Amsterdam

The condensed exhibition of highlights from the collection at the Rijksmuseum is well worth a visit. The main museum is being renovated but you can lose a decent couple of hours with the condensed display.

Just wandering about is fun. A nice neighbourhood for a stroll is Jordaan. If the weather is kind, find a nice café by a canal and enjoy a beer and watch the world go by.

A decent restaurant is Gorgeous (in Pip district), you might need to book but v. tasty.

The Van Gogh museum is worth a look if you are into "eye-ball pleasers" as Ian Dury would say!

Rich

Thanks Huwge. Going to take the M8, with TriElmar and Noctilux. Probably stick the Voigtlander 15 in as well. haven't tried that on the 8 yet.
The reduced Rijksmusuem sounds like a must.

Weather forecast (according to BBC at least) ok for tomorrow and Thursday but very iffy for Friday. So canal excursions etc tomorrow when we get there!

Apart from the obvious boat ride....

Based on where your Hotel is catch a tram to the other end of town (maybe up by the two big museum's). With a reasonably detailed map in hand meander back to your hotel in a zig-zag fashion thru' the canal side streets on your own whim

Excellent for photography. Up close you begin to realise some of the buildings have sunk and swayed with age, just like Venice.

PS Natural light photography IS allowed in the Rijksmuseum. I took pics of some of the Rembrandt's.
regards
Geoff

Thanks Geoff. The tram ride is an excellent idea. We're staying (inevitably) near Dam Square, an easy walk from the station. I'll try some high ISO shots indoors at the museums. I do like taking cityscapes. so I'll look for the buildings you mention.

I have only been on business before (with all that implies!), and my partner has never been, so we are looking forward to the trip.

If you are into Architecture. Have a coffee in the American hotel (just off the Leidseplein) or a visit to the cinema (? you'll see the beautiful lights outside) (just off Rembrantsplein) cracking Art Deco establishments worthy of a visit.

Chris

Just to wet your appetite



Geoff

Anne Frank museum also.

Chris - loads of opportunities, was there at the end of April. Check about the Van Gogh museum being open - it was being renovated when we were there, together with the modern art museum the name of which escapes me.

Hope your Nocti focuses OK on the M8, should be great for night time shooting.

The 15 is fun, but might be a tad wide until you get a feel for it. set to f8, zone focus and you have the most expensive point & shoot on the planet.

PS try the rijstafel at Tempo Doeloe and Blauw aan der Wal is also an experience (but in the middle of the red light district)

Huw

Thanks guys. Have been recommended by a colleague who lived there to try Nippon, the Japanese restaurant in Regulierdwarstraat near Rembrandplein and Take Thai on Utrechtestraat in the same area. Also been recommended to try De Kroon and The Arc as bars.

Huwge, thanks for the advice. I used the 15 on my M7s using the method you suggest and it worked fine. A few test shots with the Nocti suggest that focus is ok - any softness probably down to operator error in focussing at F1!

Nice pic Geoff. Why can't I get the damned van der Valk theme tune out of my head?

Skinny Bridge, handheld at f2 - should be better opportunities with extra stops

Dinner at the American Hotel is a must....

Please bare in mind that the main train station is the dead centre of the red light district, something we found out on the day haha.

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
Please bare in mind that the main train station is the dead centre of the red light district, something we found out on the day haha.

This is from just outside the Centraal Station....plenty to avert the eyes!

PS..Nice to see other Leica enthusiasts on the Naim Forum.

Graeme

Try to find Gollem's for a great range of Belgian beers on draft, and they do a mean cheese toastie too just when you need it. Last time I was in there they had Raspberry Kriek on tap. I don't know how many beers they have bottled, but it's blimmin' loads and loads. Unfortunately I couldn't find it last time, although my wife managed to find it when she was there last year, but she doesn't drink beer!

The Milky Way is a great place if you can find something on while you are there (Melkweg). I bumped into an old friend there once who was at a party of mine years ago - the very same person who passed out standing up and landed on my LP12!!! It was replaced under the house insurance luckily.

Great place Amsterdam. Oh...and breakfast - Toast with a slice of cheese and a fried egg on top.

Thanks everyone. The case is packed, the camera batteries are charged and we are off to Terminal4 at sparrowfart.

Graeme
There are a few of us who have put our heads above the parapet! No camera snobbery here - I just love the glass and had a lot of it for analogue Ms. The M8 is a great way to use them.

I won't come in 020

We had a really excellent visit. Downloading all the RAW files as we speak.

We wre lucky with the weather compared to here too: Wednesday and Thursday were very pleasant. It rained a bit yesterday but we still managed to get around. Visited the Anne Frank Huis yesterday morning, before the big queues formed. Very moving. Also did the abbreviated Rijksmuseum tour (major refurb work under way). Other than that we walked, took pics, road the trams, did 2 different canal boat trips and just enjoyed the city's vibe.