Jaunted - Amsterdam

Dare To Vary In Amsterdam

egw — 2008-11-19T16:30:16-05:00

Are you ready to expand your palate? Put down that steak and look beyond the salad plate at the world's best vegetarian restaurants.

It's true that De Waaghals means "the Daredevil" in Dutch. But this vegetarian restaurant in southern Amsterdam (outside the canal belt) is far from a risk--it's a proven stop for tourists and locals alike.

The organic ingredients (down to the beers and wines) are definitely a draw, but for DepressedMetabolism.com, it's De Waaghals' variety, with four different foods included in a classic plate, that sets it apart from other neighborhood joints. The current Classic, for example, features a spinach and goat cheese souffl� roll, polenta fritters, oven-roasted fennel and roasted portobello mushrooms. And HappyCow.net commenters mention that most dishes can be made vegan on request, in case you need that extra flexibility.

Just don't go Mondays, or you won't risk anything: The kitchen's closed.

Want to see your favorite joint featured? Tip us off.

Related Stories:
· The International Guide to Great Vegetarian Restaurants [DepressedMetabolism.com]
· Green Is Good in Boulder [Jaunted]

[Photo: Veggieplaces.co.uk]

Smoking Ban Switching up the Crowd at Amsterdam Coffee Shops

pbb — 2008-08-18T14:05:12-05:00

Guidebook guru and pot promoter Rick Steves just left the Netherlands, and he's got a substantial update on the marijuana scene in Amsterdam. First things first: Don't bother calling an ambulance after smoking too much because the EMTs will just tell you to walk it off!

But the big news is what's changed thanks to a new smoking ban--that prohibits indoor tobacco smoking but gives marijuana puffers a pass:

The Dutch, like the rest of Europe, mix their marijuana with tobacco. It might seem strange to an American, but if a coffeeshop is busted--it's busted for tobacco. Shops are mixing a kind of herb tea as a tobacco substitute for joints. Coffeeshops with a few outdoor seats have a huge advantage as their local customers can light up outside....
Many local smokers would rather get their pot to go than smoke it without tobacco at their neighborhood coffeeshop.

Thank heavens for American vice tourists then!

Related Stories:
· Lessons Learned in an Amsterdam Coffee Shop [Rick Steves]
· No Impulse Buying Magic Mushrooms [Jaunted]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: jlantzy]

Richard Branson Flies Around on Coconuts

amandak — 2008-02-25T09:00:01-05:00

Wanna fly green? Fly on coconut oil. That sounds pretty environmentally friendly, which is no doubt the impression Richard Branson was hoping to give us with the weekend's biofuel test flight on a passenger-free Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Amsterdam.

The maiden voyage using a mix of coconut oil, babassu oil and normal, nasty kerosene was a success, especially as plenty of press reports failed to mention the kerosene. Some, however, reminded us that the plant matter made up just 20% of the fuel in just one of the four engines. Doesn't sound like a lot.

But Branson is already talking about research to use other fuels, including one made from algae. What we can't understand is why he isn't researching an even more environmentally friendly (and convenient) method of getting around, like, say, teleporting.

Related Stories:
· Biofuel-Powered Jet Makes Test Flight [CNN]
· Virgin Atlantic To Fly Biofuel 747 [Jaunted]
· Virgin Atlantic coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: TigerPuppala]

Amsterdam Becoming Less Sexy?

egw — 2007-12-17T15:50:01-05:00

Ah, Amsterdam, a city better known among college-age backpackers for its XXX district and marijuana cafes than its beautiful canals and Anne Frank legacy. But not for long, if Mayor Job Cohen has his way.

Cohen announced today that the city's year 2000 legalization of prostitution didn't have the intended effect of making sex workers any safer. It's time, he says, to try a new tack including permits for brothels, a higher minimum age for sex workers (21, from 18) and a crackdown on sex-trade businesses with Mafia ties.

Can this be a good idea? Will it lead to a precipitous drop-off in Amsterdam tourism, or will visitors simply avail themselves of what remains--a la the New York City of 2007? And will libertarian and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul comment on it?

Related Stories:
· Amsterdam to Clean Up Red Light District [Yahoo]
· Anne Frank's Tree Gets Reprieve [Jaunted]
· Amsterdam Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: goobertron]

Urban Active Travel: More European Bikes

pbb — 2007-11-08T16:20:02-05:00

Since the city has more than one million bicycles, traveling by foot can be hazardous in Amsterdam. Step unknowingly into a bike lane--and there're so many of them it's not hard to--and expect to incur the wrath of dozens of oncoming cyclists. So rather than spend your visit fearing a painful collision, why not adopt a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach and hop in the saddle with Mike's Bike Tour.

Now in its 11th season, the company's guided tour will take you on a four-hour journey from city to country, taking in sights from the Red Light District to a cheese farm and clog factory.

The ride is leisurely rather than strenuous, and at €22 ($32) for a four-hour tour, it's an inexpensive and enjoyable way to acquaint yourself with the city. Just one word of advice: Save that coffee shop visit for after the tour.

Related Stories:
· Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam [Official Site]
· Amsterdam coverage [Jaunted]
· Biking coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Incase Designs]

From the Netherlands to Sunshine on Transavia

amandak — 2007-10-03T09:45:01-05:00

Wanna fly trans-Europe and save? Then it's gotta be Transavia. We're willing to look past the tortured pun of a name because this Dutch-French conglomerate sounds like a way to save cash while traveling. Transavia flies out of Dutch airports including Amsterdam and Rotterdam and also departs from Paris; a majority of the routes take you to the sunshine--Morocco, Tunisia, Greece and Spain feature highly.

What we especially like are the snacks for the trip south. Transavia has a funky on-board service menu which you can study online before your flight. We've never seen a budget airline make so much out of so little. (We know we're only going to see a creaky trolley roll up and down the aisle, but this magazine-style menu makes it seem like so much more.) Perhaps it's those quaint Dutch words that help. Drinking a chocolademelk sounds extra-cozy, and we love that buying nuts and drinks together means we can combineer & profiteer.

Transavia even shows a few films on board for free. But if you want to hear anything, you'll have to drop €3 on earphones--just ask for a pair of oortelefoon.

Related Stories:
· Transavia [Official Site]
· Netherlands Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: caribb]

Anne Frank's Tree Gets Reprieve

pbb — 2007-10-02T15:05:01-05:00

When we visited the Anne Frank House last year, we were upset to learn that the chestnut tree behind the house was "seriously diseased." An icon of the home, the city planned to remove it because:

Its leaves curl golden in summer because of the horse chestnut leaf miner, a moth that infests it; two fungi, tinder polypore and honey mushroom, are rotting its trunk.

Now, it seems, the tree will stand fast after lengthy bureaucratic proceedings have worn the pro-removal side into submission. (Gotta love Europe.)

Museum officials--who originally supported removal--now say even replacing the tree with a sapling cut from the original won't fly. Instead, they're working to keep the tree as it is--a connection to the past and a reminder that a little girl once looked to its branches for hope.

Related Stories:
· A New Wave of Support for Anne Frank's Ailing Tree [NYT]
· Visiting the Anne Frank House [Jaunted]
· Museums coverage [Jaunted]