Eating The Best Rated Holland Fries In Amsterdam - Birth Of Van Halen & John Lennon Bed In For Peace
Amsterdam July 2025
Transcript
0:03
Today's adventure begins as a recording
0:03
of this Saturday,
0:05
June 21st,
0:07
2025. A rather warm day here in
0:10
Amsterdam, the Netherlands. See people
0:13
have they're out in the sun on the boats
0:15
there. They have their umbrellas out. It
0:17
is toasty. I am standing in the shade at
0:20
the moment, but we'll be walking a
0:21
little bit in the sun. It's about 10°
0:23
warmer today than it was yesterday.
0:27
Current time right now is 1:30 as well
0:31
as looking at the clock that's chiming.
0:33
Well, it just did a one chime because
0:37
Oh, no. It's going to do the full
0:45
two two chimes. One for one and one for
0:45
the half hour perhaps.
0:46
Done.
0:48
Welcome everyone. Adam the Woo here. Got
0:50
a couple things on the agenda and then
0:52
the rest of the day just going to wing
0:54
it. The two things that I would like to
0:56
do, at least get around to are music
0:59
related. John Linen and Yokoono had
1:02
their bed in here in Amsterdam. We go by
1:05
that hotel. also a record store to
1:08
hopefully purchase their wedding album
1:10
which was released in, you know,
1:13
correlation with not only their wedding
1:15
which was not earlier before that whole
1:18
bed in time frame, but also there were
1:22
tracks from that bed in the Hilton here
1:26
in Amsterdam. So, I'm going to go by
1:27
there and see see what I can see. And
1:29
then also the brothers from Van Halen
1:32
were both born here not far from each
1:34
other separated by a short distance.
1:38
Drummer and the guitar player.
1:41
So possibly going to maybe buy the first
1:43
Van Halen album. Obviously Van Halen
1:47
moved along and became a full band, but
1:49
it all started right here. And then I'll
1:52
just see where else the day leads. Maybe
1:53
buy some vinyl, check out a record
1:55
store, go to those two spots, enjoy the
1:57
day, try to stay in the shade, and stay
2:00
caffeinated. I'm inviting you to join
2:01
me. It's good to have you here.
2:08
Shall you? Yeah. See, I was in the
2:08
shade. Now I'm in the sun. Much
2:10
different experience. Much warmer in the
2:12
sun. This city is just so beautiful.
2:16
So beautiful. This must be the cinema
2:18
area. There's a pizzeria there. Cinema.
2:23
Whatever that's
2:28
it was a police officer that just drove
2:28
by
2:29
over here in this park. Check this out.
2:31
This is the Finker. Well, Joseph
2:34
Cleanssky's version of the Finker, but
2:37
it's a space it's a space van there. I'm
2:40
just enjoying
2:42
I'm just enjoying being in different
2:43
places I'd never been in before.
2:45
Learning history while I'm standing in
2:47
it. I got to say I have learned more
2:50
just from traveling and being in places
2:53
and having that, you know, the interest
2:55
of being in a spot. I I retain knowledge
2:58
and and going to places a little bit
3:00
better than reading it in a book and
3:01
just sitting, you know, in a classroom.
3:05
I I feel like I've learned way more just
3:07
doing stuff than I did, you know, when I
3:10
was younger, learning from books and
3:12
things. It's just because you're you're
3:14
here, you're in it.
3:17
Just my opinion. Here's Rimbrandt.
3:19
Current temperature at this very moment,
3:21
141. 83° sunny. It's going to get up to
3:25
86° today.
3:28
And you can see there's not a cloud in
3:29
the sky.
3:31
Warm one. Well, warm for Amsterdam.
3:34
Amsterdam. I'm hearing a lot of people
3:35
are from here. A lot of locals that I've
3:37
talked to have all said this this is hot
3:40
for Amsterdam. I have arrived at a
3:42
record store that was recommended from
3:44
another vinyl record store that I was at
3:46
the other day which was a little
3:48
smaller. I was asking for a couple items
3:49
and they said, "Oh, you got to check out
3:50
Concerto while you were here." So, I
3:52
have followed their recommendation and
3:54
now heading over to Concerto, which
3:56
started in 1955.
