Amsterdam

We took a trip to Amsterdam last weekend. What a great city and only two hours from Brussels! There is so much to see and do there. We only had two days so we decided to tour some historical sites during this trip. We visited the Historisch Museum and the Anne Frank House. The Historisch museum covers seven centuries of the city’s history using art, archaeological finds, and interactive displays. There is even a section on Amsterdam’s drug culture and the legalization of soft drugs. We spent three hours and still did not get to see everything. I would highly recommend this museum to anyone who visits Amsterdam and is interested in history. Look for a post from Rick about the important role that VOMIT plays in Amsterdam’s past and present. The Anne Frank house was fascinating too. It was chilling to actually be in the house where Jews hid during the war. I got a better sense of what daily life was like for these families and of how precarious the situation really was.

We enjoyed wandering the canal-lined streets and people watching, which is an event in and of itself. I wanted the quintessential Amsterdam experience so we stopped in a "Coffee Shop." Unlike, the other patrons, however, we ordered coffee exclusively. From the coffee shop, we got to witness a common event in Amsterdam—a tourist passing out. Some guy overindulged and fell flat on his face as he was leaving. He actually passed out for a few minutes and when he woke up he had to be held up by his friends. It took a while before he attempted to walk again. I thought it was pretty scary, but at least he didn’t vomit, which is apparently another common event. The waitress commented that this type of thing happens a lot and is bad advertising for them. I think I’ll just stick to coffee!

No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a stroll through the Red Light District. I found this both amusing and disturbing, but interesting nonetheless. There is no shortage of sex shops, sex shows (the advertisements themselves are more raunchy than anything you would see in the U.S.), and sex itself). At least the women in the windows were attractive for the most part. They are also in business for themselves and, therefore, have some control over their work.

We did a lot of walking and spent much of our time dodging bikers—I think we will rent bikes next time. Future trips will take us to some art museums and, of course, the Heineken Brewery--I’ve heard that you get a tour plus three beers for about 7 Euros. Now, that’s a deal!