Amsterdam - July 8 - 12

Within minutes of arriving in Holland we experienced that famous Dutch quality called "gezelligheid" at Cousin Linda's very comfortable home in Almere, just outside Amsterdam. Yes, yes, you heard right, another country, another cousin. I have a fair number of those, and thanks to the South African disapora, they are conveniently scattered around the globe. Linda and her Dutch husband, Marcel, fetched us from the Almere train station (after an anxious half hour of waiting at different exits of this surprisingly big station), and plopped us at a table in a shady corner of their garden. Marcel's mother and sister from a nearby town were visiting. And Linda's mother from South Africa had arrived that morning. Over chilled Belgian beer in this peaceful suburban garden, we got an overview of the cultural peculiarities of the Dutch from these locals. Who would have guessed that practically everyone around the table played cricket? That the Dutch were actually very much into this sport we associated with England and her former colonies?

Linda and Marcel deserve medals for hospitality.
The sumptuous meal that appeared on the table was clear evidence of determined effort. Lamb curry, vegetable casserole, vegetable pies, salads, and pickles turned us all into gluttons. Marcel opened up a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from a Stellenbosch winery. Wow, I couldn't imagine a more luxurious way to begin a visit to the great city of Amsterdam.

The next evening Linda and her mom, my Aunt Sally, prepared an assortment of vegetable curries and roti for dinner. It was another balmy evening. Marcel opened up a fine Bordeaux for this meal. We had such a lovely time in the garden reminiscing about our childhood days in Ladysmith. Don't they always seem wonderful in retrospect? The sun disappeared around 10:00 PM and we finally dragged ourselves indoors to rest up before more serious sightseeing in Amsterdam.

A spiffy train from Almere Parkwijn station deposited us most efficiently in Central Amsterdam. Mass transit in Europe never fails to impress the heck out of me. Exiting Amsterdam's Central station - a stunning neo-gothic building designed by Pierre Cuypers - we hopped on a tram, easily visible and waiting to depart, to Museum Square.

Now, I have to admit, we did learn that over the top efficiency had its problems too. Transportation chip cards are supposed to be painless, but we encountered some frustration when we tried to do a top up. But that's a long and boring story!

Rijks Museum

A few hours at the splendid Rijksmuseum did wonders for our cultural IQ. This museum impresses in every possible way - from that gorgeous facade (another of Pierre Cuyper's creations), to its luxurious interior with its precious collection, to the terrific sculpture garden outside.
A free online audio app guided us through the museum's highlights, helping us understand Dutch art of the Golden Age. We got quite the scoop on famous paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer and Frans Hals.

The helpful audio guide also made staring at the museum's Delft pottery more meaningful.

Rembrandt's Nightwatch

Rembrandt's gigantic Nightwatch is, of course, the star attraction at this museum. For ten years the museum was closed for remodeling and this famous painting wasn't available to the public. This year Amsterdam was a hot tourist destination due to the re-opening of the Rijksmuseum. Two other major museums - the Stedelijk and the the Van Gogh Museum also re-opened this spring after years of being closed for remodeling.

The audio guide helped me appreciate the contrast of light and dark that made "Nightwatch"famous. Rembrandt's depiction of motion was another unusual feature. Despite the crowds hovering around this masterpiece, we managed a good gawp.

Canals. gabled buildings, and bicycles - Amsterdam images forever imprinted in my mind. What a pleasure to wander around a (mostly) car free city. Though, it has to be said, dodging the millions of cyclists was not exactly fun.

We totally lucked out with accommodation in this city. I found an absolutely fabulous bed and breakfast listed in Rick Steve's guide book. The Hotel de Leydsche Hof was so central - on Leidsegracht - just a five minute walk from Leidseplein. The building was owned by the same family for generations and used to be a proper hotel. Now, after some remodeling, it is like a huge house with many bedrooms and loads of character.

Amsterdam's squares are all so attention grabbing. Rembrandt Square, with an attractive sculpture of the artist and life size bronze figures around the pedestal, provided a great excuse to sit down and rest our weary legs.
The most famous one, the Dam Square, home of the ornate Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk, and the monument can keep you gaping for hours!
On the topic of famous squares, I had a lot of fun on the Leidseplein, discovering jenever. The buzzy cafés on this square provide a pretty cool base to absorb the city's energetic vibe. Tourists, locals, street performers, shoppers, street vendors - all help give this area a really lively atmosphere.

At the Van Gogh museum the term "spiritual" floated into my atheistic lexicon, as I soaked up the magic of this place. I kept saying a silent thank you to Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law (Theo's wife)  for her persistence in making these works available to the public after his death. How could it be that this genius was a nobody when he was alive?

How many Shakespeares and Beethovens and Van Goghs have gone unnoticed? Thomas Gray said it best in his poem "Elegy in a Country Churchyard".
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness beneath the desert air

But thanks to Theo and his wife, we get to revel in the sweetness of Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers and irises.

Amsterdam Concertgebouw

At another of Amsterdam's treasures, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, we heard three heartwarming pieces of music - Stravinsky's Pulcinella, Mozart's Violin concerto No. 3, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4

Free beverages (wine, beer, espresso drinks, tea)  were a really nice touch. It was just so pleasurable to relax in the plush lobby during the intermission, sipping red wine, imbued in the sweetness of "Pulcinella".

Vondel Park

On our last day in this fine city, the weather turned a little chilly. Vondel Park was on our "must do" list, so we bravely marched over there after our tour of the Van Gogh Museum. I'd been to this park twenty years ago, when a heatwave swept through Northern Europe. I could clearly remember the party like vibe in this park on that scorching summer day. For the first time in my life I saw gay couples making out, and topless sunbathers sprawled on picnic blankets. Small groups of musicians strummed guitars, and others picnicked on the lawns. But today, with a gray sky above us, and only a few people around, the park had a serene feel about it.

Anne Frank House

A visit to Anne Frank House is just so gut clenching. Walking through the sombre rooms, all I could think of was Anne's joie de vivre that came through so vividly in her diary. She let us into her soul and we know well how she looked forward to her freedom. To think how close they were to it when they were caught ...

What cruelty we humans are capable of. So many examples through the ages, throughout the world ...

Being the responsible tourists that we were, we checked out the Red Light District - but in broad daylight when Warmoestraat, though thick with tourists and the smell of marijuana, was pretty mellow.
After checking out the 13th century Oude Kerk, we strode into the narrow lanes with red lights that radiate from the square. A few women  were at work being alluring ... and it was impossible not to wonder about the heartbreaking circumstances that led them here. We fled from the area, to more cheerful parts of the city.

Indonesian food is to Holland what Indian food is to Britain. We were told that a rijstafel is a not to be missed experience in this city. So we dined at a place called Sampurna near the famous flower market. An overwhelming number of spicy Indonesian dishes, many featuring tofu, tempeh and peanut sauce, arrived at our table. But they were all so tasty, we totally pigged out! It was our last evening in this city, so the heck with exercising discipline!




As we took our last tram ride to the train station in the early morning, we decided that this was a city we had to return to. There was still so much to see.