I’ve been getting a little dose of Dutch for the last two days, and loving every minute of it. Aaron and I are at the Movenpick Hotel in Amsterdam now and I’ll be leaving after six days while he stays on for an Apache conference.
We arrived in Amsterdam on Friday morning at 6am. We spent the day strolling all over the city and doing our tourist part. The Van Gogh museum was of most insightful value. I learned about the Netherlands landscape and 19th century country life through Van Gogh’s paintings. My favorites included Basket of Potatoes, The Sower, and The Potato Eaters.
First impressions of Holland are:
- People are really tall here! I walked by one tourist as he said “Look at that group of women…they are all six feet tall!”
- The biking environment is nothing short of astounding. Wide lanes, respect for right of way, and courteously letting people pass are social behavior that Beijing could take note of.
- Sitting in the sun and having a drink: coffee, tea, beer, etc. is not just an occasional happening. It’s a way of life.
- Marijuana has not ruined the society. The “coffee shops” and red light district do not define this city. It’s like when people think of Florida…they think of oranges, old people and Disneyland. Well, the same is true with Amsterdam. People think of wooden shoes, the red light district and marijuana. I’ve been to Florida and there is a lot more than old people and an amusement park. Amsterdam culture is very friendly, artistic, and orderly.
- I will never turn down a good opportunity to come back.
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