I'll be 'Dam-ned!

This past weekend we ventured up north to Amsterdam to visit Jacob and Annette Cooper (see the previous blog “Weekend with the Coopers” to read about when they visited me in Luxembourg).

Random facts about Amsterdam:

* “Holland” and “The Netherlands” are one in the same. The official language spoken is Dutch. However, 85% of the country speaks fluent English so getting around is not a problem at all.

* Amsterdam is built below sea level.

* Some buildings are sinking and slightly slanted because the ground is unstable. In some of our pictures you will see houses that are significantly shorter than the others or that are obviously leaning because of this.

* Canals and bridges are everywhere throughout the city and the canals are set up almost like a train system (albeit a very expensive one): red boat line, blue boat line, green boat line, etc.

* Bikes are EVERYWHERE and are the main mode of transportation. The next most popular mode of transport seems to be walking. Consequently, everyone seems pretty healthy and fit.

* All the homes have these hoist beams with hooks on them at the very top. They use these beams and hooks to move people in and out of apartments because the stairs are so narrow and steep in most apartments. Picture it: rigging up your couch out on your front stoop, tossing the rope up to someone on the third floor, and “pullying” the thing up to the window…

* Because people move in and out this way, the homes are built at a slight slant so that when things are being moved up via ropes, they are less likely to hit the house.

* There are lots of beautiful flowers, especially sunflowers and tulips.

* The home where Anne Frank hid and wrote her diary during WWII is in Amsterdam.

* Excellent museums of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, etc.

* Prostitution and pot are legal (though not mutually exclusive).

So, back to our weekend….

We left on Friday afternoon and our plan was to be on the road at 2p and arriving at 6p (it’s supposed to be a 4 hr drive from the Grand Duchy). When 3:30p hit, we should have been some place in Belgium, almost ½ way to Amsterdam. Unfornuately, I was just picking Agnes up at our apartment at this time. We got a late start for one reason or another but we were finally on our way….for about 35 minutes. Then we were in dead traffic for about an hour or so. It really reminded us of our trip to Burgundy.

Eventually we got to the Coopers’ at 8:30pm and immediately headed out to the city to explore.
Jacob and Annette live in an excellent area of Amsterdam, known as “Old South.” They have about a 15 minute bike ride and 10-15 minute car drive to the city center. The area they live in is very clean and has very quiet streets. We were going to bike into the city, but we heard a few rumbles of thunder and opted to drive in. On the drive, we noticed the trams that run throughout the city and the amazing number of bikes. The bikes were everywhere!

More on the bikes: EVERYONE bikes and honestly, it’s a way of life in the Netherlands. The bikes are vintage style (think Mary Poppins). You sit up tall and the handle bars do not have breaks or gears on them. They are one speed and you stop by reversing your pedals (i.e., no freespin on these bad boys)…the good old fashion way! People have unique ways of carrying things and have baskets, wagons, cables, etc. People literally carry all of their groceries on these things. They’ll have wheelbarrows attached to the front and carry their kids in them. There are sidewalks, bike lanes, and then the road. Pedestrians have a light, cars have a light and bikes have a light to signal when to stop and go at intersections. Mix in the trams that run on the same streets, and you have to really pay attention.

Jacob said that 5pm rush hour is a mess….a mess with bikes! You think car traffic is bad, imagine trying to find your bike in the bike parking lot and then trying to leave with people all around you. It must be nuts.

Anyway, so we parked along one of the canals (no railing separating the cars and the water) and walked into the city center. There were street performers, people sitting outside of restaurants and coffee shops, ice-cream shops, etc. There were a variety of great looking restaurants to choose from and we picked a Brazilian style place. Our seating was outdoors and by this time it was around 10-11pm….prime time people watching!!

There was a club right next to our restaurant and honest to god, people were rolling up to the club on their bikes in full “clubbin’ gear.” We are talking skirts, heals, suits, etc. After they pull up and lock up their bikes (Pee Wee Herman style) they would straighten up their outfits and then strut their stuff like they just got out of a Mazerratti!

After dinner and people watching, we walked around a bit more and then headed back home. On the way, we noticed several bikes passing with a guy driving and a lady riding on the back….these were obviously bar hook ups and I’m not going to lie, the line from “40 Year Old Virgin” came to mind, “I hope you have a big trunk…..‘cause I’m gonna stick my bike in it!”
Saturday we woke up and had some breakfast and then ventured out on our bikes to explore. Jacob and Annette borrowed an extra bike from a friend for the weekend so they rode together and Ag and I each had one to ride. This really provided the true Amsterdam experience!