3:59
So, this place has been open since 55.
4:01
So, it's been around a heck of a long
4:03
time. 70 years. 70 years. Concerto.
4:08
And the the way the other guy at the
4:09
other vinyl shop told me that I could
4:12
remember this place is just say think of
4:13
concert with an O on it. And that's how
4:15
I remembered it all these days later.
4:17
Concerto. And basically I'm just looking
4:20
for those two albums. I might get
4:22
another one or two. But obviously I pack
4:24
really light so I can't I don't have a
4:25
lot of space. But I try to buy albums
4:27
that are coincided with the with the
4:29
spots I'm at and have a memory so later
4:32
in life I can always look back on those
4:34
set albums. It's like, oh yeah, I
4:36
learned something from finding those
4:38
spots. And that'll kind of jar my memory
4:40
if I listen to the the albums later on.
4:42
See what they got. All right, two out of
4:45
three is not bad. I was looking for this
4:46
the other day as well. The X.
4:50
This is their first album re-release
4:52
also with the original 7in single right
4:55
here. This is a band from the area from
4:57
Amsterdam. started off as squatters and
5:01
they would promote their band by spray
5:04
painting the name on the side of walls.
5:08
And they chose this name because it was
5:10
a a shorter version, a shorter word than
5:15
writing a longer name. It's kind of
5:17
interesting. So, I picked up that. They
5:18
had a lot of albums. They were very uh
5:21
very popular in this area. And then I
5:23
also picked up the very first Van Halen
5:26
album on LP on vinyl right here. Of
5:28
course, David Lee Roth.
5:31
A lot of classics here. Jamie's Crying,
5:33
You Read Me, Running with the Devil.
5:37
And then Van Halen,
5:39
Eddie's Eruption.
5:42
So cool. Got two. Did not have They had
5:45
a ton of Beatles and Linen stuff, but
5:48
they didn't have the one I'm looking
5:49
for. I think the one I'm looking for is
5:50
pretty rare. Yeah, I could order it
5:51
online, but it's always nice to buy it
5:53
when you're actually in the in the area.
5:54
There are a few other record stores. One
5:56
on the way to the hotel, the Linen and
5:58
Yoko Hotel. So, I'll check that out as
6:01
well. Also, that band, the X, evidently,
6:03
they got their band
6:05
who well the the guys in the band chose
6:08
what instruments they were going to play
6:09
by drawing straws.
6:12
That's what I read.
6:19
As I'm walking along among this chain
6:19
link barbwire fence right here,
6:24
I notice that there is a house on the
6:27
top of tinfoil.
6:30
Little small house, almost like a
6:31
doll-siz house on top of tinfoil. I
6:34
mean, it's bigger than a dollhouse, but
6:35
it's definitely not the size of a fulls
6:36
size.
6:44
Oh, it's called The Nail House. The nail
6:44
house by Leonard Van Monster.
6:54
In the middle of this undeveloped site,
6:54
Van Monster has realized a sightspecific
6:57
work.
7:08
All right, there's another LP vinyl shop
7:08
right up here. But check that out and
7:10
then head over to
7:12
the hotel with Lin and Yoko. Oh wow,
7:14
this is a teeny tiny place. It's kind of
7:15
wet. I've actually passed it. It's like
7:18
tucked away right over in here. You see?
7:21
This is it right here. I got to watch
7:23
out for all the bikers that are going
7:24
by.
7:25
Here it is.
7:28
Yeah, this place is small.
7:35
The record palace is what it's called
7:35
right there. Record Palace.
7:39
The clicking means that you can walk
7:40
across. Oh, it stopped clicking. I got
7:43
to move. Got to walk through this
7:45
building. No luck at that record store.
7:47
And honestly, a lot bigger inside than
7:50
it was outside.
7:54
But they didn't have the one I was
7:55
looking for.
8:03
Oh, yeah. This is nice. You can walk
8:04
right through here into the shade, which
8:05
is good.
8:11
Yeah, myself included. But you'll notice
8:11
a lot of people, most people are
8:13
congregating in the shade today. I mean,
8:15
there are people walking in the sun, but
8:17
you see there's no one sitting in the
8:19
sun. Everyone's just going from point A
8:21
to point B in the sun. When you're
8:23
sitting, at least today here, the
8:26
greater Amsterdam area, you want to be
8:28
in the shade.
