Day 3: Amsterdam

Day 3: Amsterdam

Weather: Very nice, perfect except for a bit of overcast skies

Quote of the Day: Concept Art: Work such that no one knows what is going on, Henry Flynt, 1961 (posted upstairs in Restaurant As)

Department of Demystification: The early morning pics of the fitness center and breakfast buffet went into the day before's folder because the camera's date/time has not been reset and the pictures taken early in the morning are actually time stamped as yesterday. 

Up too early, THB and DB head to the FC and sweat through our workouts. DB rides the elliptical and THB does his 7 minute workout and then rides an exerbike along what looked like the Gorge de Tarn. DB does the cold buffet, THB has French toast swimming in syrup and blueberries with yogurt on top of the two pieces not thoroughly drenched.

Buy day passes for bus/tram, $8pp, and ride the 5 up to the top of the museums to visit the Stedelijk Museum. Three years ago the shows were very powerful; this time around only the Rineke Dijkstra photography/video show catches our interest, particularly a mesmerizing split screen video of teens dancing or bobbing in front of a white backdrop to techno beats.

Dijkstra is known for long-range project, these pics if military recruit taken over 3 years

Krasinki retrospective of 1960s work; hasn't held up that well, known for stringing blue tape around his exhibitions

Documenting S Africa gay community while being activist for equality

De Kooning, part of exhibit from permanent collection

We’re slogging today so we skip the Banksy show at the nearby MOCO Museum and stroll back towards the hotel. Lunch along a canal at a quiet café, watching the tour boats slowly pass: sandwiches and frites and a water and a bitter lemon, $30. A bit of browsing and shoe-buying at Frozen Fountain, a design shop near the cafe, followed by meandering the hip shopping streets to end up resting for the afternoon at the Pulitzer.

One of many wedding parties around town

Something tells THB these guys have a preference for frites

Smoked mackerel sandwich

Dinner is at Restaurant As, outside the downtown hub about 15-20 minutes (it takes half hour to get there because of the density of getting through the maze on the #5 tram). THB and DB were here 3 years ago, and get the same greeter/waitress we met then (she’s very cheerful and charming, easy to remember). 

The food is still very good, it lacks the punch of flavors we now expect (like at Breda the night before). As uses organic, homegrown products (some from their extensive gardens and animal cotes), the plates are very artful, the service is steady, the bread they make themselves is excellent, the wines by the glass are okay (nothing special, similar to Breda), desserts are very good, prices moderate for this type of meal ($145) with 3-4 substantial courses and several extras thrown in.

It’s a large place, with seating outside for everyone who wants it; most people who started outside migrate inside mid-meal (which is easy to do the way they have the seating arranged in spokes and long communal tables). Upstairs, aside from the toilets, is a large combo chapel and art space and As is hosting an Artzuid installation which unfortunately is not open at night. The QOTD is posted on the wall upstairs.

Dinner:

-         Plates of olives, pickles, bread, schmears; another of strips of veggies and crackers

-         Beets and herring, much simpler in style than Breda

-         Gnocchi and chunks of lobster in mild light veggie sauce for THB (DB wisely skips this course, tasting THB’s)

-         Ribeye with grilled “bok choy” and pickled onions for THB

-         Cod with vert beans and peas for DB

-         Apricots with dark chocolate ice cream for DB (the best dish of the night, by far) and cherry tart with vanilla ice cream for THB

-         Four glasses of wine: two different whites for DB, a bubbly and rhone style red (mild version, not the Paso Robles style) for THB

An easy stroll back to the #5 and a walk through the bubbly downtown at 10pm back to the Pulitzer while a pretty sunset is in progress.