Amsterdam

It was fun. Exhausting, but fun.

My modes of transportation were impressive - or rather, the sheer number I had to take to get to and from home to my hotel and thence to Amsterdam return was impressive. All up, I travelled on 10 trains, 4 busses, 2 planes, 1 tram, 1 taxi and a partridge in a pear tree... not that you can travel in a pear tree... but you may be able to travel on the partridge! And the one mode I didn't take that I wish I had as it would have really saved my feet: Bicycle. Will be hiring one next time for damn sure! I don't think I spent more time travelling than I did actually in Amsterdam, but I could be wrong - it was definitely a close run thing!

Arriving Friday night after a full day's work, all I wanted to do was crash (3 trains, 1 plane, 1 taxi). And I got a lovely surprise when I got to the hotel. Both the hotel and my room were MaHOOsive!!! The hotel was out in the sticks which accounted for me being able to afford such luxury, but still... I wasn't expecting such a cavernous suite I can tell you!

Anyway, on Saturday I went into Amsterdam (3 busses, 2 trains), arriving in Amsterdam Centraal Station and proceeded to kill my feet by hiking to the De Gooyer Windmill. It probably wasn't that far, but it sure didn't feel like a stroll. En route I passed NEMO - the science and tech museum, which looks like a giant sinking ship, complete with a three-master out front; The Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum (the maritime museum), which is closed until 2009 (D'oh); the start of a boat race, the participants of which I continued to see all day speeding along the canals; some amazing spider webs from which I stayed a healthy distance away; and literally thousands of bicycles - they're everywhere - something like 600,000 of them are owned in the country and there seemed to be more bicycles than people!! Anyway, the windmill wasn't actually in motion when I arrived so I got a coffee and recovered from the walk. An hour later it still wasn't going, so I decided to head back into town. I managed to see it starting to spin out of the rear window of the bus I finally caught back to Centraal... damn.

Speaking of dams, Dam Square is the main square in the centre of Amsterdam. It's situated where the first dam of the Amstel river was created from which the city takes it's name... I think. Anyway, the National Monument is there and the Koinklijk Paleis, a royal residence, along with, very bizarrely, a full-blown fair out front. I got a two-foot high pink and yellow stick of fairy floss so I was happy.

Next was a wonder through the winding streets of the city, over many canals and through interesting little side alleys, where I found the Bloemenmarkt (lovely street of flower shops selling tons of tulip bulbs), the Delft shop (scary being in there actually - I was very aware of not touching anything), amazing displays of alcohol (would you like your whisky in a deer, or horse-shaped bottle or perhaps a motorbike?), and quite a few ‘Australia’ shops selling Australian chocolate (I didn't know we had especially good chocolate back home...?!?). I passed, and was too scared to go into, the Amsterdam Diamond Centre. I think you need to be made of money to go into that place which I am obviously not. Diamonds are apparently one of the Netherlands bigger industries. And also went past one of the original gates to the city. I think I circled around the main areas at least three times. My feet felt very ill-used but the place is so fascinating it warranted several passes.

Amsterdam has a very bohemian side and is very liberal. There are 'Coffee houses' selling hash everywhere, and the Red-Light district, which is prostitute territory, is a major tourist attraction for everyone including families with young children. There really are red lights on the houses and many scantily clad ladies posing in purposefully designed windows down one particular street. It was interesting. There was also a Sex Museum, a Marijuana Museum and an Exotic Museum along with so many sex shops I lost count. Pretty much like Fyshwick only classy. And right in the middle of it, a beautiful Church - Oude Kirk - which is dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and prostitutes appropriately! I went into the Sex museum, which was a good chortle, but also educational in the way that sex has been viewed through time. They have some very interesting displays there.

Sunday (5 trains, 2 busses, 1 tram, 1 plane) I went back into Amsterdam for a few hours and thence home... but I did manage to get some cultural experiences in before departing. I walked from Centraal to the Oud Zuid and a stretch of ground they call the Museumplein for good reason. It’s this vast grassed area with a fantastic collection of museums and cultural icons on the edges.

The first I visited was the Rijksmuseum. This is Amsterdam’s answer to the Louvre. The building itself is very impressive. Unfortunately it's undergoing renovations, so only it’s ‘Masters’ were on show. Funnily enough, that wasn't really a handy cap. The best of the museum all agglomerated in one location so I didn't have to go hiking for miles to find them? I call that fortuitous! And they really were amazing. Rembrant... wow! Such illumination - his paintings literally GLOW! Paintings don’t often inspire me, but I was in total awe at these - I really wish I'd had time to go to Rembranthuis where he painted - next time. The Night Watch, his most famous painting there, was incredible - and so big. I've seen it on the TV in art shows before, but seeing it up close was a totally different experience. Exhilarating really.

Then I popped just next door to the Van Gogh museum. A much more modern building housing 200 odd of his paintings and 800 plus sketches on four floors. It was amazing to see so many of his works in one place and there was such variety! I love his flower paintings best. His variations on sunflowers - apparently he did 5 of them with variously blue and yellow backgrounds - and his orchids are just so vibrant and energetic. They really appealed to me.

In the same area is the Concertgebow (a concert hall famous the world over). I wish I could have gone to a performance. I've heard so many classical concerts recorded from there. However, it was closed, so I just got pictures of the outside.

Then I decided my feet needed yet further torture and headed over to Vondle Park, ostensibly for a relaxing afternoon of contemplation, but really I just sat on the bank of one of the lakes and aired my blisters.

Then it was on to Vondle Kirk for a quick look (a church - which I saw one side of) before heading back to Amsterdam Centraal and back the Airport to go home.
I was so tired I couldn't sleep - over stimulated I think. I will try to take it a little easier the next time I go OS. I pushed myself a little too hard trying to see everything at once. I think I’m coming down with a cold too. I just keep forgetting that I can go back and visit again. I don't have to do everything all at once. Too energetic, that's me. Huh!