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London Zoo: Things to do in Amsterdam and Reykjavic

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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2008
     (1476.1)
    I'm going to be heading to be spending a few days in Amsterdam and Rejkavic next month, and I figure that there are a few well travelled types lurking on here, so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or reccomendations for things to do or see? I've been to Amsterdam before, so I've seen Anne Frank's house, the Van Gogh museum, various smokatoriums and (snigger) the sex museum. As for Rejkavic, we're all flying blind - I'm going on the basis that if someone asks 'do you want to go to Rejkavic' you pretty much have to say yes. Anyway, I'm rambling, but any advice would be much appreciated!
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      CommentAuthorAriana
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2008 edited
     (1476.2)
  3.  (1476.3)
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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2008
     (1476.4)
    @Ariana: Thanks for that, given me a few cool idead. I really should get into the habit of searching the threads before I post!

    @JTraub: I will definately be spending a few hours there. Possibly while high. Cheers!
  5.  (1476.5)
    The Rijksmuseum is definitely worth a look.
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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeMar 19th 2008
     (1476.6)
    Cool, not sure why I didn't go there last time, really. This time I will be with a fine arts graduate and someone who likes their photography, so it seems like a shoo in.
    • CommentAuthorDuck
    • CommentTimeMar 29th 2008
     (1476.7)
    a wlak through the red light district is always funny
    and if you have time go to the beehive (cant remember the dutch) shopping centre
    even if you dont like shopping theres enough stuff to look/laugh at for a few hours
    smokeys caffe is nice as well, the owners are lovely and its one of the few places shots are not frowned upon at 11am
    xxx
    • CommentAuthorbadbear
    • CommentTimeMar 29th 2008
     (1476.8)
    Ha, I just spent the weekend in Amsterdam. If you like Chinese food, then I recommend Nam Kee, and it's neighbour New King (both very reasonably priced and both on Zeedijk in Chinatown). Neither place looks like much, but try 'em out.
    Smokatoriums - my two favourites were Coffeshop 36 which had some really good music, good layout, and some wicked murals on the walls. Also, Hill Street Blues which is covered in graffitti, has very nice staff, very nice customers and very nice milkshakes.

    Personally I find the red light district deeply, deeply depressing but you can't really avoid going through it at some point.

    I've never been to Rejkavic but I've always wanted to go, make sure you share any good finds with the group!
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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeMar 29th 2008
     (1476.9)
    Hmm.. so. Breakfast shots at smokey's, and Chinese at Nam Kee or New King for dinner. Sounds like the start of a plan..
    I think one of my companions has been to Hill Street Blues, so that'll almost certainly be checked out. As for the red light district, we'll see how we feel at the time, I guess. In any case, any interesting discoveires will be reported with speed!
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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeApr 15th 2008
     (1476.10)
    So, I'm back. The Rijksmuseum was well worth a look - the Rembrandt collection was amazing, and I now know significantly more about The Netherlands' History than before. Even if that was zero. Lambiek was good, although I think I would have benefitted from making that a solo mission rather than feeling like I was keeping my friends waiting. Still, I picked up a copy of Edgington and D'Isreali's Kingdom Of The Wicked, and got given a neat little minicomic/business card by the very friendly guy behind the counter. Apparently, they're collectable enough to go for about £40 on Ebay, but I won't be getting rid of mine any time soon.

    As for smoking, I reccomend The Other Side, Tulips, and Barney's. Tulips had some very nice Orange Bud that produced a really clean, energising high, and Barney's had some kind of home grown organic stuff going that hit the spot very nicely indeed. The sister venue, Barney's Uptown, did a mean breakfast, and had a sharp, loungey decor that served as a pleasent contrast to the slightly squalid feel you sometimes find with Coffeeshops.

    Iceland was .. something else. The landscape certainly lived up to expectations in terms of beauty and alienness. The Blue Lagoon exceeded my expectations, and left me feeling genuinely cleansed after the excesses of Amsterdam. Rekjavic itself was riddled with interesting, artsy shops, and was a very pleasent place to amble round on a crisp afternoon. The Indian Mango restraunt served excellent Indian food, and I'd reccommend it to anyone, particularly brits who are used to the heavy, overheated curries often served over here. The tapas restraunt in the town centre was good, too - a good way to try a few traditional Icelandic dishes as well as more typical fare. It also means you can try a little bit of smoked puffin without having to order it as a main course - which is no bad thing. REALLY gamey, with an odd boot polish aftertaste that keeps haunting me, and not in a good way. Not 'spit it discreetly in a napkin' bad, but I have no desire to ever eat puffin again.

    Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks again to those who chipped in with ideas and suggestions.

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