8:31
The sun just feels a little more
8:33
permeating here
8:35
than what I was expecting. Permeating is
8:38
probably not the right word, but using
8:40
it anyway. Getting some nice walking in
8:42
today. Getting my steps in. Look at
8:44
this.
8:47
This vehicle is made of turf. Like a
8:51
miniature golf course turf.
9:04
of reminds me of the shaggen wagon from
9:04
Dumb and Dumber. [laughter]
9:07
A turf small a smaller turf version of
9:10
the shaggen wagon.
9:12
Foot long. Who's got the foot long
9:17
turf edition
9:20
right here along the river is the hotel.
9:25
Back in 1969, just 5 days after their
9:28
wedding, they were married on the 20th
9:29
of March. Soon after, they had their
9:31
first of two what they call bedins
9:35
where they were up in one of the rooms
9:37
right up there. Originally, it was room
9:39
902 and they've remodeled the hotel a
9:42
little bit since that year. It's now
9:45
702,
9:47
but that's the spot.
9:49
All those famous photos were taken. The
9:51
interviews happened. The bed was right
9:54
up there.
9:58
I guess it was the ninth floor. Now
9:58
they've remodeled to the seventh floor.
10:05
See if there's any sort of documentation
10:05
around property for it. This is around
10:07
the front side of it, the opposite side
10:09
of the river.
10:16
They stayed here for a week and 12 hours
10:16
a day. Half the day they allowed media,
10:20
photographers,
10:22
the press end for interviews
10:24
and they just stayed in the bed for a
10:26
week.
10:26
Yeah.
10:28
To draw attention to world peace.
10:40
And from this angle, can't tell what
10:40
side of the building it was on, but if
10:42
you were back here in the late 60s, 69,
10:45
they had the drapes opened and you could
10:48
have seen John and Yoko
10:50
up there pointing out the windows
10:54
or at least having their backs to you.
11:04
Oh, yeah. Okay. It was always that room.
11:04
The reason it was 9002 is because back
11:06
in 19 I think 69 this neighboring hotel
11:08
here, the Bilderberg Garden Hotel was
11:10
part of the Hilton Hotel.
11:11
Okay,
11:12
that had two floors of accommodation and
11:14
the first floor of the Bilderberg was
11:16
the first floor of the Hilton. Second
11:18
floor of the Bilber was then the second
11:19
floor of the Hilton. What was now our
11:21
first floor was then our third floor.
11:22
Okay.
11:23
Consequently, the seventh floor was the
11:24
ninth floor.
11:25
It wasn't practical because people had
11:27
to walk across a public road to get from
11:29
one part of the hotel to the other. Yes.
11:31
So, that was discontinued and then we
11:33
reverted back to more rational form of
11:35
memory.
11:36
Thank you for the info.
11:38
That explains that.
11:40
All right. I appreciate it. Thank you so
11:41
much.
11:42
Okay. So, there's the room up there.
11:43
They said it's occupied. So, it's a
11:45
second from the top right there.
11:49
And it is currently being utilized. So,
11:52
someone is staying in it. Says he cannot
11:55
show me the room, but he's very, very
11:56
kind. He says they also do weddings up
11:58
in there. If you want to rent it, do a
12:00
wedding. You can get you can get hitched
12:02
up there. You know, that's uh that's
12:04
where John and Yoko spent their
12:06
honeymoon. Right up in that very one
12:08
right there in the center of the screen,
12:10
second from the top. That's where all
12:12
those famous photos were taken, the
12:14
interviews, the all the media was up in
12:17
there with their cameras and John had
12:18
his guitar and all that took place right
12:21
there.
12:23
Right. It's so cool.
12:26
Yeah. I'm glad I asked. They said if
12:28
there wasn't anyone staying in there. I
12:29
think to rent the room it's like between
12:32
a,000 and 2,000 euro a night. But it's
12:36
all booked up. But that's it right
12:37
there. Right there. That's where it all
12:40
happened. So cool. So cool. Beatles
12:43
history. A little John Well, John Linen
12:44
history.
12:46
And our first time in the Beatles.
