| Enchanted By Amsterdam |
It was hard to see what was happening through my single blurry contact lens, and the streetlights hadn't turned on yet to illuminate the foggy dusk. Typical for northern cities like Amsterdam this time of year, it was past ten but some light still remained in the sky. I could see a woman running, she was short and stocky and old, with her hands up in the air. I felt perplexed when I noticed that she was yelling and pointing, and then I realized what was happening. Some distance ahead of her, a figure on a motorcycle was clutching what I assume to be the woman's purse, and was speeding away. The poor woman had been near the exit of a casino, and perhaps had just won some money, or maybe had just finished a delicious dinner and was heading home or to her hotel to sleep. And now she was running, chasing this thief who she would most certainly not catch. She ran, probably not because she thought she could catch up, but because what else is there to do but run? She continued until I couldn't see her anymore. Nobody stopped to offer help.
A Canadian girl we spoke to in our hostel told us of how she had paid for a locker in her hostel in Prague, wanting to keep some of her belongings safe while she went out to explore the city. She locked away many of her important documents, including her $2500 first class Eurail pass, valid for unlimited travel all summer. When she made it back to the locker in the evening, it sat wide open and empty.
These are somewhat sobering reminders of one of the biggest realities of traveling in even relatively save cities like Amsterdam. In just a few seconds, a clever individual with bad intentions and some fast wheels can disappear into the distance with your precious belongings. It's a constant threat that somebody will make off with something, and for that reason I find myself watching people carefully, just in case they come too close. In markets, we put our cameras away after being advised by a policeman that thieves will pull them right off your neck and run away. We keep our most important documents hidden in our moneybelts, a kind of slim fanny pack that fits beneath our pants.
Even with thieves on our minds, we have had no problem falling in love with Amsterdam. This city is like nothing I've seen before, with it's picturesque canals and the tall and gorgeous houses that border them. And oh, the bicycles, how they give this city such charm. We've wandered through so many different neighborhoods, and I find myself utterly impressed by just how much area is worth exploring.
We spent yesterday touring more of the city. After a €5 Italian lunch of penne all'arrabiatta, one of my favorites, we went to the Anne Frank Huis, a museum in the location where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during 1942-1944. The small museum felt similar to other holocaust museums but with a decidedly more personal feel to it, since the focus was on one girl and how the holocaust had affected her young life. The most eerie point of the museum for me was touring the very rooms of the secret annex where 8 people hid with hopes of escaping Nazi persecution. While most of the furniture had been removed, much of the rest of the dimly lit rooms remained intact, including photos pasted on the wall by Anne herself. Visiting the museum was a sad but very educational experience.
We toured more if the city, stopping by the same market from the day before to buy more delicious chorizo sausage. I also bought more cheese, taking care to look more carefully at what I was buying before making my selection. What I ended up with was perhaps the best deal anyone has ever gotten on a small wheel of camembert cheese, only €2. I also bought a few boxes of raspberries and blackberries, along with another quarter kilo of prunes. We sat on some grass next to one of the canals and watched a family of ducks swim around while we ate. It was funny to see how the two big ducks would quickly grab in their beaks any food we would throw in, and then race over to give it to their baby. I had no knife, so I ate the wheel of camembert in my hands like a pizza. It was so stinky, but the best I had ever tasted.
It's hard not to feel like there's something a little magical about Amsterdam. Marc keeps saying how enchanted he is by the city, and I feel that's a pretty good word to describe it. We walked down to the red light district last night to see what all the fuss was about. It was extremely crowded with droves of loud tourists, mostly men, and I was not terribly impressed. The prostitutes are all women anyway, so what did I really expect? The district has been around for many centuries, as we found out on a walking tour we took this morning. Less than half it's original size today, it's being further constrained by a government eager to shed Amsterdam's sin city reputation for a more art and culture oriented image. I personally appreciate the quirky, eclectic, unique feel of the town, and don't really feel any changes are neccesary.
Tomorrow morning we're boarding a train for five nights in Le Grand Paris! I'm very excited to see just what the city of light has to offer. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any recommendations! |
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| 2 Comments: |
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Hi Michael, Sounds like Amsterdam has made quite an impression on you. Will be interested to hear your thoughts about Paris...a bigger city, of course...fewer bicycles and a different feel. Some ideas of things to experience...walk along the Seine, definitely enjoy the outdoor cafes, they are very much a part of the culture, check out the left bank (rive gauche)...Blvd St Germaine area...when you get over there, have a baguette and cheese while visiting the Luxembourg gardens. You should visit Notre Dame Cathedral (on Isle de la cite...island in the Seine...don't worry, you'll find it). On the right bank, you'll find the Champs Elysee leading up to the Arc de Triomphe (westernized part of the city sort of). There are scattered markets and vendors around town. Also a chain of stores called Monoprix which have clothing etc but also contain a supermarket where we often got our provisions. People say the French are rude etc but that was not generally our experience. Other sights to consider...the Eiffel Tower, the Monmartre Area (painting in our kitchen) and if you're up there the Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Lastly, if you want paintings, the Louvre and on the left bank, the Musee D'orsay. Amusez-vous bien! (Have fun!) Love, Dad
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aww dad is cute leaving his comments!
Anywhoo it comforts me to know that you are keeping track of your belongings - you know how parenoid I am about being robbed!
I would also like to throw out that I love reading your blogs and there's no better way to pass the time here at work lol.
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Hi Michael, Sounds like Amsterdam has made quite an impression on you. Will be interested to hear your thoughts about Paris...a bigger city, of course...fewer bicycles and a different feel. Some ideas of things to experience...walk along the Seine, definitely enjoy the outdoor cafes, they are very much a part of the culture, check out the left bank (rive gauche)...Blvd St Germaine area...when you get over there, have a baguette and cheese while visiting the Luxembourg gardens. You should visit Notre Dame Cathedral (on Isle de la cite...island in the Seine...don't worry, you'll find it). On the right bank, you'll find the Champs Elysee leading up to the Arc de Triomphe (westernized part of the city sort of). There are scattered markets and vendors around town. Also a chain of stores called Monoprix which have clothing etc but also contain a supermarket where we often got our provisions. People say the French are rude etc but that was not generally our experience. Other sights to consider...the Eiffel Tower, the Monmartre Area (painting in our kitchen) and if you're up there the Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Lastly, if you want paintings, the Louvre and on the left bank, the Musee D'orsay. Amusez-vous bien! (Have fun!) Love, Dad