A brief interlude in Amsterdam is just about right

Notes on Amsterdam

Four days in Amsterdam is just about right. We would be glad to have another chance to break another trip here. The museums are great but the food is boring. The people are just about perfect; proud of their city, friendly, helpful and fluent in English.

From the "Red Light" district, to the flower market, to the "Coffee shops" (euphemism for marijuana joints--few actually sell coffee!) and museums, we really enjoyed being there. It's a welcoming city with friendly people. It feels a lot like home. As foodies, this wasn't an exceptional experience. The Dutch are really into potatoes pancakes and fish. We did enjoy the smoked eel and tasted the cousin of gin 'gienevre' a tasty aperitif.

The Dutch spend a huge amount of time and money managing 'water' (they are substantially below sea level). They are clearly disparaging of our efforts in New Orleans (we apparently told them it was too expensive to do what they suggested). One of the other most surprising and disconcerting things about Amsterdam are ubiquitous presence of bicycles. There are more bikes per capita here than anywhere else. There are actually more bicycles than cars - and they don't give way to pedestrians! Many apparent "sidewalks" are actually bike paths! They come up on you silently and expect you to get out of the way. It's easier for a pedestrian to stop and dodge than the rider (I am sympathetic given my experience in the Berkshires). Most of the bikes are the oldest and most basic ones that I've ever seen. No gears, no hand breaks, mostly black and rusted. Apparently, about a 1,000 bikes a day are stolen!. Coincidentally, about that many used bikes become available for sale at the flea market. There's a bike for anyone in any situation--we even saw a 'party bike' with over a dozen peddlers sitting around a main table structure, working in unison to stay in motion. Child seats (some with windshields and handle bars) can be in front or in back or in the form of a wheelbarrow to hold more then one child. The Dutch seem to use bicycles as extensions of themselves, learning to ride almost as soon as they can walk! One resident told us that he believes that the reason people ride is because, and these were his words, "Dutch people are basically 'cheap' and if there's a way to save money, well, then that's the choice they make. In a city which is incredibly hospitable to those 'in the saddle', it's the most economical way to go. It's also a quicker and healthier way to get about.

Our visit included time at the Rijks and Van Gogh museums where we lingered in front of some of our favorite Rembrandts and Van Goghs; and discovered some new names. Also on our list was the Anne Frank House--a devastating experience. She was such a vibrant young girl and only died one month before liberation. The museum has been kept very simple. You just tour the empty house and hear excerpts from her diary and interviews with survivors. It's hard to bear especially when you come to her room where she'd pasted postcards and movie star pictures to make the room brighter.

Concluding our time with a morning in the country seemed like a good idea. We hired a guide who took us to the small island village of Marken where the houses are so close on three sides that it seems impossible not to be intimately connected to your neighbour. Walking along a narrow lane, I accidentally brushed against a bell which brought an elderly gentleman to the door looking to see who the 'strangers' were. Chris made friends admiring his 'house sign' which had a verse she was able to translate using her German skills. Marken looks like a town where time stood still. Life seems quiet, garden plots are immaculate and women in town are known for their exceptionally clean windows! Driving back to town, we stopped at the site of the old style windmills which explained just how the water levels were controlled in the early days. Today electric turbines do the job, but the countryside is now dotted with the modern version which generates power for the city.