12:56
Been to quite a few linen spots.
12:56
Let's just add this one to the
12:57
repertoire.
13:03
I really didn't appreciate Lennin solo
13:03
stuff. Really always love the Beatles.
13:07
One of my favorite bands ever, but
13:08
really started to appreciate Linen Solo
13:10
stuff later in my life.
13:16
Yeah, right there. They have the windows
13:16
open. I don't see anybody up in there,
13:19
but they have the words written on the
13:21
side of the the window.
13:28
Just to give a frame of reference,
13:28
there's the window right there.
13:31
Same kind of slats on there. same.
13:34
Probably sure the glass has been
13:35
replaced, but here they are overlooking
13:38
part of the cityscape
13:48
here in Amsterdam.
13:48
All right, there you go. Some John
13:50
Linen. Let's get over to some Van Halen
13:52
history. Looks like at one point in the
13:53
past there was a sculpture of John there
13:56
with his the peace sign that was in
13:59
looks to be like it's in front of the
14:00
entrance to the hotel, but when I was
14:01
over there I didn't see it. Now there is
14:04
a park here with some sculptures in it.
14:07
Peruse around through there. Just
14:09
sitting right here on this little bench
14:11
in the shade
14:12
soaking it in
14:24
a historical moment in John and Yoko
14:24
lore.
14:27
If you're into that kind of thing, which
14:28
I am kind of kind of fascinating,
14:31
some of these little sculptures look
14:32
like they would be for Beetlejuice.
14:35
Looks like something from that film.
14:53
like a pirate ship
14:53
or some sort of sailing vessel canoe.
15:09
And not far, just a few blocks from
15:09
where I just was, is Michelangelo
15:12
Street, corner of Garrett Vander
15:16
Vinstraout
15:18
and
15:21
Michelangel,
15:22
Michael Angel Street,
15:26
which is where Alex,
15:28
drummer of Van Halen, him and his
15:31
brother Eddie, started the band,
15:35
were born. Well, Alex is born here and
15:37
Eddie was born elsewhere, but I'll go by
15:39
both spots.
15:54
That's 41.
15:54
And this is it right here.
16:05
The music history.
16:05
Alex was born right in this very loft
16:28
there you go. He originally played
16:28
guitar but he realized his brother was a
16:30
much better guitar player. Obviously one
16:31
of the greatest guitar players ever. So,
16:33
we hopped on the drums.
16:42
And the next spot is a few miles away.
16:42
So, I'm going to take a train. I got to
16:44
walk a little distance to get to the
16:45
train station and do the non-connecting
16:48
train route.
16:51
I think it's about three miles
17:00
with by train, not by walking. The
17:00
shaded area through here is really nice.
17:02
this canopy of trees and artwork as
17:05
you're kind of walking through here.
17:06
Just very, very nice.
17:09
Beautiful.
17:11
Just got to follow this to close
17:13
proximity to the next train station.
19:29
So evidently down this staircase over in
19:29
this area, the family move from where
19:31
Alex is born and then
19:36
had Eddie
19:39
right over here. Number six, I believe
19:41
it is. There's 12 and 11.
19:44
One of the greatest guitar players of
19:46
all time. I mean, it's debatable.
19:47
There's a lot of argument. There's a lot
19:48
of great guitar players. But
19:56
there it is. Number six. Right there.
19:56
Right there. It could be that door.
20:00
Number six. Amazing.
20:07
No plaque or anything. Right up there in
20:08
that loft.
20:35
Edward Van Halen. Edward Van Halen
20:35
started a band with his brother, Alex
20:37
Van Halen, named after their last name.
20:41
They had a band before what is known as
20:44
Van Halen. They got David Lee Roth on
20:46
board. Notice he's not doesn't have the
20:48
Lee in there. It's just David Roth here
20:49
on the first album and the bass guitar,
20:52
Mike Michael Anthony.
21:01
It is really amazing to think about that
21:01
none of this would existed would have
21:03
existed if it weren't for the birth
21:08
of both those guys.
21:10
And Eddie was born right over there. I'm
21:12
now walking about another mile to a
21:14
different train station where I'm going
21:15
to catch one of the trains over to
21:17
Amsterdam Central closer to the area I'm
21:20
staying in.
