home

Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Jan 25, 2006 at 11:04:19 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Lindsay from Majikthise is the first to spill the beans. Blogads has arranged for about 20 bloggers to go to Amsterdam, all expenses paid, courtesy of Holland.com. The details are here.

All of the trips will take place in February. I'm going on the 16th, as is my pal Ezra Klein, who was such great company at the Democratic convention in Boston. From his comments, I learned that Amanda from Pandagon is going the same day. Even the TL kid has decided to come along.

Many thanks to Blogads for putting this together. I've never been to Amsterdam and have always wanted to go. The Holland.com people are very nice. They asked if there was anything special I wanted to see or anyone I might like to interview. I said I'd like to see the new high-tech prison and interview Joran van der sloot to present his side of the story on the missing white girl in Aruba and provide some balance to her mother who never gets off tv, but that's not what they had in mind.

Which means I just get to have fun, and I'm all for that.

< High Court to Hear Death Case Challenging Execution Procedures | Calling All Dems With a Spine to Filibuster Alito >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam | 15 comments (15 topical)
    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#1)
    by Darryl Pearce on Wed Jan 25, 2006 at 10:33:11 PM EST
    ...well, I got to see Holland in 1981. So, with my extensive experience and familiarity with the area, I should be able to convince... --ah, the satire and sarcasm just isn't in me tonight. Have a nice trip! With any luck, I'll get to go to Italy in April.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 12:52:42 AM EST
    I have been to Netherlands (I say that cuz that's what they wants to be called and since there's North and South Holland so which one? eh.. ) for 6 months in 1996. Lived in Aalsmeer and worked in Hoofddorp and had fun in Amsterdam for 6 months. Have a blast time in Amsterdam!

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#3)
    by bad Jim on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 01:14:29 AM EST
    I had only a few days in Amsterdam in 1999, and it was a relief after a week at a trade show in a small German city. People friendly, if not polite. No police. Few traffic signals. (I walked a few miles, waiting to cross the street, before I cottoned to that fact.) Kinda anarchic, really. Watch out for trams and bicyclists, the silent killers. Do visit the Rijksmuseum. Some time this year they're supposed to host a Carravagio and Rembrandt exhibit. The Van Gogh museum next door might just have a few things you haven't already seen. Food. One of the nicest dinners I've ever eaten. Ice cream. You may or may not feel obligated to visit a "coffee shop". I went to look at the Concertgebouw, and was treated to a quartet of Russian horn players outside. Unreal city. Definitely a treat.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#4)
    by roger on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 04:19:34 AM EST
    Check out "Szechuan Food". The best Peking Duck that you'll ever eat.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 07:11:24 AM EST
    You advertiser is paying for a free trip to Europe. Perhaps it doesn't look good.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#6)
    by BigTex on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 09:34:06 AM EST
    Perhaps I'm being obtuse here, but what benefit does holland.com receive by paying bloggers to go to Holland? The tourism draw from blogs can't be that big yet, and it's not like Holland is in need of any real publicity right now.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#7)
    by squeaky on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 11:01:47 AM EST
    Jeralyn, Sounds like a wonderful trip, If you have a chance Rotterdam, a port city, is very cool, more chaotic then Amsterdam which is more like a Jewel box. The Dutch are extremely interesting from a law and order point of view. Calvinist, which allows for great tolerance, but if you go over the line they very tough. They are very big on surveillance. Speed cameras are all over so if you have a car stay within the limit. The red light district is very interesting too. If you like to read. a great book about the Dutch is The Low Sky, Understanding the Dutch by Han Van Der Horst. I will lend you my copy if it sounds interesting to you. Enjoy!!

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#8)
    by Dadler on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 11:19:39 AM EST
    First-rate bloggers and legal marijuana. I expect some very funny posts.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 12:36:08 PM EST
    Top-flight mj is available around the corner from my house, though at twice the price. When in the Netherlands, you need to partake in the top-flight hashish, which is nearly impossible to find state side.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 07:26:29 PM EST
    Kdog, I appreciate your enthusiasm but I'd appreciate it more if you wouldn't post comments directly encouraging drug use on Talkleft. You never know who is reading,and it's probably not just the TL neighborhood. Also, many in the Amsterdam coffeeshop culture warn against the foreign hash (usually darker in color)because it is laced with the big O.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 07:29:02 PM EST
    it is laced with the big O. Any worse than what's in the kool-aid at 1600? ;-0

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#12)
    by squeaky on Thu Jan 26, 2006 at 07:29:34 PM EST
    Which is why we do not see much of it in the US. Much stiffer penalties because of the big O.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#13)
    by roger on Fri Jan 27, 2006 at 06:23:55 AM EST
    TL, Your info is way out of date, but if you are concerned, they make their own hash too. May I also recommend the Black sheep, 4th best wine cellar in Europe (at Leidseplein), and "La Rive" in the Amstel Hotel. If you get sticker shock at "La Rive", the bar serves from the same kitchen at 1/4 the price. Two Michelin stars.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#14)
    by kdog on Fri Jan 27, 2006 at 06:51:34 AM EST
    Sincere apologies TL. My enthusiasm on the subject is abundant, but I will reign it in the future out of great respect for your fine blog. As to who is reading/listening/watching, I couldn't care less. If "they" want me, I'm sure they know where to find me. If that means getting caged again...so be it.

    Re: Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam (none / 0) (#15)
    by roger on Fri Jan 27, 2006 at 08:53:57 AM EST
    One other thing, they have these VERY touristy boat rides along the canals. This is not something that I would normally do, nor recommend. However, this is one of the best things that I have ever done there. You get a view of the city the way it was built to be seen. Also- Dutch chocolate is very good And- Brugges is only about two hours by train. VERY IMPORTANT- take the train from the airport, it only costs 1-2 euros. The taxies cost about 25 and take much, much, longer to get to town.

    Bloggers Invited to Amsterdam | 15 comments (15 topical)