Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. It is often referred to as the "Venice of the North" due to its huge system of bridges and canals. Here are some key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.
Must-see Attractions
The Old Centre is full of traditional architecture and coffee shops. You'll also want to check out Amsterdam's Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark.
Transportation
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the world. You can catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station, which has many connecting routes. Cycling is very popular here, and it's easy to find cheap bike rentals around town.
Recommended Restaurants
Amsterdam is a top destination for foodies(Ex), so it is difficult to narrow down your dining choices. Here are a couple of our favourites.
|
Restaurant |
Cuisine |
Location |
Price |
|
Foodism |
Mediterranean |
Nassaukade 122, 1052 EC |
dishes from 620 |
|
Ciel Bleu |
French |
Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072LH |
set-price menus from E110 for dinner |
Money-saving Tips
Unless you really want to see the tulips(郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise sharply.
Look for accommodations in Amsterdams South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city centre.
Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.
Instead of hiring a tour guide, take a canal boat. They're inexpensive and will give you a different view of the city.
Zach Bonner, a teenage boy, has just walked a long journey, more than 1, 200 miles from his home town in Tampa, Florida, to the nations capital, Washington, DC, with the aim to raise awareness and funds for homeless kids.
In the final leg of the trip, Zach has traveled about 10 miles every day. Along the way, he has collected more than1.000 letters about homeless children. He hopes to give the letters to the President. Zach says he hopes his journey can make a difference.
More than one million children in the United States live in shelters or on the streets. In order to know the difficulties that homeless children face, Zach spent 24 hours with a group of them every day during his long journey.
On June 3. Zach walked the last mile of his long journey. More than 500 supporters, including 300 homeless kids joined Zach. "It was a long walk," Zach said, "but it was well worth it."
Zach's idea came from a movie about Mildred Norman, who tried to promote world peace by walking 25,000 miles. Zach considered walking as a good way to draw public attention to his cause.
Zach is also the founder of the Little Red Wagon Foundation, whose purpose is to help needy young people. Through the foundation, Zach has raised money and donated school supplies. "A lot of homeless youth don't get the chance to succeed in school because they don't have supplies."
Zach's volunteerism has even inspired a Hollywood movie based on his life. "He is the most extraordinary kid I've ever met "says Michael Guillen, who has made the movie." He hasn't just talked the talk. He has walked the walk."
Difficult and tiring as the journey was, Zach was never discouraged in his walking. "When homeless kids get tired of being homeless, they don't give up. So why should I quit when I get tired of walking?"
Do you have an ever-growing desire to do more than just travel? Do you want to see the world and make a difference at the same time? If so, the Volunteer Experience Africa Programme is an excellent chance for you. It's a programme to help those who are truly in need in Africa. You will gain valuable skills, good friends from across the world, useful experience for your CV(简历), as well as a great trip in Africa.
The volunteer programmes run between one week and six months. Accommodation and daily meals are provided while on the programme and there are low-cost flights offered. There are many project options for you to choose from throughout South Africa. The volunteer projects range from assisting poor communities, to working with animals, to other projects that have an environmental focus. Most projects have weekly, semi-monthly or monthly arrival dates and you must be at least 18 years old to take part in these programmes.
Why pay to volunteer?
Your project will provide you with unique hands-on training, similar to an internship(实习).
You can learn skills you could never learn by staying at home or travelling without volunteering abroad.
Your cost includes a donation to the project you are a part of.
Your fee allows us to continue building strong relationships with projects.
Paying your way allows organisations to keep existing.
Remember: the price is different for different programmes. Click What YouPay to learn more about the programmes and the costs, and visit our Application Centre to apply.
The number one thing you'll probably do is book your flight if you want to travel to another country. But in some countries, you won't be able to fly directly.
Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, as a 109-acre area in the middle of Rome, doesn't have its own airport, but visitors can easily get there via Italy's capital.
Similarly, San Marino, the fifth smallest country in the world, is also surrounded by Italian land. It has a population of a little more than 33,000 and sits just nine miles from Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, Italy.
The second-smallest country in the world is Monaco, with a population of more than 38, 500. To get there, you'll have to go through France's Nice Cote d'Azur Airport, which is just a 25-minute car ride away from Monaco. Perhaps that's why developers didn't bother creating anything like a short flight.
