Amsterdam (Netherlands)
10 March - 15 March 2016
10 March - 15 March 2016
The Dutch, their cup simply runneth over. You've got to ask questions about the lucky Dutch. Are they in fact plain lucky or is it something else, is the thing we see as luck something that they've allowed themselves to earn?
Inga and I arrived in the land of the giants. A population of tall, svelte, nubile people. All moving within their picture perfect capital city, effortlessly gliding without acrimony on their two wheeled transport vessels, their birthright. Walking from the Amsterdam Centraal we bypass a squall of earnest pedlars, mostly well dressed, flowing naturally through their unashamedly beautiful city. Damn you Dutch people, I've been here 5 mins and already I envy everything about you.
Dragging our luggage down Singel street, directly adjacent to a canal, I was already in admiration of the set-up. Beautifully manicured ordered streets, possessed by meticulously groomed individuals going about their day, treading along intricately paved paths in front of equally gorgeous canal houses, which are in fact, as tall, svelte and attractive as the people around here. You quickly ask yourself, 'were these buildings made in the image of themselves' or was it the other way around, somehow? Standing tall, slender and proud, each building in its place, as correct and beautiful as the next. Once again, 'damn you Amsterdam'.
Overlooking Singel canal - Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Our home for the next few days was the top floor of one of these buildings overlooking the canal. We both thanked our genetic make up upon entry as we discovered that what also goes with these tall, thin houses are equally as impressive staircases that you literally need to climb like a ladder. Some are so tight and have such a pitch that you wonder how the an man of average height (which here is 1.83mtrs) would be able to manouevere in such a space.
Now when people think of Amsterdam within two logical steps they get to the concept of the famous 'coffee shops', 'sex shows' and so to the inevitable commentary on how liberal the Dutch are seems to bubble to the surface. First, its true, the coffee shops are hidden in plain site and much the same as sex workers, obvious but hidden. The way in the Netherlands, it appears, is that things operate with reason. The Dutch are pragmatic for the most part and also appear to have level of tolerance to most thing, driven by their pragmatism. To me it make sense, and to rational people this philosophy makes sense. Overt interference by the state can come unnecessarily. With a lot of things that other countries attempt to regulate and suppress, when the state is overprotective and attempts to interfere unduly with personal choice then those choices simply get made in other ways, with less openness. Unreasonable interference only means loss of control and loss of the ability to inform, the alternative therefore, is tolerance with openness, information and the ability to actually regulate. To me it looks like the perfect combination. What you need to be available is there, you don't have to be subversive in your desire to access these things and thus there exists a society where all is cool Hunny Bunny.....once again, damn you Amsterdam.
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
The canals of the city are amazing. They form a labyrinth of intriguing water ways that gives this city a totally different dimension. Aside from the 'chilled' sense of the streets, as traffic in the city centre is more occupied by a fleet of cyclists than cars, the canals provide an additional layer of calm and serenity whilst allowing the town to be framed in a way that's very different from other place. With over 100kms of canals in the city Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the North, but to say that it somehow relegates the city to a position of inferiority. This place is just more 'epic' and makes much more of an impression than Venice. That's a simple fact.
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Inga loves Amsterdam and it didn't take me long to completely understand why that is. It a gorgeous place. Of course, we both contemplated our love, several times, a few of the many cool coffee shops that punctuate the city. I have to say...not problems from my side, puffing up a level of tranquility in a city like this just seems to be as fitting as having a glass of Malbec from your favourite asador in Buenos Aires. I recall on one particular evening as we made our way back to our canal house on Singel that I became acutely aware of my own personal frame of time in the greater context of time, as perceived by individuals around me, or should I say, as I perceived that individuals around me would perceive my acts within their own framework of time. To put it in plain English, the MJ had messed with my motor skills and I felt kind of wasted, although I had a huge hankering from some fries! And man, fries are on every opposite corner here, and right next door, more often than not, a place that makes waffles!
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Amsterdam - Netherlands
On one of the days we actually left the small village feel of Amsterdam and spent a day in the surrounds of another small village, Leiden. Inga has a sister that lives there and we spent the day cycling around the area within what I believe was the national park (Nationaal Park Zuid Kennermeland) near Haarlem, finishing off our day in the town of Leiden for a tour, some red hot bowling and even better apple pancakes. So for that I have to give a big thank you to both Veronika and Wouter for being our guides for the day.
Leiden - Netherlands
Haarlem - Netherlands
Haarlem - Netherlands
Leiden - Netherlands
Again, Leiden, like its big sister Amsterdam, is another gorgeous town. Once again, my pangs of jealousy abounded when I started to realise that all of the Netherlands could quite possibly look this way, and there I was, sitting back with only Belgrade to support me, realising that it indeed is much more than luck that can bring you to this position. In Serbia everything is a problem, its either difficult, not worth doing, not as good as somewhere else or there some type of rort happening. Serbians defraud themselves. Luck only really follow those that work for it, those that earn it. The Dutch, it appears, have earned it, and to that you can only give them credit and say, your luck is my respect.
