Amsterdam - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 44

pot-and-prostitution scene (free, daily at 11:15 and 13:15, just show
up at the National Monument on Dam Square, www.neweurope
tours.eu).
Adam's Apple Tours —This walking tour offers a two-hour,
English-only look at the historic roots of Amsterdam. You'll have a
small group of generally 5-6 people and a caring guide, starting of
at Central Station and ending up at Dam Square (€25; May-Sept
daily at 10:00, 12:30, and 15:00 based on demand; call 020/616-
7867 to confirm times and book, www.adamsapple.nl, Frank).
Private Guide — Albert Walet is a likeable, hardworking, and
knowledgeable local guide who enjoys personalizing tours for
Americans interested in knowing his city. “Ab” specializes in his-
tory and architecture, and exudes a passion for Amsterdam (€49/2
hrs, €89/4 hrs, small groups, on foot or by bike, mobile 06-2069-
7882, [e-mail]). Ab also takes travelers to nearby
towns, including Haarlem, Leiden, and Delft.
By Bike
he Yellow Bike Guided Tours company offers a three-hour city
tour (€20, April-Oct Sun-Fri at 9:30 and 13:00, Sat at 9:30 and
14:00) and a six-hour, 22-mile tour of the dikes and green pastures
of the countryside (€28, lunch extra, April-Oct daily at 11:00). Both
tours leave from Nieuwezijds Kolk 29, three blocks from Central
Station (reservations smart, tel. [phone], www.yellowbike
.nl). If you take one of their tours, you can rent the bike for the rest
of the day at a 50 percent discount (€10/24 hrs, €100 deposit and
ID required). If you'd prefer a private guide, see Albert Walet,
above.
Do-It-Yourself Bike Tour of Amsterdam —A day enjoying the
bridges, bike lanes, and sleepy, off-the-beaten-path canals on your
own one-speed is an essential Amsterdam experience. The real
joys of Europe's best-preserved 17th-century city are the count-
less intimate glimpses it offers:
the laid-back locals sunning on
their porches under elegant gables,
rusted bikes that look as if they've
been lashed to the same lamppost
since the 1960s, wasted hedonists
planted on canalside benches, and
happy sailors permanently moored,
but still manning the deck.
For a good day trip, rent a
bike at Central Station (see “By Bike” on page 40). Head west
down Haarlemmerstraat, working your wide-eyed way down the
Prinsengracht (drop into Café 't Papeneiland at Prinsengracht 2)
and detouring through the small, gentrified streets of the Jordaan