Interestingly enough, the third and fourth smallest countries, Nauru and Tuvalu have their own airports, but the fifth and sixth smallest don't We already mentioned San Marino, and to get to Liechtenstein, you'll have to go through Switzerland's St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport, 24 miles away from the capital.
No such luck trying to fly into Andorra, which only requires a 25-mile drive to get from one end of the country to the other. Situated in a mountain range valley, Andorra has too much difficulty in building an airport runway. But for visitors there is no difficulty in going Andorra. Both Spain and France have access to Andorra. The closest way to Andorra's capital is Girona-Costa Brava Airport in Spain.
If you live in a city where everyone rushes, realise that you don't have to be like everyone else. You can be different. I can't give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some ideas to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life
⒈Do less
Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but on quality.
⒉Have fewer meetings
Try to reduce the number of meetings and have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don't have to rush from one meeting to another.
⒊
If you're constantly rushing to appointments or other places, it's because you don't allot(分配)enough time in your schedule for preparing and for travelling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30 to 45 minutes so you don't have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car.
⒋Practise being comfortable with sitting and doing nothing.
When people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. Try standing in a line and just watching and listening to people around you.
⒌Realise that if it doesn't get done, that's OK
And yes, I know that's a frustrating attitude for some of you who don't like laziness or living without firm deadlines, but it's also reality. The world won't end if you don't get that task done today.
Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed.
Remember the quote: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you.
A. Do nothing but wait.
B. Pick two or three important things-or even just one -and work on those first.
C. Start to put off or cancel the unnecessary.
D. Give yourself time to get ready and get there.
E. Meetings are usually a big waste of time and make you rush.
F. There's always tomorrow.
G. It takes practice, but after a while, you'll do it with a smile.
Last week, I flew to Atlanta for a business trip. As we were about to land, it was announced that there would be a slight 1before setting down. High desert winds had2the airport to close all but one runway. The pilot said that we would be3the city for a few minutes waiting to4.We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened5 there might be some severe bumps(颠簸). However, I did not expect that" a few minutes" turned out to be so long, with a ride that would make roller coaster(过山车) lovers 6.
The movement was so sudden that several passengers felt7and had to use air-sickness bags(晕机). That is not a good thing to happen in a(n) 8space, because the smell only9to increase the discomfort of the situation.
About 20 minutes passed. The entire aeroplane became very10. I could11notice a sense of worry and fear. I guessed everybody else was holding their hands as tightly as me and worrying about dear life…except one. A12was having a good time! With each bump of the13he would let out a giggle(咯咯笑) of happiness. As I observed this, I14 that he didn't know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his15. He neither thought about the past nor about the future. Those are what we grown- ups have learnt from16. He was17the ride because he had not yet been taught to fear it. Having understood this, I took a deep breath and18back into my seat, imaging I was19on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even20to giggle sometimes, which was much to the anger of the man who was sitting next to me and holding the air-sickness bag.
Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer, who (bear)in Venice in 1254. His father, Nicolo Polo, and his uncle were both wealthy traders and (regular)travelled to parts of the East. It is said that they visited China and became friends with Kublai Khan. It was only when they returned to Italy from China Marco, who was 15 years old at that time, first met his father.
Under his father and his uncle's influence, Marco became interested in China, and joined them for their trip. They (spend)more than three years travelling to Shangdu, the capital of China at that time. Kublai Khan gave them a warm welcome and they were allowed to stay a huge marble place. Soon young Marco established a good relationship with Kublai Khan and became one of his most (trust) friends. During his stay, Marco travelled around a lot and talked to many people. As a result, he learnt the language and customs of the Chinese.
After nearly 17 years in the East, Marco and his father prepared (return) home. Not long after Marco came home, he was caught during battle at sea. While he was a prisoner, he met a writer called Rustichello wrote down the long story that Marco told him about his travels. The book is known as The Travels of Marco Polo.
Recently, some scholars from both China and the West questioned if Marco has really been to China. They found some descriptions of China in the book were not reliable. No agreement has been reached, though, and the truth remains to be found out.
