Amsterdam, Better Late Than Never

(I thought I had posted this back in July, but it turns out I hadn't.)

Even though it's origins date back to the 13th Century, there is a very modern feeling to Amsterdam, as Rose and I discovered. The other thing we discovered is that this is the city we could spend the rest of our lives in: it is a remarkable mixture of history and contemporary convenience, artistic sensibility and earthly delights. The trams, for instance, are silent, frequent, and relatively inexpensive. There are dedicated bicycle lanes and it is clear this is a city council which has embraced the importance of the bicycle as a means of mass transit. Look, for instance, at this picture of bikes parked in the centre of town.

 Thousands of bikes, everywhere. And no one bats an eye except tourists when a mother rides along in the rain with one hand on an umbrella, the other on the bike, while a young child balances in the front seat on the handlebars, another sits calmly behind in a toddler's seat, and a third looks at the world from a backpack. Mum looks all the while as if this is just another routine start to an Amsterdam June day.

We stayed on a canal boat, The Captain's Place, and would stay there again in a minute if the chance arose.  This boat, built in 1906, carried heavy cargo along the canals of Amsterdam as well as the ones that make canal travel to Paris possible, until the Captain bought and refurbished it back in the 90's. It now has all the modern conveniences aboard, including a gorgeous sunny dining area with its own indoor  bougainvillea. The  thing is so heavy that, while boats moored beside us bobbed on the light waves, we were "as founded as the rock" and slept soundly. This may have partly to do with the fact that we had no lessons to plan, exams to mark, or loony Saudi drivers to watch out for.

The city centre is very walkable, what with the many canals to stroll along or to look down, the various examples of Dutch architecture, the use of colours and flowers, and the range of canal boats.

   I had no idea that Amsterdam was riddled with canals, and every walk was a bit of a mystery, a treasure hunt. In the picture on the right, Rose is clutching our dear friend from Norwich, Steve Laddiman. He and good wife Hazel flew over from England to join us on the canal boat for three days and we had a blast together. There are few places I can recommend as I can Amsterdam in late June. Hollyhocks in full bloom sprouting up out of the cement, as if they thrive on concrete dust; light morning showers every day gave way by noon to sun, cafes, wine, and walking. Norwich just over the water. It was glorious. As I said, I could live the rest of my life in Amsterdam. Another reason to buy lottery tickets.

One of so many curiously Dutch buildings
that are as much of treat to the eye as the tree
lined canals and colourful boats.

     We took a train with Steve and Hazel out to Harlaam, about 15 minutes from the central train station. This brings us into the medieval Netherlands. Harlaam at one time was the major northern city in the country, seat of local government, and weilding a mighty economic punch. This was before Amsterdam and Rotterdam grew in importance. It retains its 14th century town square, Grote Markt, and several of the buildings there at the time. Talk about stepping back in time. While we were visiting, we came across Marching Band Sunday and got to sit by the square enjoying our whisky and lager as a variety of marching bands vied for supremacy, or simply strutted their stuff for all the locals. It must have been a fairly big deal because bleachers were set out, dignitaries pronounced, and families gathered. It seemed a bit odd, I must admit, to hear one of the more significant songs from my youth: Eleanor Rigby (few versions came as such a surprise as this one did).

Grote Markt in Harlaam

One of so many flower shops at the
Amsterdam flower market.

This gentleman agreed to stand for a picture
moments after I marvelled at his moustache. 

Playing Eleanor Rigby in the medieval square. A timeless
song in a timeless place. But a marching song?

Back in Amsterdam one of several lovely canal side

 restaurants. That's Hazel with Rose. Steve's in the 

light blue and shorts. The food was divine, as were 

the ducks, bikes, and lazy passing of time.

Captain Eugene on our morning of departure. He was a great
host and I recommend his services highly.

That was an abbreviated look at our Amsterdam trip, made the more special by two things: it was the end of the school year and a transition step to our summer in Owen Sound, and we got to spend a good deal of it with our dear Norwich pals, Hazel and Steve (I guess that's three rather than two). If you ever do one thing in Europe and only one thing, consider a week or two in this very cool, very civilized city. And I haven't even begun to tell you about the cheese shops, delft stores, the "high" toned coffee shops with their muffins, cake, and brownies. They are, so to speak, singular joints. But of that, anon.