On the day we traveled from Paris to Amsterdam I could say at last that I felt truly healthy. We had a 45 minute layover in Brussels, which was all the time we are spending in Belgium on this entire trip. I tried desperately to get a Belgian Waffle at the train station, but failed (seriously Brussels station, get your sh*t together).
We arrived in Amsterdam with no further complications and took the ferry (!) across the canal to our host's apartment. The ferry is free and runs 24 hours, so although it seemed like a hassle at first it ended up being one of the best public transit experiences I've had on this trip so far.
The city of Amsterdam is defined by its water channels. One would be hard-pressed to find a cafe, shop, or apartment that ISN'T on the waterside. The channels run all through the city in all directions, and where they meet at the center is the Centraal train station. All the buildings are thin and narrow and completely squished together in stereotypical Amsterdam fashion. Overall, the city is amazing and I fell in love almost instantly.
Additionally, the Dutch people are very nice, even to tourists, and speak absolutely excellent English. Both of these things were welcome changes from our experience in France. Besides the tourists, there are many immigrants as well, resulting in probably the most languages I've heard in one area so far on this trip.
The night of our arrival we took a nap and then headed out to the Red Light District to witness the famous Amsterdam debauchery. It was Friday night, so the action was at its peak. Indeed, the Red Light District lives up to its name. The streets were packed until 5am with tourists and locals alike ogling at the windows, drinking at the bars, and smoking in the "coffee shops" (which close at 1am by law). We frequented several bars, and I also got a first-hand experience of the infamous Dutch public urinals (they take the word "public" to a whole new level).
The next day we visited the Van Gogh museum. Despite being quite far we decided to walk the distance and experience different areas of the city during the day. It was a lovely day and we stopped along the way to get that waffle I'd been craving since Brussels.
The museum itself was astounding. It had just reopened after a 9-month refurbishment and the exhibit, "Van Gogh at work," chronologically tells the story of the artist's life and evolution through his paintings and drawings. More than any other art I've seen so far, Van Gogh's work is much different in real life than in prints, and his museum necessitates a visit if you're in Amsterdam.
After Van Gogh I visited the Anne Frank House, which had also been converted into a museum. The museum is very bare and relatively small, compared to other Holocaust museums. The rooms of the house are left unfurnished at Otto Frank's request, and the desired effect is for guests to feel the emptiness left behind by the Nazis. Indeed, the museum draws your focus very well to the artifacts that are actually present (including the diary itself of course), and the experience is a very moving one.
For our 2nd and final day in Holland, Rodrigo and I decided to part ways to see different attractions that fit our separate interests. I myself chose to leave Amsterdam completely and took a bus to the town of Zaandam; a 45-minute trip. There I visited a place called Zaanse Schans, a popular tourist attraction where guests can walk along the waterside of the gorgeous Zaan river and visit any of 13 perfectly preserved traditional Dutch windmills, most of which are fully operational (like the Death Star). Luckily It was a pretty windy day so 3 of the mills were operating and I was able to go inside and see how they worked, which was fascinating. I visited a Spice Mill, Paint Mill, and Peanut Oil Mill, which were all slightly different. The mill owners are not just putting on a show for tourists; they make real products that you can actually buy when you're there, e.g. Peanut oil, or Mustard made at the spice mill.
Zaanse Schans also includes other traditional Dutch attractions for tourists to see, such as a Wooden Shoe Workshop where you can learn about the history of clogs and watch a man make a pair right before your eyes, as he carefully explains the process. You can also buy yourself a pair of course. I also visited a cheese farm, learned about how they make it, and got to sample a variety of Dutch cheeses. The goats, sheep, and cows of the farm were wandering around the whole area, restricted only by the thin water channels amid the tall grass. It was such an unrealistically beautiful location, as if from a dream.
I came back home and enjoyed some much needed FaceTime with my family at home (especially my Dad, happy Father's Day!). Rodrigo came back home too and we decided not to go out again, because we had to catch a morning train to Berlin the following day (which I am now writing this on). After spending 6 luxurious days in Paris we are now on the fastest and most action-packed part of our trip, trying to squeeze Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague into about 6 days. I may not have time to blog along the way, but will try my best.
Thanks for reading!
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