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Amsterdam's So Hot Right Now: New Foursquare Badge and Floriade 2012

April 5, 2012 at 6:05 PM | by | Comments (0)

Pay attention for a second. There are two things you need today. Like, right now. And they're both about the Netherlands.

First, today marks the beginning of the Floriade, a massive festival of—you guessed it—flowers. The Holland Floriade only comes around every 10 years, so this World Horticultural Festival hasn't happened since 2002. It's not in Amsterdam actually, but near the German border in the Dutch town of Venlo. There you'll find themed mini-worlds (like the real World Expo), 100+ gardens, acrobatic shows, green architecture and technology exhibits, plus Europe's biggest indoor flower show.

There's no need to rush, so long as you hit the Floriade before it closes on October 7. The high summer will of course be the busiest time, but we'd imagine that September could be ideal. Here's the official site.

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The Pussy Boat, and Two More Amsterdam Spots for Cat Lovers

February 17, 2012 at 2:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

The Dutch have a reputation for spoiling their pets. If you’re a cat lover, or simply a pictures-of-cats-on-with-funny-messages-on-them lover, Amsterdam has some spots where you can indulge your feline appreciation. Here's three kittytastic spots not to miss:

· The Cat Boat (Poezenboot ("pussy boat"))
A cruise along Amsterdam’s canals is recommended for any visitor. However, it isn’t just people who live in the houseboats dotting the waters—there’s a special one reserved just for stray cats. The boat/animal sanctuary is located on the Singel canal. Though you can’t go on the boat, you can enjoy the view of cats playing on the roof and in the windows.

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Five Favorite Shops to Hit in 'De Negen Straatjes' of Amsterdam

February 16, 2012 at 11:11 AM | by | Comments (0)

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

The coolest, most fashionable district in Amsterdam is known as 9 Streets (De Negen Straatjes). Made up of three blocks each of three streets in the chic Jordaan neighborhood, most of the shops are small and highly specialized—some even sell a single product. The area even has its very own blog so you can start plotting out your purchases ahead of time. Here's five hot shops we personally recommend:

· Djoeke Wessing (Art Deco)
If Art Deco is your favorite design style, then you’re in luck. You can pick up furniture and housewares here, or simply treat the store as a museum and admire everything from glass lamps to vintage doorknobs. If you don’t want to deal with the cost of shipping something home, Djoeke Wessing also sells bolts of fabric that you can use to upholster your couches and chairs.

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From a Dutch Oven: Five Meals You Absolutely Must Eat in Amsterdam

February 15, 2012 at 11:20 AM | by | Comments (0)

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

There’s much more to Dutch food than a hunk of gouda. Thanks to quality produce from nearby farms and a growing immigrant population bringing their native foods with them, Dutch cuisine is experiencing an upswing. Don’t leave without trying these five essentials:

· Breakfast: Apple pancakes
An American flapjack will never look the same to you again once you’ve had some delicious appel pannenkoeken. These small, fluffy pancakes make you think they’re not filling, and before you know it you’ve wolfed down five in a row. Make sure you also have some coffee, or you’ll wind up in a major food coma.

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Five Jewish Historical Sites to Visit in Amsterdam

February 14, 2012 at 6:12 PM | by | Comments (0)


A display at the Verzetsmuseum

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

As a Jewish traveler, or simply one interested in checking out the local Jewish sites, there’s more to do than simply patronize kosher restaurants. Holland lost the largest percentage of its Jewish community during the Holocaust, and since then the country has worked overtime to make sure that the community’s history didn’t disappear. These sites help give a broader picture of Jewish life in Amsterdam—past and present:

· Verzetsmuseum
The Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum) paints a picture of what life was like for ordinary Dutch people during the German occupation. The rooms in the center depict everyday life, complete with food rationing and forced military service, while rooms on the side share stories of Dutch citizens who worked against the Nazis and in some cases paid with their lives. The museum successfully gives a broad representation of what Holland was like during the war without resorting to victimhood.

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Three Small, Uncrowded Museums Worth Visiting in Amsterdam

February 13, 2012 at 5:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

If you’re planning a short trip to Amsterdam, or you want to avoid the massive lines at the Van Gogh Museum, these smaller museums are interesting and give you more micro-level perspectives on the city:

· Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder During the Reformation, Catholics in Holland were discriminated against, forbidden to practice their religion openly. As a result, the community went underground, establishing secret churches where they could practice their faith. One of the best known is preserved as this museum, whose name means Our Lord in the Attic. The house was a typical Dutch home with the top floor used as a church, so you’ll be able to enjoy the architecture as well as the house’s contents, from a restored 17th century kitchen to a hidden altar, organ, and confessional.

