We finally leave the United States with another snowstorm on
our heels, its full brunt not felt in the DC area until the next day. By then,
we are in Amsterdam, safe and sound, which is just as cold when you add the
wind chill factor, although relatively warm when compared to previous winters,
according to the locals. I am completely unprepared for the cold, having left
my winter coat behind in frigid DC. It’s a mistake I will pay for dearly.
Our arrival at Schiphol Airport is quick and efficient, and
we actually arrive earlier than planned, including the mandatory security and
customs checks. We locate the driver, load the kids, suitcases, and the cat
into the van, and we are off.
It has been many years since I’ve last visited Amsterdam. As
a student, Amsterdam was the convenient place to get stoned legally in its
numerous coffee shops. This time around, I had two days, a wife and two kids,
and would make the most of it, my drug of choice this time around Heineken on
tap.
Amsterdam itself might just be the perfect modern European
city. The architecture of the buildings can make the tourist freeze in his
tracks. Add to that the charming canals running through the city, and it almost
makes places like Venice look sick. The Dutch themselves are wonderful, warm
people, which I had already known. According to Liebi, they are ‘like Germans,
but friendlier’. Progressive, intelligent, and savvy, the Dutch are still
capable of showing the rest of the civilized world how to be productive and
laborious, albeit with a smiley face to match their efforts. Amsterdam might
just have the most beautiful women in the world too, as even Liebi pointed out.
Our hotel is located near the Vondel Park, a fantastic
urban park near the center of the city. There is a supersized cat sleeping in
the lobby, which is par for the course. People who say everything is bigger in
the United States haven’t been to Amsterdam yet. My guess is this cat skips the
dry food and proceeds directly to the buffet table at the hotel. This cat looks
like it could chase deer for breakfast.
The first thing the visitor will notice is the abundance of
bicycles in the city! In a city like New York, it is easy to get run over by
pedestrians or vehicles if the out of towner drags his heels. Amsterdam is the
only other city where this is possible, I have now learned. Little wonder that
New York used to be known as New Amsterdam. The only difference is that in
Amsterdam, it will probably be a bicycle that will run you over.
Bicycle paths are all over the place. The cyclists are very
mindful of pedestrians and I don’t witness any crashes, although there might
have been a dozen near misses, probably including tourists on foot like myself.
Of course, Amsterdam’s public transportation system isn’t too shabby either.
It doesn’t help that I can’t find my way around the city
anymore, and I probably add a few more miles to my pedometer once I know where
I am going. I have to walk quickly or freeze to death.
In the end, we spend a lot of time at the hotel, in
particular because the kids need to overcome the jetlag. Liebi visits the Van
Gogh House plus the Rijksmuseum while I take walks through the city, some with
the kids, some without them.
In Amsterdam, there is only one place I want to visit during
the short time I’m there, and it has nothing to do with art or architecture. Surprisingly,
I missed this place before. I was determined not to miss it again.
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