie-like waffles. we were glad we listened to him as they were a big hit with all who were lucky enough to nab one before they disappeared.

for our final meal in the netherlands, we wanted to find some authentic local fare and were rewarded with a very pleasant surprise as it was quite hearty (well suited for the rather bleak weather) and tasty. our meal consisted of a toastje (the dutch version of a croque monsieur or a welsh rarebit), hutspot(boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots and onions served with sausage), and erwtensoep (dutch pea and ham soup).

the little pub that drew our patronage also held another surprise - cats! the pub apparently had a resident mother cat and two absolutely adorable, and very playful kittens. one startled us mid-meal as it took a daring jump and proceeded to climb up our legs in an attempt to get at our food. cute at first, it got a little tiresome having to shield our food. but their persistence eventually wore us down and teresa started slipping our newfound friends some ham and sausage. tired from their little adventure (and quite possibly the hearty food), the little guys finally settled down for a nap.

perhaps we didn't see the amsterdam that most people come for. perhaps we didn't see the amsterdam that people conjure in their heads when they imagine it. we probably didn't even see the amsterdam that most tourists come to see, as we opted to skip most of the museums and the vondelpark. but we saw a version that was perhaps off the beaten path. and in this particular case, off the beaten path was probably a lot more wholesome. it was definitely friendly (which our butchery of the dutch language did not deter), quaint and beautiful.