Katharine Hamer News Reporter ON the commuter train fom Amsterdam’s Centraal Station to Schiphol Airport, a London-based kebab shop magnate is waxing lyrical about the city’s treasures, “T want to move here,” he announces, to whoever’s in earshot. “The Dutch girls are very beautiful.” Amsterdam is widely known abroad for two things: its red light district and its relaxed views on the consump- tion of marijuana. Both doubtless attract many a lapsed puritan to the city, drawn by the curiosity fac- tor of women in shop win- dows and bars where you can consume a ready-made joint along with your Heineken. But to Amsterdammers, these are unexceptional facets of city lif. Even the mayor, apparently, can tell you the price of a gram of marijuana — and Schiphol is currently considering an application from brothel chain Yab Yun: tu open a branch at the airport for those “looking to unwind after a stressful flight.” What really drives the city is the sunny nature of its rest- dents —~ virtually all of whom speak impeccable English with an unfailing sense of charm. In restauranis, if there's nothing you want on the menu, waiters bend over back- ward to offer special meals — and gift shop owners are happy to spend as much time filling you in on Dutch social policy as finding you the right piece of Delft pottery. The trams which snake through the city are a good way to get around and sce the sites — especially the number 20, which curves around a cir- cular route. Hiring a bicycle (hundreds are tied up outside the train station) is another option. Everyone here rides a bike — not souped-up 3MXs or road- sters, but rusty old three with bells and baskets. In the late afternoon light at Vendelpark, there are friends arm in arm on bikes, coupies Friday, March 3, 2000 — North Shore News - 17 sh pe car Ree NEWS photos Katharine Hamer ROW houses and bicycles: a walking tour of Amsterdam is the best way to see the city’s many hidden trea- sures. Museums great and smaii, coffee shops, and antiques markets line the winding streets. ying conversations on two wheels, and children balanced by the handlebars of bikes with speciaily-built windshields. But Amsterdam is also ideal to stroll around. From Centraal Station, it spreads out like a giant spider’s web, con- stantly criss-crossing water (the city is built over a number of canals). Almost every street is lined with higgeldy-piggeldy row houses and shops selling books, or clothes, or antiques, or lava lamps. Near Keizers- gracht, the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) comprises a raft of outdoor stalls with huge bunches of fresh tulips and BRIGHTLY painted wooden clogs nestle among rows of tulips at the daffodiis, lower bulbs, minia- ture clogs, and teapot mag- nets. On rainy days, the city offers a museum for everyone. On the Museumplein square are the largest three — the Rijksmuseum (the national art gallery whose collection fea- tures Rembrandt’s greatest works), the Stedelijk museum of modern art (which later this year is running a display by actor Dennis Hopper), and the ever-popular Van Gogh muse- um. From here, you can take a museum boat tour along the canal as far as Anne Frankhuis Bloemenmarkt on the Singei canal. Violin virtuoso to perform RYAN Karchut is guest soloist with the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra at its next concert, March 10. Home in North Vancouver for spring break from New York’s prestigious Julliard School, the 19-year-old violinist will pertorm works by Mozart, Beethoven and Bruch in concert at Central Heights Church in the Fraser Valley community. Karchut began his violin studies at age three. He has since won hundreds of focal, provincial and national awards, scholarships and trophies. Three years ago, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the young performer played to an audience of 3,000 APEC delegates, including Prime Minister Jean Chretien and U.S. President Bill Clinton, at a gala performance at GM Place. Now in its fifth year, the Abbotsford Orchestra is a professional symphony that performs under the artistic direction of Johan Louwersheimer. Tickets for next Friday’s 8 p.m. concert are $15 to $30 and available through Ticketmaster. ~~ Layne Christensen in the Jordaan district — though as Amsterdam’s most famous landmark, the house is invariably swamped with tourists, and the scope of its exhibition is somewhat mea- gre. Only here could you find museums dedicated entirely to feline artifacts (the Katten- kabinet, on the Herengracht canal) and the Brilmuseum Brillenwinkel, displaying “700 years of the art, culture, and history of glasses.” Amsterdam is famous for china and diamonds, but seri- ous shoppers can also have a field day on the designer-filled RYAN Karchut performs in concert. PC. Hooftstraat, or in the city’s many flea markets and antique shops. In the evening, when you've seen the sun set over the water and all your energy has been expended on walk- ing, people-watching, and gathering flowers, you can retire to an Indonesian restau- rant for pancakes, or chill out in a coffee shop (Rookies, near the Leideseplein, is ambient and cosy) — knowing that there wil still be a thousand hidden things to discover the next day. Amsterdam is that kind of something lk about! February film fest a floater IT was smooth sailing for Two Family House at the Floating Film Festival. Wanner of the Audience Drama Award at Sundance, the Ravmond De Felitta film picked up the Jay Scout Most Popular Film Award at the festival, recently held aboard Halland America’s MS Maasdam. The festival's director is Dusty Cohl, founder of the Toronto International Film Festival. Its programming, director is Hannah Fisher of West Vancouver. In the competition between 20 films from 11 countries, Shower by Zhaag Yang of China ranked second and Hit & Runway by Christopher Livingston ranked thied. Critics ranked Two Family House third, while awarding The Colour of Paradise by Majid Majidi of Iran first and Shower second place in the Critics Choice Awards. Critics abourd the cruise included Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun Times, Richard Corliss of Tie, George Anthony of CBC and Jim Emerson of the Web site . The cruise set sail from Fort Lauderdale Feb. 1 and docked in Costa Rica Feb. 1i. Guests aboard inclided Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel, direc- tors Raymond De Felitta, Barry Avrich and Kevin Jordan, actor Derick Martini and film star Helen Shaver. For information on future festival dates, contact Hannah Fisher at 682-2663. — Layne Christensen to New digital dual band / tri mode phone features: © Lightweight at only 5.9 oz © 30;ing tones © 100 name address book Park Royal Shosping Centre South, Tel. 913-0335 www.mywirelesswave.com “Available on a new one year plan from Rogess AT&T with a monthly service fee of SSO of greater. Limited time offer. See in-stare for details, ™fogers Communicaticns Inc. Used under Licence. @AT&T Corp. Used under License.