Freetouring Part II, or So Many Dikes, So Little Time

In many ways, the Amsterdam tour was a far cry from my guide-led expeditions through Berlin, but this was entirely because, well, who really cares about Dutch history? I mean, compared to World War II, the Cold War, the fall of Communism, and urban culture, stories of wealthy trading merchants or tolerant drug/prostitition policies seem like a rebuilt Bronze Age palace next to the Acropolis. Happily, I was distracted from the rather mundane nature of the information being divulged by two things: the city's beauty and the midwestern congeniality of our guide.
Note that here she's doing a great Val Kilmer impersonation. Anyways, I will say that the stories about Anne Frank and the Dutch reaction to/role in the Nazi occupation was interesting.

The rest of my stay in this fair city was fun but typical: sampling of local foods (not just Dutch, but Surinamese, mmmm), going to the Rijksmuseum (Dutch masters), checking out markets, listening to the audible miracle that is the Dutch language...

But, if you ever go to Amsterdam, one thing you HAVE to do is rent a bike. I've never seen a place where not only pedestrians but CARS defer to bicycles. They're everywhere, have their own roads, lights, etc., and make the city uniquely (and cleanly) hectic. Plus, it may the only time you'll get to ride a foot-brake bike as an adult. Ok, so I know, this has been a strangely informative and--well I'll just come out and say it--normal entry; I apologize and won't do it again. But for now, I'll leave you with some pictures. The rest are on Picasa.


One of the most disturbing things about Holland. They have a tradition where Sinta Claus comes from Spain with his "helpers," who paint their skin black and lug all his crapola around. When I demanded from a Dutchman an explanation, he said that the blackness was from the chimney soot. Be that as it may, I still want to numbchuck the entire country.












Nothing special about the picture to the left, just a good example of nice, carless streets with pretty buildings and a cluster of bikes.