The day was absolutely beautiful, cool morning and in the 70’s by 1pm. We rode into the center again, parked our bikes and just walked around the shopping/pedestrian streets. There were many people out and about and lots of shops restaurants, coffee shops, etc were booming. There was a random sand soccer game going on in one of the center areas too.

There were canals everywhere with small boats going under the bridges and bikes, trams and people crossing over the tops. It was just a sight to be seen. Most homes that we noticed are built next to each other and all had the hooks and beams on top. Bikes lined all the streets and canals.

After we toured the city center area we jumped on our bikes and headed to the Red Light District….at 2pm in the afternoon! I will give my best PG-13 version of this “Prostitution” area. There are many adult stores, bars, coffee shops (Note: coffee shops are where you can legally buy weed in Amsterdam) and cafes in this area. There are also many doors. What I mean by that is imagine just a wall of doors, one after the other and each door has a big glass window with a red curtain. Inside each door sitting on a stool is a woman dressed for success, advertising, waiting for visitors, etc. If the curtains are closed, the small room was being occupied and was in use. There are red lights above all the doors too. The thing was, none of the women were attractive…they all looked like 45 year old ladies that you’d picture would be cleaning your house…not selling the goods.

Once we washed our hands and headed out on our bikes again, we went through a few parks. The flowers, windmills and views were great! The main park with the “I AM STERDAM” (see pics) was kind of in the middle of all the museums and reminded us of a college quad. People were just walking around everywhere, hanging out, etc. I have to say, most of the time when you go to a park, you see lots of squirrels. Well, for some reason, squirrels do not exist in Amsterdam; rather, wild chickens and roosters roam the land. Very bizarre!

We headed to the market area of town next, parked our bikes and went in to shop. Veggies, fruit, clothing, batteries, frames, fish, everything was on sale here for really good deals! The only thing that really restrained us from buying too much was the fact that we had to ride our bikes back with it! Speaking of which, these people have it down to a science when it comes to their bikes. They have wagons, extra seats added, bags, baskets, everything…MTV Pimp My Bike would be a hit here.

By this time it was close to 4 or 5pm and our booties needed a break from riding all day. We headed back to Jacob and Annette’s to relax, watch a movie, shower, etc. We then jumped back on our bikes around 8pm and went to the city center for dinner. Again, the city was lively with people everywhere. Guess where we ate dinner….at an awesome MEXICAN restaurant. Agnes and I were drooling as we sat drinking our Coronas, waiting for our chips and salsa.

Again, we sat outside and took in the sights as we enjoyed our company, drinks and dinner. One thing we noticed were a lot of bachelor and bachelorette parties passing by. We saw probably 5 or 6 go by in the time we were sitting at dinner and most of the groups had on matching t-shirts. We noticed that these parties dress like this a lot in Ireland an Prague as well.

After dinner we walked around a bit and thought we would be brave and head into the Red Light District just to see it in full force….and it was electric! Same way described it before, just lots more people (men) and craziness and way better looking talent (for the most part). After that tour we headed down a random street that was really happening. Unfortunately for Jacob and myself, we were in the “boys’ town” section of Amsterdam. I affectionately termed the street “Hamsterdam”. To each their own, but when Agnes and Annette were a few feet back, giggling and telling us that guys were checking us out, we got more than a bit uncomfortable.

So, we got out of that area in no time flat and headed back to our bikes. It was pretty late at this point and felt it was a good time to hit it.

The next day we slept in and then Aggie and I went on a canal ride for an hour or so. It was a decent tour of the water ways and a nice way to see the city as well. I do have to say, we saw the trailer parks of Amsterdam…boats rigged up like houses along the canals. It’s pretty amazing that people live on these little boats! Apparently, it’s pretty expensive property to be “canal side”.

The weather was awesome again and after the ride we walked around, shopped, grabbed some sandwiches and then headed back to Annette and Jacob’s. We left around 2:30pm with the high hopes that we would have no traffic….and we didn’t! We made it back in less than 4 hours.
Overall assessment: Amsterdam is awesome and it’s definitely a city we could live in. Jacob and Annette are also excellent, excellent hosts.

So….we are now back for two weeks and then heading to Sardinia, Italy for a weekend beach trip. Sardinia is an island off the West coast of Italy. Apparently it’s mandatory for men to wear Speedo’s on the beach in Sardinia. Stay tuned for those pictures!! Until then, a lot of work here and there and then relaxation awaits…