TOP TEN THINGS THEY DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT AMSTERDAM

LIZ SAYS:
3. The service in cafes and restaurants tends to be nonchalant, at best.
It's not like anyone is mean or rude. They just don't seem to be sweating the whole waiter/waitress thing. It seems to be a variation on the Parisian waiter's letting you hang as long as there is no one is clamoring for a table. In other words, we usually have to ask for the bill.

4. In apartments, the bathroom and bedrooms can be up a treacherous spiraling stairway. It makes you re-evaluate the importance of a bathroom and when you really, truly want to go to bed. Actually, our rental was up a hellish Boschian set of stairs, 3 flights, two spiraling, with a door in between on the no-landing, the other just unbelievably steep. I wear a size 37-38 (7.5 US) shoe and my whole foot will not fit on the step. So, when we leave, we make sure we have everything for the day. Before we return, we make sure we have everything we may want until the next day.

5. Anything with "ballen" in it is covered with bread crumbs and deep fried. There is a lot of "ballen".