Adventure in Amsterdam - 08.14.2010

I have not been to Amsterdam nearly enough to know all the secrets. All the streets. All the history. But I have a very strong attraction to the city. After this past Saturday I realized something. I think I am in love again.

"Love makes you see a place differently, just as you hold differently an object that belongs to someone you love. If you know one landscape well, you will look at all other landscapes differently. And if you learn to love one place, sometimes you can also learn to love another." - Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

During the week all I can think about is when I get to see Amsterdam again. At first sight, every time, it makes my heart beat go silly. I walk out from Centraal Station and it is waiting there for me. It is always waiting for me. Even if I don't have anything planned for my time in Amsterdam just being there is enough. And when I leave I can still feel it on my skin. Yes, I think I have fallen in love.

On Saturday I didn't waste any time after I got out of bed. I skipped breakfast, got dressed, and packed a bag. I filled my water bottle and took a banana to eat on the train. The children waved to me from the back patio as I biked away. Since it was raining the weekend before I went straight to the Waterloo Plein flea market. And when I say I went straight there that actually means my route was direct but I took a few side stops to shop along the way.

I love flea markets. I've only been to one in the States. Years ago while visiting my cousin in NYC. In Italy I always went to the monthly flea market in Fiesole and bought some very interesting items there. Scarves and handbags that once belonged to some old Italian lady. A silver jewelry box as a gift for my godmother's wedding. A few old lire. There was an annual vintage fair in Florence but you had to pay to get in so I only went once. There I bought a red leather Cartier wallet that had a special flap for a passport. All special purchases that have the genuine feel of Italy on them even after changing ownership. So, I was excited about what I would find in Amsterdam.





Vintage mini liquor bottles. I bought four in different colors and a small jar. Old postcards. I only bought ones from the places I've actually been. I spoiled myself with three from Florence. It was nice to be reminded of my greatest love, Italy.

I had lunch alone outside some Asian place on Damstraat. It was a very busy day in the city but I still managed a leisurely stroll from block to block. Back in Dam Square I found some sort of Hare Krishna gathering. Food, music, and a diverse crowd. It was nice to be reminded of my first love, India.




I enjoyed some street music until the Hare Krishnas kicked them out of the square but the timing was perfect because the British au pair I met last weekend called and invited me to meet up with a group of au pairs in Vondelpark with her. I could have taken the tram because it is rather far but I chose to walk. When you're in love you like to take your time. Enjoy every moment. Savor the scenery.



The grass near the Flower Monument was packed full of people picnicking, dancing, playing with their dogs, sleeping, and conversing. It took us awhile to find the other au pairs but they had a good set up near the pond with blankets, wine, cookies, and cheese. About half the girls were from the US and half from Australia. Then one girl from Finland and one from Poland. Past the introductions the conversations all moved along with laughter and sarcasm and stories concerning adorably annoying Dutch children. So, my last two hours in Amsterdam were spent this way. Full of laughter, love, and all that other mushy stuff. I laughed my way into a romance with Amsterdam.

Getting somewhere

There really is not much for me to report about my first time in Amsterdam. I do not mean to say that there is nothing there for me to write about, but simply that my first experience in the city was not conducive to really discovering its true spirit. I merely glimpsed it. But it is still only the beginning, so there's plenty of time for some really good stories.

We all went on Sunday, the coldest day yet since I arrived. They gave me a tour from the car but I could hardly see anything they were talking about. I was in the backseat of their Volvo station wagon, squished between Roeland and Rosa's carseats. To see out the windows I had to hunch down. The children kept pushing me away whenever I leaned over, even very slightly, to peer out their window. I tried my best to take note of where the central station is and the Van Gogh Museum but everything else they pointed out (ie: good streets for shopping, eating, or strolling) did not make any sort of impact on my memory in terms of location. Besides, it is always better to explore on one's own. By foot. The car tour was a fair introduction.

After maybe thirty minutes we parked and had lunch at a bagel place. It was rather busy and as we were preparing to leave a woman dressed entirely in white (save for her belt, shoes, and jewelry) came in with a man, likely her husband. The only table available was a tiny table pressed up against our large one. While Robin and Roeland went up to pay Anna leaned over to me and pointed out how this woman was looking at us - she clearly wanted our table and was obviously agitated we were taking so long to leave. Generally this is rude, but if the situation includes a family with small children the rudeness increases greatly. She sat down on Ruben's spot, facing the table at which her husband was sitting. When Roeland returned he immediately (and very loudly) told the lady, "Hey, that's my seat!" (In Dutch of course.) Embarassed she stood up and tried to be playful towards Ruben, who was not taking it. Later, on the way back to the car, Anna began explaining that some lettuce from Ruben's sandwichhad fallen onto his seat. The woman with the white coat, sweater, and jeans ended up sitting on it. It were almost as if Roeland was setting a trap for her before she even walked in because when she got up after he yelled at her the fresh (and therefore very green) lettuce was stuck to the butt of her meticulously clean white pants.

Lunch was followed by a walk in Vondelpark. Had the weather been nicer it would have been a most enjoyable time but we all made the best of it. Even when it started to rain, only the children had umbrellas, and we were stuck on a bridge being sheltered by some overhanging tree branches, while a German man (tourist?) stared at us through his camera lens.



Other than last weekend I've not left the village. Up until Tuesday evening I had not even left the house since going to Amsterdam. It was too cold and wet Saturday and Sunday for Andrea to show me around on the bike so I can go to Purmerend and Edam. So, I've no place to go and no means to get there. My restlessness reached its peak Tuesday evening. So, I went for a run. I haven't gone for a run since sometime before Christmas and that was on a treadmill. This is how desperate I was to get out and get moving. I went over to the next village which only took about ten minutes to reach. Then from there I got on the paved bike path and headed towards Edam. I think Edam is something like eight miles away and I didn't intend to actually go that far. I just did two miles and turned back. Everyone I passed along the way said "Hej!" or "Hallo!", which made me elated - to find something so similar to Minnesota-nice so far from home.

Hopefully, I'll be able to take the train into Amsterdam on my own soon. Hopefully, I'll learn how to get to Edam and Purmerend on my own as well. I must admit that it is a bit unsettling to come off of four years living at college, where I had control over my own time and life, to be back in a setting where I'm part of a functioning unit. I felt the same way when I lived at home for a summer after living in an apartment in Italy. It has nothing to do with the family. It is just like what I said last time. There is a lot to get used to.