For information on places to stay, things to see, means of transportation, and maps, contact the Netherlands Board of Tourism at 1-888-464-6552 or try its Web site ( www.goholland.com ). In Holland, tourist offices are easily found in every town by signs marked “VW.” The John Adams Institute, which occupies part of the elegantly restored quarters of the Dutch West Indies Company, bills itself as offering “American culture in the heart of Amsterdam.” For a list of speakers and other events, get in touch with the institute at Herenmarkt 97. 1013 EC Amsterdam (ohone: Oil 31 20 6247280; fax: Oil 31 20 6381145). Amsterdam’s recently refurbished Grand hotel, while not specifically linked to the American past, is another example of the Dutch mandate to keep old buildings alive. Dating from 1400, it served as the City Hall from 1808 to 1988, and it holds fascinating architectural and decorative elements from every era as well as luxurious accommodations for today’s traveler (phone: Oil 31 20 5553111; fax: Oil 31 20 5553222). The Hotel New York in Rotterdam manages to evoke the romance of travel of the past at the same time as it shines as the most fashionable place in town (phone: Oil 31 10 4390500; fax: Oil 31 10 4842701). Several recent publications highlight the centuries-long Dutch-American connection. Holland Mania by Annette Stott (Overlook Press) tells how American architects and designers of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries incorporated Dutch elements into their work. The Dutch in the Americas: 1600-1800 is an illustrated catalogue of an exhibit of prints, maps, and books at the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University (to order, call Oak Knoll Books at 1-800-996-2556). And A Story of Old Friends , a compact, briskly written booklet put out by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eschews the romance of tulips and windmills to take a clear-eyed look at the relationship. It’s available in limited quantities from the Royal Netherlands Embassy, 4200 Linnean Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20008.
Volume50Issue2