RSSIn Amsterdam
There are three statistics that amaze me about Amsterdam:
the people are some of the tallest in the world, most of the city is under sea-level, and there are nearly as many bicycles as there are people (600,000 vs. 743,027). And on this weekend, it seemed, nearly as many “Pieten” as bicycles.
The Dutch celebrate the arrival of Sinterklaas, (St.Nicholas) perhaps like no others. A parade welcomes the Saint, as he arrives by boat “from Spain” with his helpers, Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes), in preparation to award good boys and girls on the evening of St. Nicholas Day, December 5 (I am told that the Petes are black because they assist Santa by going down chimneys and become sooty. Nothing to do with race, I am assured. But upon further reading, I see that the history is more complicated).
Amsterdam is a city of museums: there are 37 museums to choose from. The one I spent an afternoon in was the city’s history museum, Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 359). I found the top floor most interesting: a look at Amsterdam in the 20th century, highlighting the liberal social policies that have come to characterize the city.
There’s a current campaign against one of those policies: the cleaning-up of the Red Light district, a la the cleaning-up of Times Square. The city has been buying properties in the district, envisioning them for different uses. Until January, local fashion designers are hemming and hawing in a whole different way from some window shops. Watch this video, and tell me if fabric is the only thing that differentiates fashion models from prostitutes?
But of all the experiences you could have in Amsterdam, there’s one I’d recommend most: get inside of a Dutch house. (Go into the Anne Frank House, if no place else.) Marvel at the steep staircases. And imagine having these to maneuver each blurry-eyed morning or blood-shot night.
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Benjamin Thomas from the USA has been using Eurail Passes to explore Europe. On this weblog he shares his (train) travel experiences. Intro
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