21:23
Could use some hydration here, some
21:25
electrolytes,
21:27
a little parched.
21:29
Had the coffee a little while ago. Well,
21:31
earlier this morning. Well, earlier
21:33
today.
21:35
And now definitely could use some
21:38
hydration.
21:48
Classic car alert. Look at this old
21:48
school one there.
21:54
And something futuristic looking. Look
21:54
at this.
21:56
Look at this thing. It's called a media
21:59
water. Well, that's what it says on the
22:01
side. Anyway, that was a van that just a
22:03
small minivan. But
22:05
maybe it's not called a mini water. It's
22:06
called a a Twike. T W I K E right there.
22:13
It's like a tricycle, but it's enclosed.
22:16
Has like a protective covering around a
22:17
tricycle.
22:19
Oh, I think it's pedal powered. Look at
22:21
this bird over here by this farmers
22:23
market or by this fruit stand.
22:37
That's a little ger. We probably got
22:37
water or something in there. Like this
22:40
mural up here.
22:43
Got a couple of these. About half a
22:46
liter. So, drink two of them. I'll have
22:47
a whole liter of water in my system. And
22:50
then I'm probably going to need a couple
22:51
more cuz I am parched.
22:54
I like the caps they have here, too. Let
22:56
me untwist this. Hold on. So, when you
22:58
untwist the caps, they don't fall off.
23:07
Oh, this one did. Never mind. That one
23:07
did. Usually they don't come unattached
23:08
like here. Every other water I've gotten
23:10
while here it stays on. This one. This
23:13
one. Never mind. Forget what I said. Oh,
23:15
I got the tapping sound.
23:17
Means I can walk across. I also got
23:21
the little green guy.
23:23
That's the train station I'm looking for
23:25
right there. Or at least the upper
23:27
plateau of it.
23:49
one going to Amsterdam Central in 5
23:49
minutes
23:52
at 510. It's 505 right now.
24:15
That's 11. That flickering sign right
24:15
there says 2 minutes to Amsterdam
24:17
Central till arrival.
24:21
Platform 12. So, not platform 10, but
24:23
this will get me there. I think it's
24:25
just one stop, like a 5minute ride.
25:29
Standing up, you definitely got to have
25:29
your seat lights on this thing.
26:00
is
26:00
statue.
26:03
export.
26:22
The next station is Amsterdam trial.
26:22
This train terminates [music] here. You
26:24
can change
26:31
central
26:31
central and street.
26:57
right, back to the area I'm familiar
26:57
with.
27:42
All right, I think it's time I tried
27:42
some Holland fries.
27:45
Evidently, the fries here in Amsterdam
27:48
are the best ever according to
27:52
what people say. And this one is voted
27:55
the number one spot. Number one, Holland
27:58
Fries. So, I'm going to go ahead and get
28:01
in this line. Pretty lengthy line. I did
28:03
pass by this the other day and it was
28:05
insanely longer at night. So, I figured
28:07
now's a good time to go ahead and jump
28:08
in line and get some Holland fries. Why
28:10
not? What makes a Holland fry different
28:12
than other fries? I don't know. But this
28:15
the amount of people that are here
28:17
definitely uh definitely means they're
28:19
popular. They served it like a big cone.
28:23
It's probably got to be like a half hour
28:24
wait to get these bad boys.
28:34
I haven't tried any local cuisine yet,
28:34
so might as well. Waiting here. You got
28:35
to kind of
28:37
dodge the
28:43
the bottoms of the birds that are flying
28:43
over. The seagulls are like dropping
28:46
things.
28:48
It was like really close to hitting some
28:50
people. I think they realized like, oh,
28:52
we're not you're not going to give us
28:53
any of your fries. We're going to like
28:55
uh defecate on you. Oh, goodness
28:57
gracious. I uh
28:59
I got the mother load here. I think
29:01
that's probably just mayo, but they call
29:03
it fruit sauce.
29:05
This is warm and good. I got the cheese
29:08
sauce on there as well. Look at this bad
29:10
boy. Took about I don't know, probably
29:12
half hour. Pretty It's quicker than I
29:14
thought. I thought it was going to be a
29:15
little bit longer than that, but this
29:16
thing is heavy. It also doesn't help
29:18
that I'm holding the records in this bag
29:20
also. But this thing has got some got
29:22
some weight to it.
