Amsterdam Pictures

I almost forgot.

Dutch bicycle

The Royal Cathedral of... oh wait, that's the mall

outside the Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam

Ocotober 19

Well! Amsterdam was indescribable. It was easily the best trip I’ve ever travelled (no offense Mom and Dad). That said, I would like to formally thank my parents for all of the experiences they’ve opened me up to through our travels together. The trips we did as a family surely taught me invaluable lessons about time management, a traveler’s attitude, and more. It goes without saying that my trip to Amsterdam would not have been the experience it was without the tutelage I received from my parents as a budding young globetrotter.

Let’s start with my thoughts on my first relatively independent adventure (I say relatively because I certainly relied on Maren for many logistical components of our trip, but I think we worked well as a team). I was wholly unprepared for the high level of intensity that accompanies planning and executing a successful trip. I can deal with constant walking, constant waiting, or any state of inertia in between. The variable that catalyzes physical fatigue and introduces exhausting mental and emotional stress is the responsibility. It’s a different dynamic than my previous trips. It isn’t very taxing to have unconditional faith in your parents as tour guides/navigators. In the past, I need only keep up with the pack and make a fuss when my stomach was empty or my bladder was full to enjoy a perfectly pleasing holiday. But for this go ‘round, I was in complete control. I was in control of whether I ate or went hungry, whether I was clean or smelled like a Dutch dumpster (which smell mostly of old cheese and French fries), whether I sopped up every bit of Dutch culture I could in 3 days or stared at a wall in the hostel (again, I owe thanks to Maren for sharing these responsibilities with me. But, my point is that the workload had skyrocketed from 0% to 50%). I’m writing this down not to lament the squandering of a long weekend, but rather to illustrate the fact that the outcome of your travels resides, for the most part, in your own hands. Independent travel is an incomparably liberating concoction with distinct notes of sheer terror.

So, with all of my insidey feelings about travel covered, we can proceed to the substance of the voyage. The first day, in an attempt at blending in with the locals, we rented bicycles (which made blending in difficult as they only rent vibrant yellow bikes to tourists; we were like caution signs on wheels). We spent the entire first day exploring Amsterdam by bicycle. It was breathtaking. The peaceful canals effortlessly slip through the carefully laid out cobbled streets. We became utterly lost more than a few times, but we really didn’t care. There was nothing on the agenda but exploration. I was amazed at how quiet the city was. Amsterdam is a huge city (over 1 million people) that doesn’t feel the need to impose itself upon you. It’s funny that the lack of chaos doesn’t come off as quaint or simple. Likewise, the unimposing character of the city doesn’t take away from its beauty. This is what was rolling through my head as we explored, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, as well as, unarguably, one of the most historically rich sites on the continent.

The second day was dedicated to the Anne Frank Huis. I’m not going to try and describe the superficial or even my own feelings. It’s simply something that no one should ignore if they have the opportunity to see. One of the aspects I can describe is my admiration for Otto Frank (Anne’s father). The fortitude and patience he must have expended in undertaking such a painful and monumental project is unfathomable. After completing the museum, Otto spent his remaining twenty or so years spreading cultural/religious understanding and coexistence, as well as the undesirable task of defending his daughter’s diary against claims of forgery, and sometimes outright fraud, from neo-nazi groups.

It was an appropriately somber and rainy day and Anne Frank’s house was certainly the topic that occupied our thoughts and time that day.