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Mile High Speed Dating Hits KLM, But No Joining the Mile High Club

December 19, 2011 at 12:45 PM | by | Comments (0)

We admit there have been times that we may have put noise cancelling headphones just to give the illusion of listening to music, warding off fellow passengers' incessant blabbing. There also have been times we've noticed someone that looks interesting—ahem attractive ahem—and wished we could swap seats to get a little closer.

The latter is how KLM prefers to fly, and they'll soon offer passengers the ability to pick their seatmate based on Facebook or Linkedin profiles. By next year, the airline will not only offer a window or aisle preference, but allow customers to view the profile of other passengers, then choose whether or not to sit next to them.

The first red flag we see is the obvious privacy of personal details. Passengers must opt-in to have their social media profile available for other travelers to see. Which means, not everyone will be taking part in this singles bar in the sky. Sigh of relief! It also begs the question; will the aircraft have a cabin area set aside for these passengers who are single and ready to mingle?

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A La Carte in KLM Economy Now Means Dutch Cheese, Japanese Soba and Veggie Falafel

November 21, 2011 at 5:05 PM | by | Comments (0)


Indonesian rice dish

Ordering off-menu while jet setting is not only limited to first and business class passengers, you know. Just as we last told you about American Airlines upgrading their menus, KLM is now offering specialty meals on intercontinental flights from Amsterdam. Last week, the Flying Dutchman announced the expanded dining offering in the back of the plane with a little pre-ordering and few extra euros.

The expanded menu is in addition to the gluten-free, kosher, and other special dietary meals that KLM usually stocks, but these will explore ethnic themes, like traditional Dutch fare, Japanese delights, Italian comfort food, Indonesian rice dishes and an upgraded veggie option. At 12-15 euros each, the meals will still give you spending money for bringing home souvenirs.

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No More Passing the Dutch as Holland Moves to Ban Tourists from Weed Cafes

November 14, 2011 at 3:36 PM | by | Comment (1)

It's happening! That ban on selling marijuana to tourists and allowing them in Dutch pot cafes—the one Holland's been discussing since earlier this year—will begin taking effect next year. And while "next year" seems like a far enough time away to not freak about this, may we remind you that next year is little more than a month-and-a-half away, and the ban hits January 1, 2012.

Don't go booking the first KLM direct to Amsterdam quite just yet, however. This first phase of the pot-for-tourists ban will only reach the southern parts of the country—Limburg, North-Brabant and Zeeland—where drug tourism is more of a problem (the rest of Europe just comes across the border down there for a joint or two, you see). Maastricht has been trialling the program since October, actually. Regardless, officials promise to include Amsterdam and the rest of the country in the ban come January 2013.

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Maastricht Keeps the Sticky Icky for Itself, Bans Foreign Tourists from Weed Cafes

October 3, 2011 at 10:35 AM | by | Comment (1)

We're not going to say "I told you so," but we kind of did back in May when Holland first announced plans to possibly close "coffee shops" to tourists after crime rose. Now, from this last Saturday, the hammer has dropped and foreign tourists are not permitted in the coffee shops of Holland's southernmost city of Maastricht.

There are exceptions: Germans and Belgians are still welcome, but no Americans or Italians or English or French or...we could continue but you get the point. And if you are German or Belgian, then be prepared to show your passport and allow the coffee shop to retain your identity information for up to two days, even if you're only in the shop to smoke weed for fifteen minutes.

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Can You Believe This is Airport Food?

Where: Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 15, 2011 at 5:07 PM | by | Comments (2)

Okay, okay. So we just finished spreading the gospel of Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, but we're kinda not done since we didn't say anything about the food. Oh, THE FOOD!

Instead of giving you a huge gallery and making you drool on a Monday evening when you're likely nowhere near the international departures area at AMS, here are just a few tidbits to give you an idea—hints to get your appetite going on a day you're traveling through Schiphol. Here's the biggest tip: save your tummy for some good stuff; skipping breakfast or another meal is fine if you're on your way to this airport.

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Inside Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport: The Ginormous KLM Crown Lounge

Where: Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 12, 2011 at 5:27 PM | by | Comments (0)

Welcome to Amsterdam Week here on Jaunted! Each day, we're coming at ya with a Double Dutch of features: two stories on a city (and its airport) that stuns with its beauty and nearly overwhelms with everything there is to do. Got any Amsterdam tips of your own? Share with us in the comments!

Today at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, we're visiting the KLM Crown Lounge for international (non-Schengen) departures

Now we've reached the end of our week-long series on Schiphol Airport, but we're leaving you in KLM's international departures lounge for flyers with KLM or SkyTeam status. It's a perfect place to leave off, since this is where many travelers really begin their journeys and it's through these glass doors and beyond this KLM-blue desk that you really want to be.

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