Amsterdam

by annie

It's September suddenly on a canal in Amsterdam. Boats quietly float by, their passengers looking up at me drinking fresh mint tea. An orchestra of church bells rings an elaborate melody. The cardigan is just right, but I know the sun will warm this city by mid-day. A small scooter boat glides by, a father and his two sons wearing bright orange life jackets and eating cones of ice cream. When walking along these canals, it's impossible not to envision oneself living in a houseboat. How romantic!

Amsterdam feels much smaller than it is. Canals and bridges go every which way. Cobbled streets line rows of old four and five story town homes, many of which contain restaurants and shops on the first floor or two. It was in one of these, on Prinsengracht, that Anne Frank and seven others hid for two years above Otto Frank's warehouse and office with the assistance of four helpers. Touring the Anne Frank Huis was the most significant experience we had in Amsterdam. The museum has amazingly preserved the space and tells the story such that it grabs your heart immediately upon entry, where large images of Anne's beautiful face wait to greet you. Even among the massive crowds shuffling through, the raw emotions of their story are completely tangible; knowing that it is only one of millions of tragedies makes for quite the overwhelming experience.

Otto Frank, the sole survivor of the 8 hiders, asked that the Secret Annex remain unfurnished because the Germans destroyed all the original furnishings after the arrest. We walked through the different spaces, learning detailed accounts of how they were used. The windows were still darkened by black curtains. Anne's original diary was displayed in a glass case, her handwriting visible. Aside from hosting the hiding place and information about Anne Frank, the museum strives to promote awareness and equal rights, using Anne's story to inspire a world of equality and harmony.

We spent 6 days in Amsterdam, staying with two different couchsurf hosts and one hotel. We quickly realized that biking was the far superior means of transportation in such a flat city. In Amsterdam, bikes dominate the road and rarely abide by traffic laws. Most people ride on relaxed cruisers, often multitasking. We saw parents riding with babies in seats in front of the handlebars; travelers wheeling a suitcase alongside their bike; old guys on adult sized tri-cycles; locals carrying boxes over handlebars; young women talking and texting on cell phones; passengers balancing sideways on the rack on the back; and giant wooden crates built into the front for groceries or small passengers.

No one wears helmets. Most cyclists don't stop at red lights. Everyone gets along just fine on the road.

Cycling along the canals and beautiful streets, I felt giddy, dinging my "Winnie the Pooh' bell to express my happiness while riding on a rental named "twist and shout." If I knew how to make a cruiser do the twist, I would have. Brian's bike was black, and called "Donnie Darko."

It was quite an adjustment coming from a quiet village in France to liberal Amsterdam, with it's Red Light District and abundant coffee shops openly selling marijuana and pot brownies "to plan your day around." This acceptance of activities typically stigmatized in other places sums up the vibe in Amsterdam- laid back and tolerant. It also makes for good people watching- particularly the large groups of tourists clearly in town to take advantage of its liberties.

In addition to biking, we did our fair share of walking, picnicking in parks, strolling through open-air markets and going to museums, such as the Van Gogh. We had great couch-surf hosts- Hans for 3 nights and Mick for 2. Both were yet another testament to the brilliance of the couch-surfing project. Hans took us in despite being really busy and already hosting others. Mick shared dinner with us both nights over lovely conversation, followed by a thoroughly enjoyable qi gong practice. We felt welcome in their homes, and walked away so glad to have met them both.

We took lots of pics in Amsterdam, so here's a link to some of our favorites: AMSTERDAM PICS.

From Amsterdam we flew to Cork where we will be helpexing on a goat farm. We're excited to be in Ireland, despite the rainy weather.

If you missed Brian's account of our time in Dinan, click HERE.