29:24
They had 24 different sauces. These are
29:26
the two I chose. There's some The fries
29:28
are somewhere down in there. This will
29:30
give you this little stick thing. It's
29:32
like a fork on the bottom of a stick.
29:36
So, you can just grab the fries without
29:39
submerging your fingers and all the
29:41
gooey goodness there.
29:43
Yeah, just to show the size of this
29:45
thing. You got all the all the stuff
29:48
down in there.
29:52
Train goes by. It is bright. It's
29:54
already like 6:30 and it just feels like
29:57
it's noon out here. Sun doesn't set till
29:59
like 10:30.
30:05
A lot of fries. All right, so the price
30:05
of this was like €9.
30:08
I think I just got a little fry just
30:10
like flew out of my out of my mouth
30:12
there. But yeah, I like how you have the
30:14
little stick right here. So this stick
30:16
so you don't have to like put your your
30:18
fingers
30:20
to put your dirty uh dirty hands down in
30:22
there. Of course, I'm eating this by
30:23
myself. So, it doesn't make a huge
30:24
difference. If I was sharing this with
30:26
someone else, you would definitely want
30:28
to have these. But, keeps my fingers
30:30
clean. I've already tried a couple of
30:32
them and they're pretty good. Pretty
30:33
good. I don't know if they're
30:35
mindblowingly good, but as I get a
30:38
little more into them, they start to
30:39
savor the flavor a little bit.
30:54
that cannot be healthy. all that uh all
30:54
that mess down in there. It's like a
30:55
They also had like a secret sauce which
30:57
was just ketchup.
30:59
I looked up on the the board the secret
31:01
sauce, which is ketchup.
31:03
Like it's already starting to seep
31:05
through.
31:07
I don't know about this. This is not the
31:09
This is not the most tidy snack.
31:12
I feel like it'd just be easier to shove
31:14
my hand down here and eat this
31:23
crisp level.
31:23
a chi. This is very very crispy.
31:27
They're almost like overcooked.
31:30
They're almost
31:32
I think they're like overcooked, but
31:34
that's that's possibly how they're
31:35
supposed to be.
31:38
Kind of wish I wouldn't have got the the
31:40
fry sauce, which is just a fake mayo
31:42
because look, look at that. That is a
31:46
That is a heaping bunch of non
31:50
That's a artery clogging goodness right
32:14
Since 1991, they've been serving these
32:14
things. These fried potatoes here in
32:19
Amsterdam.
32:40
Okay, they're pretty good. I see I can
32:40
see the height.
32:42
There might even be other places that
32:44
sell these. This might just be a thing.
32:45
Kind of like how Philly has cheese
32:47
steaks. This might be a thing here. The
32:50
Fritz
32:53
on a stick. There's probably hundreds of
32:56
these places. You know, it kind of has
32:58
like a poutineish type of vibe to it.
33:00
When you go to Canada, there's fries
33:03
with gravy and cheese and curds, things
33:07
like that on it. This is kind of like
33:09
their version of poutine. It's It's I
33:11
mean, it's the same base, right?
33:26
This is the largest size they had.
33:26
They probably should have gotten the
33:27
smaller one cuz this is a this is a
33:28
handful.
33:44
Cheese. Say cheese.
33:44
Yeah, this thing's oozing out. Just
33:46
oozing down there.
33:50
That's a lot of That's a lot of fried
33:52
potatoes there.
33:54
They're very crispy. Crisp level of 10.
33:58
We can call it a 9.5
34:01
Yeah, I don't
34:04
lightning bolt.
34:07
That's a lot of That's actually a lot in
34:10
this cone. They put it in one paper
34:11
sleeve, they pour some in, they throw it
34:13
in the other paper sleeve, and then they
34:14
top it off, and then they put whatever
34:16
toppings you want.
34:19
Cheers. I have now consumed a small
34:22
portion of the greatest fries in all of
34:25
Holland. Number one fries.
34:28
That's what they said. And that's going
34:29
to do it for today. Thanks for watching.
34:32
I'll see you in the next video. The vlog
34:34
is over. Yes.