Info about Helsinki and Amsterdam?

[lecter]

I've got a few questions for Murcers who live in Finland and Holland...

There's a chance that I might join a friend of mine on a trip to Amsterdam between October 29-November 9. (Actually he's going for a DJ Tiesto concert and I intend to go see Nightwish, who are playing in Amsterdam at that time). Since taking Finnair is a pretty cheap option, I thought this would be a good opportunity to also stop for a couple of days and visit Helsinki.

Now, the thing is this: this time of the year seems to be pretty nasty (weather-wise) to go to Amsterdam. While I expect and don't mind some icicles on my ass in Helsinki (it would be a welcome variation from this bloody tropical heat), I think Amsterdam would be pretty rainy and gloomy in that period and it is after all a city which is worth visiting all over on foot.

So, what do you guys think? Would the weather spoil my Amsterdam experience? What average temps do you get in Finland and Holland in late autumn? Also, how's the daylight situation in Helsinki at that time? I actually wouldn't mind being in a sort of perpetual night while I'm there, it would be interesting, but again, it would probably be a burden for sightseeing.

Any info will be appreciated. Thanks!

[Umfriend]

Well, if you got a reasonably warm sweater and a good coat, Amsterdam should be fine ussually. Of old, most rain fell in summer, but with all the climate change, that is changing somewhat. It can be wet, but rarely more than 3 days in a row. I'll see if I can get some data.

How long do you intend to stay in Amsterdam and what kind fo things would you like to see?

[lecter]

Well, out of those 10 days I was planning to spend about 2 in Helsinki and 7-8 in Amsterdam (maybe get a little whiff of Luxemburg while I'm at it)...clothing is not a problem here, I can get something that will last me through the Nordic freeze. As for things to see...I'm into history museums, palaces and such but I also like to walk a lot and get a feel of the place. Is Amsterdam very windy?

[Brian Ellis]

Originally posted by lecter
Is Amsterdam very windy?

Only if you eat baked beans and onions.

If you're into art, the van Gogh museum is a must and there are a couple of other art museums nearby, as I recall.

Possibly won't appeal to you, as you're used to real oriental food, but the Bali restaurant has one of the best Rijstaffels (Dutch version of Indonesian food) in the Netherlands, but it's not the cheapest.

The Anne Frank house is a reminder of what ethnic cleansing is all about.

And, of course, there is the classic canal trip and the red light district at night. Makes Patpong look like a nuns' outing, except that the ladies are mostly nearer 40 than 14.

Never been to Helsinki, sorry!

[knirfie]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
Only if you eat baked beans and onions.

If you're into art, the van Gogh museum is a must and there are a couple of other art museums nearby, as I recall.

Possibly won't appeal to you, as you're used to real oriental food, but the Bali restaurant has one of the best Rijstaffels (Dutch version of Indonesian food) in the Netherlands, but it's not the cheapest.

The Anne Frank house is a reminder of what ethnic cleansing is all about.

And, of course, there is the classic canal trip and the red light district at night. Makes Patpong look like a nuns' outing, except that the ladies are mostly nearer 40 than 14.

Never been to Helsinki, sorry!

don't forget the sex museum... and the 700 coffee shops...

p.s. it's usually cold around end october/begin november


unfortunatly i won't be able to join you at nightwish because of my internship...

[gt40]

yes, and don't forget what confuscious said about travelling:

Man who goes through airport turnstyle sideways is going to Bangkok

[lecter]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
Possibly won't appeal to you, as you're used to real oriental food, but the Bali restaurant has one of the best Rijstaffels (Dutch version of Indonesian food) in the Netherlands, but it's not the cheapest.

Even though I've been coming and going to Bangkok for 10 years now, I still can't stand the damn food...if it's got soy/oyster/fish sauce on it, I won't come near it with a 10 foot pole...I'm a great customer to all the Italian restaurants and steak & fast-food joints in the area. Needless to say, about half my cash gets spent on food...it sucks to love European food around here


Incidentally, the same holds true for the ladies around here...no sinking into skanky local poontang for me, CCCP is the way to go


Oh, and the Van Gogh Museum sounds like a great idea, his works which I saw at the Musee D'Orsay were superb...canals are definitely a must and the sex museum don't sound too bad either...I like to have variation in my culturalization program

[Guru]

lecter you realise that they have already sold out i guess!

http://www.nightwish.com/english/

These guys(and Tarja ) sell more albums then britney etc. over here and with a support band like Sonata Arctica http://www.sonataarctica.info that is just as good as them (if not better) they will almost sertanly sell all the other tickets in europe pretty quick! Lucky for me they play 2 nights in a row in Helsinki!

[Brian Ellis]

Shame! I love Thai food (the real stuff, not the apology served in European so-called Thai restaurants). A large bowl of tom yum with a serving of rice is a meal that will keep me happy for hours.

Better not call the canals 'klong' though; sounds like the Dutch for an anatomical part

[Umfriend]

I think 7-8 days may be a bit much, but you could go to other cities as well (Utrecht, Den Bosch).

Van Gogh museum, yes. Aside that, the "Rijksmuseum" (mainly pre 1900) and the "Stedelijk Museum" (mostly modern art, I think this is where one guy slashed "Who's afradi of red, yellow and blue") could be of interest. Amsterdam is nice to just walk through, if you like that, but I wonder of that could really last you longer than one full day.

You can take a canal boat tour, especcially if you want to money for boring stuff.

I may be biased against Amsterdam, but if you are going anyway, maybe a 2/3 day stop in Oslo might be a good idea. Munch Museum, National Galleriet, Gustav Vigeland park, the City Hall and some other stuff.

[Wombat]

Going to see Nightwish? Nice!

If you don't know who they are, check out http://dancingwombat.com/nemo.avi

[knirfie]

Sonata as support program damn i wish i had know, would have gotten me some tickets then...

[lecter]

Crap, that settles it then...I wouldn't have thought that the tickets would be sold out two months in advance

I could always go home, tho...they're playing Bucharest on the 19th

[knirfie]

Nightwish has a lot of devoted fans here in the netherlands...