THE NETHERLANDS - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1328

filled with stalls selling cheap clothes, hippie stuff, old records, tourist knickknacks, and
garage-sale junk.
▲ Rembrandt's House (Museum Het Rembrandthuis)
A middle-aged Rembrandt lived here from 1639 to 1658 after his wife's death, as his pop-
ularity and wealth dwindled down to obscurity and bankruptcy. As you enter, ask when the
next etching demonstration is scheduled and pick up the excellent audioguide.
Tour the place this way: Explore Rembrandt's reconstructed house (filled with exactly
what his bankruptcy inventory of 1656 said he owned); imagine him at work in his recon-
structed studio; marvel at his personal collection of exotic objects, many of which he in-
cluded in paintings; attend the etching demonstration and ask the printer to explain the etch-
ing process (drawing in soft wax on a metal plate that's then dipped in acid, inked up, and
printed);andthen,forthefinale,enjoyseveralroomsoforiginalRembrandtetchings.You're
not likely to see a single painting, but the master's etchings are marvelous and well-de-
scribed. I came away wanting to know more about the man and his art.
Cost and Hours: €10, includes audioguide, daily 10:00-17:00, etching demonstrations
almost hourly, Jodenbreestraat 4, tel. [phone], www.rembrandthuis.nl .
▲ Diamonds
Manyshopsinthis“cityofdiamonds”offertours.Thesetourscomewithtwoparts:achance
toseeexpertsbehindmagnifyingglassespolishingthefacetsofpreciousdiamonds,followed
by a visit to an intimate sales room to see (and perhaps buy) a mighty shiny yet very tiny
souvenir.
Thehandyandprofessional GassanDiamonds facility fillsahugewarehouseoneblock
from Rembrandt's House. A visit here plops you in the big-tour-group fray (notice how
each tour group has a color-coded sticker so they know which guide gets the commis-
sion on what they buy). You'll get a sticker, join a free 15-minute tour to see a polisher
at work, and hear a general explanation of the process. Then you'll have an opportunity
to sit down and have color and clarity described and illustrated with diamonds ranging in
value from $100 to $30,000. Before or after, you can have a free cup of coffee in the wait-
ing room across the parking lot (daily 9:00-17:00, Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 173, tel. 020/
622-5333, www.gassan.com , handy WC). Another company, Coster, also offers diamond
demos.They'renotasgoodasGassan's,butconvenientifyou'reneartheRijksmuseum(de-
scribed on here ) .
▲ Willet-Holthuysen Museum (a.k.a. Herengracht Canal Mansion)
This1687townhouseisamustfordevoteesofHummel-toppedsugarbowlsandLouisXVI-
style wainscoting. For others, it's a pleasant look inside a typical (rich) home with much of