Favorite experiences in Amsterdam

Beaching About Zandvoort: Come rain, hail, or shine (and, often enough, come all three on the same day), Amsterdam rides the train for the short hop out to its brassy but not classy sea coast resort and lets the bracing North Sea air blow away all that hash and marijuana smoke.

Popping a Herring: Chasing herring is what got this city started, and Amsterdam folk are still in hot pursuit. They like their herring fresh and raw from a neighborhood fish stall. Now, raw herring is something of an acquired taste. One way to acquire the taste is to eat it in the approved Dutch manner -- whole, holding the fish by its tail, with your face to that wide Holland sky. But Amsterdammers themselves, being sensible folk, prefer theirs chopped, with onion.

Dining Out on a Rijsttafel (Rice Table): The concept of "Dutch cuisine" is generally considered to be a contradiction in terms. Luckily, Dutch colonialists in Holland's former possession, Indonesia, were inventive enough to supply an alternative. Consisting of anything from 10 to 30 little Indonesian dishes, some of them as fiery as a rocket exhaust, a rijsttafel is a great introduction to Indonesian cuisine and a substantial meal in its own right.

Sinking a Jenever (Dutch Gin): Spend a leisurely evening absorbing the atmosphere, and sundry beverages of an alcoholic nature, in a brown cafe, the traditional Amsterdam watering hole. These old bars -- centuries old in many cases -- have seen plenty in their time, and still have space for more. Your first sip of jenever must be from a glass that's a "look, no hands" effort, leaning over the bar.

Walking on the Wild Side: Stroll through the neighborhood known as De Wallen, to examine the quaint gabled architecture along its narrow 16th-century canals, peruse the shelves of its antiquarian and secondhand bookstores, and observe the everyday life of the inhabitants as they walk the dog, ride their bikes to the shops, take the kids to school. Oh, yes, and since this is the Red Light District, you might also notice certain minimally attired ladies watching the world go by through their red-fringed windows.

Boosting Ajax: Should you somehow manage to wangle a ticket (saying you're a pal of the Queen might help), you can shout yourself hoarse for Amsterdam's soccer hotshots, Ajax, one of the all-time great clubs of world football, at their high-tech Amsterdam ArenA stadium, in the southeastern suburbs.

Visiting a "Coffeeshop": Yes it's true -- smoking marijuana is officially tolerated in Amsterdam's very special "smoking coffeeshops." These places aren't your neighborhood cafes, and they're not for everyone, but they're an established part of Amsterdam's alternative tradition. You'll be able to buy and smoke marijuana inside, and no law-enforcement agency is going to hassle you.

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For a complete listing of what to see and do in Amsterdam, visit the online attractions index at Frommers.com.