Wednesday
14 August
Day three in Amsterdam began with French toast for
breakfast, followed by a short stroll to the Katten Kabinet (cat museum). The Cat Cabinet offers a wide look at
the role of the cat in art and in culture through the centuries, and was a real
treat for me. Everything here is cat related; there were even two resident cats
in the foyer. The Cat Cabinet was founded in commemoration of the ginger cat
John Pierpont Morgan (1966-1983). This special cat was the stubborn, headstrong
companion of the museum's founder, Bob Meijer.
The only downside was that the gallery was really
rather small, and only kept our attention for half an hour or so.
We headed back along Herengracht until we reached the
museum of bags and purses, a museum that is exclusively dedicated to bags
and purses. Now this may not sound all that thrilling, but I was surprisingly
impressed with this attraction, and both Katy and Kate really enjoyed it. There
was a lot to see, and we spent over an hour looking at the weird and wacky
exhibits, such as bags in the shape of cupcakes, telephones and even The
Titanic! Not only was this a fabulous museum, they had an amazing tearoom, where
we stayed for a lovely pot of Lady Grey tea, and chocolate mocha cake!
After a splendid lunch we walked to Waterlooplein to explore the famous flea
market. This bustling market sells everything from Che Guevara posters to
bicycle parts, and African drums to military uniforms. The busy square is named
after the battle of Waterloo, and stands near to the impressive Amstel River. None of us were tempted to
buy anything, so we carried on to The
Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Located
in the city centre of the Dutch capital, the garden is a beautiful and intimate
place with a unique collection of plants. As it was a warm summer’s day, this
was a wonderful place to spend the afternoon. I was particularly impressed with
the butterfly house, and the small Mexican greenhouse.
Desperate for a cold beer, we were lucky to find one
of Asterdam’s famous bars, Café de
Sluyswacht. This iconic sloping house overlooks the widest canal in
Amsterdam, the Oudeschans, with a
great view of The Montelbaanstoren, a
500 year old tower. We sat outside on the terrace watching the canal boats go
by, whilst enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.
Rob and Kate went off to do their own thing, while
Katy and I went for a cone of chips at Waterlooplein
market, before setting off back to the hotel. As usual there were cheeses,
breads, crisps and other nibbles on offer, along with some very welcome chilled
white wine.
In the evening Katy and I walked down to Rembrantplein, which at night is brash
and bustling with locals, and tourists looking for food and drink. We settled
on La Madonnina, an ok looking Italian
restaurant with seats outside, overlooking the square. The food, when it
arrived, was very average, and the staff looked totally disinterested. I even
saw one standing near our table having a cigarette, while texting on his phone.
I checked later on Trip Advisor, and read that this restaurant is one to be
avoided at all costs. What a pity I hadn’t seen the reviews earlier!
After dinner we walked round the square, and I saw
one place with long queues waiting to get in, so, of course, I had to go and
see what is was. It turned out to be a Magnum pleasure store! Here you can
create your own Magnum, and the staff will make it up for you while you wait. A
great idea, but we didn’t fancy queueing for an ice cream, so instead we popped
into a nearby newsagents, where I was able to buy a Crème Brulee Magnum. Magic
on a stick!
Later back at the hotel I enjoyed a whisky nightcap,
to round off a wonderful day in Amsterdam’s capital city.
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