Indeed.
And the trip I made to Amsterdam recently was just that – a learning experience which was fun and brought one wonderful surprise after another.
"The city of Amsterdam is well-known because it is the proud owner of one of the most important intact historical city centers in the world," said Nellien Mothaan, our tour guide. "The Amsterdam cityscape is dominated by canal houses, most of them built as residences for wealthy citizens."
We asked about the laws for the famous red light district of Amsterdam. To this, our Nellien said, "In Amsterdam prostitution is legalized and tolerated because it is only in this way that laws can be made to regulate it."
Makes sense. If it were illegal there would be no laws that could govern prostitution or the use of marijuana. No wonder the Dutch are easy to talk to and they love to laugh a lot, too. The mansions of the rich, which we passed by during our tour of the city, are narrow with relatively tall facades, crowned by richly ornamented roofs. Of course, I could not help but look with great awe and wonder at the canals, which run through the city. There are also around 20,000 buildings in the city center. A number of them were built before 1850.
There is so much more to Amsterdam and anything I put in writing will never be enough to share with you the beauty that I saw and experienced. But let me share with you the many reasons I would love to return.
• Schipol Airport. Shopping is great. And walking around it gives you a feel of Amsterdam, even if you haven’t stepped out yet. Of course, it’s a great place to get a good cardio workout. Try walking through it.
• Tulips. I have seen tulips here. But seeing plenty of them in a field is a sight to behold. I just wish that I could tiptoe through the tulips fields.
• Museums. There is the Rijks Museum, which when we were there, had Rembrandt on exhibit . Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606. This year marks 400 years since his birth. And the Van Gogh Museum. Both painters are from The Netherlands.
• The house of Anne Frank. Anne Frank was a Jewish girl, born June 12, 1929 in Germany. Her family escaped to the Netherlands to start a new life. It was in The Netherlands on her 13th birthday that she received the best present – a diary.
Anne had dreams of becoming a writer, and was delighted with her gift. Instead of writing "Dear Diary," she named her diary Kitty.
On the first page of her diary she wrote: "I hope I shall be able to confide in you completely, as I have never been able to do in anyone before, and I hope that you will be a great support and comfort to me."
She wrote in it for over two years. That diary became one of the most published books ever, and has been translated into over 60 different languages.
Then Hitler and the Nazis invaded and took over the Netherlands. The Frank family went into hiding in the attic above Otto Frank’s office. Their friends brought them food and keep them hidden. They didn’t want anyone to find them, so they had to keep extra quiet. Anne spent most the time writing in her diary. She hated being trapped in that small space. On September 28, 1942 she wrote: "I can’t tell you how oppressive it is never to be able to go outdoors, also I am very afraid that we will be discovered and shot."
The last entry Anne wrote in her diary was on Aug. 1, 1944. Three days after that, the German police found their hiding place, and they were taken to concentration camps. The diary was left behind.
Although a tour of Anne Frank’s home was part of the sked, there were too many people who were joining the tour, too. We had an afternoon appointment and were not able to enter Anne’s home.
• Canals flow through the city. It was great to see the Dutch in their boat houses which include small gardens.
• The red light district. Here, window-shopping is the name of the game. When the window is closed and the lights around the window are on, this means that the girls are occupied. When the windows are opened, the girls sit in front of them to attract a customer looking for a quick fix.
• Marijuana is legal. I entered Bulldog Café where they sold all sorts of marijuana. "Have the chocolate milkshake. It will take you on a great ride," said the waiter to me. It was too early in the morning for a ride. "The space cupcakes are great, too," he added.
• Cheese. There are cheese houses all over. But make sure you are with someone who knows all about cheeses when you visit one. Too many cheeses, too little time. Better yet, ask the friendly people in the store if you can have a taste.
¨• The cleanest drinking water. When we asked for bottled water, the waiter at our hotel was flabbergasted. He told us that there was no need for that because in Amsterdam, the water is the cleanest.
• Windmills. Too bad we didn‘t get a glimpse of one of the eight windmills still working in Amsterdam. We were told that everything is being done to preserve these windmills. May 11 is National Windmill Day, and on festive occasions or national holidays, the windmills are decked out in flowers, garlands, figures of angels or the Dutch flag. For centuries, windmills have helped the Dutch fight water shortages, no wonder they were the first to develop "windmill technology."In its glory days, the Netherlands boasted more than 10,000 mills.
• The Dutch kiss. The warm people that the Dutch are when they greet a friend they plant three kisses on the cheeks. A little different from two we are used to hereabouts.
• French fries and spicy peanut sauce. This one is a yummy discovery. On our first night, we were looking for a place to eat and I chanced upon a small resto which sold French fries. I tried it with the spicy peanut sauce and fell in love with the taste. And, if you are a vegetarian, it is easy to find places which serve really good vege meals.
• The national color is orange. We were in Amsterdam on the weekend of Queen Beatrix’s birthday – and everything and every one out on the streets that day were decked in orange. I love the color orange. I love Amsterdam.
• Live and let live. Need I say more?