Dinner on Saturday is certainly a worthy adversary in the competition for my most treasured experience. It was all Maren’s idea. She stumbled across a site called “Like-a-Local.” It is a network of internationally friendly couples or individuals that open their homes, culture and, in our case, South African bottles of wine, to tourists looking to get a more personal cultural experience. We arrived nervously at the portside apartment Marikke (mahr-eeka) and Peter, not knowing what to expect. My biggest fear was that their English would be as poor as my Spanish and we’d just pass the time between awkward silences talking about how the Dutch put mayonnaise on their fries while American prefer ketchup. I could not have been more wrong. Both spoke superb English (Peter’s may have been better than mine), plus a whole host of European languages (between them they spoke English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, ad infinitum). Given this reservoir of linguistic competency, we naturally asked if they planned on teaching any foreign languages to their children (Emille – 2.5 Kaspar – 4 sidenote: the children served us our hor d’eouvers of raw herring which was delicious) and they told us no. Their reason? They have faith in the Dutch education system to foster their children’s language skills to the level of their parents. That was astounding to me. And it isn’t curious to see why. After six years studying the language, my Spanish could be generously labeled functional and I’m a statistical outlier in the US education system. We talked about this at some length and they had a handful of other insights that made us pause and think. Our other topics of conversation included Dutch history (specifically, the Golden Age of the Dutch Trading Companies, Dutch navy, Rembrandt, etc.), travel, employment and food. They were a truly engaging couple. Their willingness to pioneer an idea as free thinking as Like-a-Local speaks to their mettle. As the evening wound down, Peter and Marikke gave us suggestions for bakeries and highlighted the Rijksmuseum, a gallery filled with art produced at the peak of the Golden Age of the Netherlands. It was an unforgettable evening with unforgettable people.

The Rijksmuseum was the last stop of our journey. In all its ostentatious splendor, it was a fitting finale for our last day. The beginning of the gallery was a small antechamber with paintings that were no less than 20X20 ft., depicting grand naval battles and another depicting the lavishly wealthy nobility flaunting their military decorum and fine silverware. Let’s just say it set the tone for the rest of the gallery. Most of the gallery was a tribute to opulence and was dripping with nationalistic sentiments. But that made it no less breathtaking, nor was the skill and precision of the artists lost in the greed that inspired it. My favorite part of the gallery was the Rembrandt collection. “The Night Watch” was my favorite painting in the gallery. I’m not an art critic, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the fruit of an artist’s labor. It does mean, however, that I can’t really explain it, so here’s a link http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/complete_catalogue/portraits/de.html. Another portrait I found interesting was a self-portrait in which Rembrandt depicts himself as Saint Paul (pretty bold for the youngest child of a Miller). http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/complete_catalogue/self_portraits/saint_paul.htm

I’m sorry I can only provide links; a better blogger would have their own personal photographs. However, security was tight and I rather like my digital camera.

            The rest of the time in Amsterdam was spend wandering about, taking in the city one last time. I said my goodbyes to Maren as she boarded her train to the airport. It would still be another 15 hours until I’d reach Granada. And I spent the time pathetically feeding the birds and dolefully eating my Wok-to-Go. In the Barcelona airport I slept on the filthy ground spooning my backpack. But even this undesirable final chapter couldn’t taint my experience.

the end of creative titles

Sorry I haven’t been writing at all. I’d say I’ve been extremely busy, but that’s not entirely true. I did take a trip to Madrid the first weekend of October, but that only accounts for about 4 days. The truth is, after Madrid, I was tired. Classes started that Monday and I was marginally busy, but I was mostly figuring out my new schedule. But I’ve had the last three workdays off and I really haven’t been all that useful. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve been going between not having enough time to write, and having unlimited free time to write, in which case, what’s the point? Such is the nature of my constantly-rationalizing and slothful mind.

First item: Madrid. Madrid really was fantastic, but I’m going to cop out and primarily post pictures to relate the experience. Madrid is a lively place. It’s Gran Vía (roughly our Broadway) was truly a spectacle. I’ve never been to New York City’s Broadway, but I know how it’s laid out, and the Gran Vía was quite similar. There were plenty of theatres and huge marquees everywhere: very glamorous. I imagine it feels very much like New York without all the angry people. The scale of Madrid impressed me the most. It’s also curious to me that the cultural, financial and political centers of the country are in the same city in the majority of European countries. At first it seemed downright foolish to me. It would’ve been nothing short of insane if the founding fathers had decided to set up the legislature in New York City. A country that’s already weak and ripe for invasion becomes all the weaker and riper when you can knock out the political, financial and cultural foundations in one fell swoop. But of course, each country grows up in distinct circumstances. I just think it’s cool that you can see a country’s history in the complexion of its cities.

