Hotel Amstel, Amsterdam

On a cruise through Holland and Belgium in spring 2005, we saw a number of canals, including this one in Edam. We sailed round trip from Amsterdam, and one highlight came at the end of the 10-day cruise as we drove through the tulip fields of Holland to visit Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse. We had a last day in Amsterdam and I arranged to have lunch (served Monday-Friday) at the famous hotel Amstel (Professor Tulpplein 1). I knew this gracious hotel from past visits, and a lunch at their 2-Michelin-star restaurant, La Rive, is a treat.

JUNE GRIFFIN, Lewiston, ME