AMSTERDAM Bustling With History, Culture And Beauty By Neli Lalanne Let’s pause for a second and try to solve that riddle. Where do 600,000 bicycles ride on 1,281 bridges over 165 canals, while 1,402 cafes and bars cater to 173 nationalities that may or may not want to analyze 206 paintings of Van Gogh dispersed in 51 museums? And the winner is…whoever guessed Amsterdam (a keychain with flashing nipples will be mailed to you shortly). If you pictured Amsterdam as this modern mythical place where the red light district stays lit all day and a side of flavored Marijuana always comes with your coffee, you are not too far off. The city although small is amazingly colorful. At any given moment while getting lost in a maze of colorful streets you can spot either a dancer all painted in brown busy pushing his physical limits and proving to an impromptu audience that being limber is so much more; or a group of kids armed with a portable radio (with surprisingly good audio given it’s size) showing off moves you would find dangerous (i.e. spiraling on their heads) but executing them with incredible ease. Should you get dizzy watching the performances, you can always regain your senses by checking out the shopping. A myriad of shops line the streets, everything from souvenir shops to clothing boutiques exposing latest fashion wares (after all Amsterdam is not located in Western Europe for nothing), all inviting all tempting. In case you don’t fancy shopping, walking through the city is an event on its own, just looking around gives you the feeling of being part of a very expensive painting. The buildings date from the 16th, 17th, and 18th, century, it’s like stepping in a past era and taking a stroll along paths followed by those who roamed about during Rembrandt’s lifetime (with reminders of this century of course, I don’t reckon Rembrandt checked his email at an E café). Historic landmarks like the Anne Frank house attract visitors from all over on a daily basis. Visitors whom after touring museums by day admiring and commenting on 16th century art, can be found touring the red light district by night admiring and commenting on liberated prostitutes’ thighs, all the while smoking highly potent joints which they purchased legally at a coffee shop nearby. The city is bustling with life; a mixture of culture, history and sheer beauty makes you want to fall in love with a Dutchman named Yan and listen to him explain how the Dutch are probably the most open minded group on earth while laying on the grass in the middle of Vondel Park during a cloudless summer day. Yes there are plenty happy tourists floating on cloud nine in Amsterdam, enjoying beer for breakfast (as the Dutch seemingly do). They can be found everywhere, sitting outdoor on terraces, cruising on canals taking photos of houseboats and raving about the undeniable beauty and magic of the town. On this floating city, there are events and shows happening everyday of the week, the locals are most, if not all bilingual and speak English with surprising fluency, attribute which comes in handy when in need of direction to the next bar. It does not take too long to realize that Amsterdam is a hedonist’s haven, full of surprises and just as many alleys. A place where inhibitions hold no power and worries for a moment can be tossed over bridges and disappear in sinuous canals. And in the summer time, when purple flowers magically find there way on balconies and tree leaves appear more resplendent then ever, you can look towards the horizon and witness an eleven o’clock sunset. So what do you say…? Let’s travel to Amsterdam... |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
© 2004-2008 The Clermont Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.