My classes are alright too. One class is about the European Union. I’ve learned a good deal about the meat-and-potatoes function and structure of the EU at school, but learning from a member of the EU and seeing the other side is incomparable. It helps that our professor is intelligent, engaging and has worked for the Ministry of Economics and now sits on a number of panels and groups that advocate bridging the gap between Europe and the Middle East. But that’s the real highlight of my schedule. Everything else is unbearably dry and or boring. The good news is it’s all easy, so a successful semester, academically speaker, is all but assured. And that’s really all you’ll hear about my “classes.” I am not here to study, I’m in Spain to learn the Spanish language, observe the culture, travel and have fun. All of those things take place outside of a classroom.

What’s really been occupying my mind lately is AMSTERDAM. It’s my first journey that has been planned and will be executed independently. The best part is I’ll be traveling with my girlfriend. We’ll be celebrating our 1-year anniversary in the Netherlands with boat tours, a private dinner with locals and other various cultural visits (i.e. Anne Frank house, Van Gogh and the multiplicity of other museums/galleries that Amsterdam has to offer). 

Royal Palace of Madrid

Outside the Prado

Aqueduct in Segovia

Royal Castle in Segovia

Royal Symbol of Madrid

spanish semester

Sorry I haven’t been writing at all. I’d say I’ve been extremely busy, but that’s not entirely true. I did take a trip to Madrid the first weekend of October, but that only accounts for about 4 days. The truth is, after Madrid, I was tired. Classes started that Monday and I was marginally busy, but I was mostly figuring out my new schedule. But I’ve had the last three workdays off and I really haven’t been all that useful. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve been going between not having enough time to write, and having unlimited free time to write, in which case, what’s the point? Such is the nature of my constantly-rationalizing and slothful mind.

First item: Madrid. Madrid really was fantastic, but I’m going to cop out and primarily post pictures to relate the experience. Madrid is a lively place. It’s Gran Vía (roughly our Broadway) was truly a spectacle. I’ve never been to New York City’s Broadway, but I know how it’s laid out, and the Gran Vía was quite similar. There were plenty of theatres and huge marquees everywhere: very glamorous. I imagine it feels very much like New York without all the angry people. The scale of Madrid impressed me the most. It’s also curious to me that the cultural, financial and political centers of the country are in the same city in the majority of European countries. At first it seemed downright foolish to me. It would’ve been nothing short of insane if the founding fathers had decided to set up the legislature in New York City. A country that’s already weak and ripe for invasion becomes all the weaker and riper when you can knock out the political, financial and cultural foundations in one fell swoop. But of course, each country grows up in distinct circumstances. I just think it’s cool that you can see a country’s history in the complexion of its cities.

My classes are alright too. One class is about the European Union. I’ve learned a good deal about the meat-and-potatoes function and structure of the EU at school, but learning from a member of the EU and seeing the other side is incomparable. It helps that our professor is intelligent, engaging and has worked for the Ministry of Economics and now sits on a number of panels and groups that advocate bridging the gap between Europe and the Middle East. But that’s the real highlight of my schedule. Everything else is unbearably dry and or boring. The good news is it’s all easy, so a successful semester, academically speaker, is all but assured. And that’s really all you’ll hear about my “classes.” I am not here to study, I’m in Spain to learn the Spanish language, observe the culture, travel and have fun. All of those things take place outside of a classroom.

What’s really been occupying my mind lately is AMSTERDAM. It’s my first journey that has been planned and will be executed independently. The best part is I’ll be traveling with my girlfriend. We’ll be celebrating our 1-year anniversary in the Netherlands with boat tours, a private dinner with locals and other various cultural visits (i.e. Anne Frank house plus the multiplicity of museums/galleries that Amsterdam has to offer).