A Holland Holiday

Our latest trip out from this conveniently-placed island was a 4 day trip to the city on the Amstel: Amsterdam. We had an amazing time with Megs and Andrew, just exploring the city with them as they enjoyed their first visit to a non-English-speaking country. We loved the place, and decided that Amsterdam has a bit of PR problem, since for many just the name conjures up images of hippies, drugs, and the red light district. While these elements were present in small pockets, what this description misses is the 100km of beautiful tree-lined canals, the peaceful quiet of a city with very few cars, the great museums and galleries that we visited while there, and yes—it must be said—the hundreds of unique and ancient bridges that pepper the city (see our trip pictures here). Even the narrow, leaning buildings that line the canal streets are colorful and full of character. The houses were taxed on width, so most of them are 5-6 stories high and only 2-3 windows wide. Since the stairs are so narrow and small, each house has a hook hanging from a beam on top of the gable, which is used to lift furniture through windows into the house.

We had great weather there and managed to avoid any public transit until the last day: we just walked everywhere. We visited Anne Frank's house, the Van Gogh and Rembrandt museums, and the Heineken Brewery, as well as one of the famous parks and a clandestine church in an attic. Between a boat tour and renting a water-bike for the afternoon, we made good use of the canals and explored much of the city from the water. We also made a day trip out to see some working windmills and wooden clog-maker which was super-cool. We tried on some clogs and walked around the shop, but couldn't possibly think of any practical reason for owning a pair, so we had to appeal to reason and leave them behind.

The Van Gogh Gallery was really neat because it followed the life of one artist, which lets you really get to understand his work and development, rather than jumping from artist to artist like in a large, general museum. Anne Frank’s house was really good to visit too, and a bit of the reality of what it would be like to hide from daylight behind thick curtains came through. They hid for over 2 years from the Nazis, and were found because of an anonymous tip. There were just a few months left in the war, but still 7 of the 8 hideaways died in camps. It did a good job conveying the terror of the time for Jews. The boat tour on our last full day was one of our favorite parts of the trip, and a great way to see Amsterdam and enjoy a sunny day.

Check out or trip pictures, and we’ll try to put some more up of the rest of our visit with Megan and Andrew soon!

Educational P.S.:

I work with a guy from the Netherlands, and I asked him what the correct term for the country was. I was surprised to hear that neither is really correct, though Netherlands is the official name, which means “lowlands” even though much of the country is not lowlands. Strictly speaking, “Holland” refers to the 3 (most prosperous) counties on the coast, though people in other counties will still say they are from Holland, and in national competitions like football their team is called Holland. It was funny to hear of their split identity, and I guess we take for granted the clarity of “United States of America.” That pretty much sums us up.