We arrived in Amsterdam this morning, May 20th and the sun is
shining and the weather is warm but a shower is in the forecast.
It was an easy disembarkation with no customs or immigration
inspection, ah Europe and its open borders. A brief taxi to our hotel and we
are in the heart of Amsterdam and many of the attractions are an easy walk. Not
so easy is the climb to our hotel. Egads it is 37 steep and narrow steps to the
reception desk and another 19 to our room which is adequate in size. The bed is
comfortable, the shower roomy and the inclusive breakfast more than satisfying.
We are greeted by the two resident kitty cats who have free roam of the place
except during breakfast when they get locked away for health code reasons.
The stairs will be troublesome but the staff is more than helpful
and carried our luggage, all six bags for us up the stairs and to our room. We
were early for check in & left the hotel and headed for the canal boat
excursions. I know, we just spent 2 weeks on a ship and 8 of those days at sea
without seeing land and the first thing we do when we get off is get on another
boat! Crazy but it is a good way to get an overview of this small but important
city in the Netherlands.
So, for the next hour we wandered slowly through Amsterdam and
the tour guide gave us an interesting talk on the sights and history of the
city and we escaped the rain shower while inside the glass covered boat. Lunch
was a shared sandwich at a canal side restaurant & a short walk to
Westerkerk Church. A non-denominational yet Protestant house of worship (there
are not many in Amsterdam) with ornate gold chandeliers and devotional
candelabra but no altar. A beautiful organ with recorded play filled the
building when we entered.
We returned to our room for a much-needed nap and to unpack and
settle in before exploring later in the evening. Refreshed and ready to go we
headed for the infamous "Red Light" district and The Old Church. Unfortunately,
the church closed about 30 minutes before we arrived after a healthy 1.5 mile
walk from the hotel. It was early, around 7 pm and many of the
"ladies" had not yet arrived for work but there were a few and Laurie
got a kick out of waving at them and their boldness. Most were dressed in what
would be considered modest beach wear for some of the US or Caribbean beaches.
The erotic shops catered to all types and tastes but the true entertainment
were the people walking the streets.
It was Saturday night and the party was in full swing. Rolling
beer kegs mounted on wagons powered by a dozen drunken young men and or women
singing and hollering up and down the streets vied with the bikes, cars and
trams and pedestrians for room on the streets. Roving wedding bachelor and
bachelorette parties in the oddest of costumes, full drag to diapers and Tiaras
sloshed their way around the district and into and out of various drinking
establishments. The heady aroma of marijuana was everywhere since it is legal
and sold in coffee houses on every block. It was more fun than NYE in Penn
Station in the 80's!
We opted for Argentinian steak burgers at one of many restaurants
situated all in one area on the edge of the District. We strolled back through
a bustling Dam Square and a gelato to make up for the exercise. A long day was
followed by a very restful night after the difficult climb up 56 steps to our
room.
It's Sunday morning and we are running a bit slower today. A
leisurely breakfast and then off to the museum district by tram and a huge
outdoor craft fair surrounding a pond with some odd sculptures. A slow walk
past the vendors and then a lite lunch al fresco before tackling the Van Gogh
Museum. Amazing works by him and other artists. A huge collection of self-portraits
and use of blue and yellow and on the verge of Impressionism. Four immense
floors of art. We took the tram back after the visit since we couldn't also try
and see the Rjksmuseum and the Dutch Masters as well. Dinner in a small
restaurant of good Spaghetti Bolognese and a stop at a pastry shop for
chocolate eclairs. A long climb up our stairs. Our feet are tired!
It's Monday morning and we are up early for a scheduled 10:15 am
visit & tour of the Anne Franke house. They have done a great job in
keeping as much of the original layout as possible while still providing access
for the visitors. Lots of interactive multimedia. It is sad that this event had
to happen and yet it was interesting to learn how creative the friends were in
developing the various hiding techniques. A must see if you visit Amsterdam.
We moved on to the site of the Old Jewish Market which was a
large area of stalls used mainly by the Jewish population to buy and sell fresh
foods and clothing and other essentials before the war and before German
occupation. It obviously fell in to disrepair and was resurrected in the
50-60's by the "Hippie" generation and now is a thriving flea market
for used clothing, memorabilia, old coins and used German military uniforms.
How ironic!
An Al Fresco lunch and then a visit to the Rembrandt house. A
large home he purchased when his career was at its height and then caused him
to go bankrupt due to the high costs associated with such a large home. Most,
if not all of his belongings were sold off at auction but the meticulous Dutch
keep records and with the detailed descriptions of his belongings, they have
been able to recreate the home close to what it was like when he owned it.
The studios where he taught students are amazing and spacious and
many of his art work is still there. An interesting and informative (especially
for Laurie) demonstration on the history of making the various oil paint colors
was fascinating. Another not to be missed attraction.
After our Tram ride back to the hotel, an early dinner and then
another treat of Dutch pastry before heading up the stairs and a well-earned
nights rest.
We had a slow start this morning and needed to get some laundry
attended to as well as some packing as we leave somewhat early tomorrow. Off to
the Rjksmuseum for an extraordinary collection of work by Rembrandt as well as
Vermeer and other Dutch Masters. The Night Watch and the Jewish Bride (made
more interesting after our lecture on colors yesterday) & dozens of
fabulous works. Recently renovated, the museum does a great job of presenting
the works in areas large enough to avoid crowding. We enjoyed a nice lunch in
the Cafe before our "roaming" and were some of the last visitors to
leave.
Alas, we were in rush hour crowds on the Trams heading home but
I’ve ridden the NYC subways! A recommended Guide book restaurant turned out to
be a disappointment. It was listed as Italian but was very modern with a small
plate menu and mainly raw foods. The Filet was, in reality, raw beef slices.
The oysters were only served raw. The short ribs were cooked but the veal tips
were only partially cooked. A stop at a local pastry shop eased the pain! An
unexpected disappointment from Frommers which is usually spot-on with its
suggestions.
We were back in our hotel early to complete the packing process
and a good night’s rest before flying off to Florence in the morning. We have
really seen the major highlights of Amsterdam and it is doubtful that we will
return for any extended time. At our ages, there are too many other places to
see first before repeating a location. A sad reality.
