Being pulled in many directions in this the final stretch before the holidays. For now I wanted to inform you the public about extending shopping hours in Amsterdam. They call it Koopavonden... literally Buy-Evenings; when shops extended their normal hours (which are typically til 5 or 6). During Koopavond days shops will be opened until 10pm.

The next few dates for extended hour nights are: this Thursday the 20th, Friday the 21st, and Sunday the 23rd. This effects all the good shopping districts, especially in the center of town. Other cities may have similar initiatives, I haven't really heard/seen specifics.

People often ask, are they as holiday shopping crazy in the Netherlands as they are in the US? The simple answer is YES. This whole week, all day and into the evening, you can bet the shopping streets are filled. The only difference is you don't have to worry about finding a parking space.