For young kids (from 0 yrs) and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

Playground
TunFun, Amsterdam, 0 - 12 yrs - www.tunfun.nl (for discount: click here)

Puppet theatre
Kamertheater, Amsterdam, 1 - 12 yrs –Kamertheater.nl

Restaurants
Restaurant The Wave, Amsterdam, 0 - 99 yrs - restaurant-thewave.nl
Boerderij Meerzicht, Amsterdam, 0 - 99 yrs – see my tip here
Pannenkoekenboot Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Noord, 1 - 99 yrs – Pancake Boat
Restaurant Praq, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, 0 - 99 yrs - Praq.nl

Small animals farm
Kinderboerderij Westerpark, Amsterdam, 0 - 15 yrs - Kibo Westerpark
De Ridammerhoeve Goat Farm, Amstelveen, 1 - 10 yrs - Geitenboerderij
Small animal farm t Brinkie, Amsterdam, 0 - 16 yrs - Brinkie

Museum
Zaanse Schans, Zaandam, 0 - 99 yrs – search Zaanse Schans on VT

Swimming pool
Amstelbad, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel, 0 - 99 yrs –Amstelbad

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Directions: In Amsterdam

Let me take you on the walk that we did with the VT meeting on February 22nd 2003. In my Amsterdam intro you'll already have read who were present and that it was sunny but a bit cold too!

Instead of the kilometers we walked, you will be guided through 70 tips and I bet you'll be tired after you've done that. But I hope you'll have a great time following in our footsteps.
Are you ready?

I came by train with RubenE and this is what we saw first.... the elaborate interior of Amsterdam Central Station.

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So when you get out of Central Station, look back and up at the magnificent front.

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And look again! And decide that next time you come, you'll make a proper examination of this building by the Dutch architect Berlage.
But not now, as we were already late-ish for the meeting.

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Back with your feet on the ground, this is what you see first when you look straight ahead, coming out of the station. Hotel Victoria is a prominent building. But what always catches my eye is the enormous diversity of people walking to and fro. Working people hurrying, well dressed ladies out for a day of shopping, junks and homeless selling the Straatkrant (street paper), musicians, tourists, the man in the hotdog stand and trams dispersing people and taking on new loads to start yet another round.

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Off we go to the VT meeting point, crossing the Haven Front (Harbour Front), then left onto Prins Hendrikkade.
To our left we see Central Station and the Smits Koffiehuis in front of it. There's a Tourist Information inside but Smits Koffiehuis is a typical Dutch coffeehouse which is a popular meeting place.

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Just beside the Schreierstoren is the Geldersekade and there we hit on a typical Amsterdam, Dutch sight even. A bridge where bicycles are parked.

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While making the previous picture, Igraine came out and called us in. We were indeed, a little late!
Handshaking and kisses all around. Familiar faces with familiar names, familiar names and unfamiliar faces, new names and new faces!
On the photo the interior of the VOC Café in Schreierstoren and Nighthawk in the background looking over some free publicity postcards.

Schreierstoren built around 1487 is the only defence tower left of the fortifications built between 1481 en 1494.
It's original name was Schreyhoecktoren, probably because of the sharp angle ("schrey") where Gelderse Kade and Oudezijds Kolk meet. But it is better known as the place where women saw their loved once leave for the sea. "Schreien" means "to cry".

VOC stands for Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Eastindian trading company), the world's first multinational which brought The Netherlands great riches.

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The first thing pieter_jan_v said to me when we arrived at the VOC pub was: You need new shoes. Now, wherever did he get that from?
He was busy phoning people from the other VT meetings that were taking place that day (and he continued trying all day). I teased him with the enormous paperwork that he carried around. He did that in Rotterdam too, last August!

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Slightly distracted, some 30 metres along the road I spot this sublime car...

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