A quiet weekend in Amsterdam

So if you haven’t figured it out by the title, I went to Amsterdam over the weekend with my fraternity brother. A relatively short flight away from Britain, the price of the ticket was right and we were able to find a hotel (NOT a hostel!) in a very central location for a more than reasonable price, so there was little reason not to head to the Netherlands. So many things I want to say about Amsterdam... where to start…

Amsterdam is kind of a two-faceted city in terms of why people visit. For one, its old town is packed with canals (explaining the nickname ‘Venice of the North’), historical architecture, and a charm unique even in Europe. There is also the matter of it being a vaguely Las Vegas-eque place, where prostitution, marijuana, and many other things are either completely legal or technically illegal but fully tolerated. What happens in Amsterdam stays there more or less. But I wouldn’t know anything about that stuff.

View from our hotel onto the Rembrandtplein

Typical Amsterdam Scenery

Amsterdam is a tourist destination no doubt, but there aren’t a ton of ‘sights’ to see per se. The city’s main asset is its atmosphere. We flew in early Friday morning, and after checking into our hotel on the Rembrandtplein we spent most of the day just kind of wandering around. Like I said before, the city is really unique and definitely unlike any place I’ve been before. The canals, row houses, brick streets and narrow alleyways, cafes… one can walk for hours just enjoying the vibe that the city gives off. The same thing goes for at night when the street lamps and Christmas lights (I thought we started early in the states) glisten off the water making for some serious ambiance. Almost made me regret being single… but not really. As a side note, evening strolls are a legitimate pastime as the city is apparently one of the safest in Europe.  You might not believe that after the tenth or eleventh time being asked if you want to buy some coke, but a polite ‘no’ or a request for a comically harder and more dangerous drug will send these businessmen on their way no questions asked.

See what I mean?

If I remember correctly, that first night we hit up De Wallen (Amsterdam’s much ballyhooed red light district) to see what all the fuss was about. That was something else… it was like being in some alternate reality. I don’t know whether to describe the prostitution situation there as a marker of a more progressive society, or a marker of social decadence and degradation… maybe a little of both. It’s a legitimate industry though, to be sure, and the workers get regulated wages and benefits like everyone else. I guess what I took away from it was that prostitution is going to happen no matter what laws are on the books; there is a reason why it’s called the oldest profession in the world. Given that fact, I see no reason not to regulate it and turn it into a tourist destination… still weird though. Oh and you can't take pictures in the RLD, sorry. 

Wheatfield with Crows, possibly Van Gogh's last work

Saturday broke fairly gloomily, so it was a perfect day to explore the depressing life of one of the most famous painters in history, Vincent Van Gogh. Right near the Rijksmuseum, which had a 20 euro price tag I wasn’t trying to pay, Van Gogh’s place is a more modest affair but still sports four stories and an impressive collection considering how it seems like I’ve seen at least a few of his works in every major art museum I’ve ever been to.  The audio tour was useful but not as comprehensive as one might expect. Still, Van Gogh is a fascinating figure and it was definitely worth learning a bit more about him.

Next day we went to the Anne Frank Museum, which consists of the house the diarist called home during the Nazi occupation as well as a conjoining space for more exhibits. I read the diary for class when I was in elementary school so it was definitely a little surreal walking up to the real thing. I was expecting the house to be set up like it had been during the war, but instead the rooms were mostly bare, with information and exhibits on the walls. Various excerpts from the diary were scattered throughout, and the museum did a good job of presenting the chronology of the affair as well as the people involved.

The Anne Frank House is in the middle

Monday, our last full day in Amsterdam, we walked out to the ‘Heineken Experience’, an interactive exploration of everything involving Heineken beer. This particular attraction I was less than impressed with. For starters, I don’t care for Heineken. Fraternity life has conditioned my palette to appreciate brews of a more cost-efficient variety. Secondly, there just wasn’t much to the place, mostly just fluff. They don’t actually brew the beer there anymore, and although they give you a rundown of the brewing and bottling process, it’s not like you’re really seeing it. Most of the ‘experience’ consisted of watching beefed-up Heineken commercials and hearing about how wonderful the brand and its patriarchs are. You do get some free beer, but like I said, I’m not a fan.

So, you may be wondering what I did in Amsterdam the rest of the time, seeing as I was there for a little over four days and I wasn’t in museums for the whole trip. Well, you’ll just have to go to Amsterdam and find out for yourself. I said at the beginning of this post that there are two main reasons people visit Amsterdam, and I really believe that the combination is what makes it such a cool place. As an added bonus, the Dutch culture is definitely a distinct entity...but literally everyone speaks English, which makes getting around pretty seamless. I’ll look back on my weekend with fond memories for sure, and I would definitely be down to visit again- if only to continue reenacting my favorite scenes from Oceans 12.