Amsterdam

Aaaaaaah,vacation. I can really get used to the idea of making vacation a central part of my life, like a true Frenchwoman. We just got back from five days in Amsterdam, just a short, four-hour train ride away. It was a super relaxing and fun visit, full of architecture, stroopwafels, music, and best of all, quality time with old friends.

I hadn’t been to Amsterdam since 1996, so my memory of the city was still intact but a bit skewed. It seemed bigger this time around and I felt more attuned to the rhythm and layout of the city. And although it seemed bigger, in truth Amsterdam is a very walkable city and extremely easy to get around by tram. We rented an apartment in a stylish neighborhood called De Pijp, which is a bit far from the center of action but we actually liked that. The hood used to be working class but then the students came, and then the artists, and then the 30-something bobos. It’s kind of like the Mission District of Amsterdam in certain ways, but with less nightlife. The architecture there resembled Old City Philly in an almost eerie way. On some blocks I swore if you told me I was in Philly I’d have believed you. So in an odd way I felt very at home in that part of town!

After living in a European city for nearly 7 months, it was also fun to play the comparison game. What struck me was the relative friendliness and cheerfulness of the Dutch compared to the French – even as they rode bikes in the cold, wet weather, completely drenched, they seemed chipper. Maybe it’s all the legalized weed, or maybe they’re just a happier lot. (And yes, they rock the bikes all the time. So great. Except when you’re a pedestrian tourist and not used to crossing bike lanes. It’s easy to have many near-misses all in a day’s work.)

Anyhow, since Nate and I both had already been, we weren’t anxious to do tons of sightseeing but rather wanted to explore the city on foot and otherwise relax. But I’d never been to the Rijksmuseum, so on a particularly rainy afternoon we checked it out. The Dutch masters are not my favorites, but I did appreciate seeing their impressive works as well as the artifacts of 17th century Dutch history on display, including an amazing model of an old man-of-war. The skill and artistry put into ship-building in centuries past is mind-boggling.

Most of the rest of our time was spent hanging out with friends who were in town from the States. You see, we picked this particular weekend to visit Amsterdam because our old friends, the Disco Biscuits, were playing at a music festival. In addition to the band, my lovely friends Deb and Deanne were there for the occasion, so I got some solid girl time in, and reconnected with people from the scene I hadn’t seen in ages and didn’t expect to see in Amsterdam. It was great to not necessarily have an agenda, but rather to just hang out, eat pankoeken and sip coffee, stroll along the canals, and marvel at the fact that we’re now at a time in life when we can enjoy meeting up in European cities to simply enjoy good times together.

The shows were fantastic too. Seeing a DB show is like a homecoming for me, and watching them rock a room full of fans who flew to Holland just to see them is crazy considering it feels like a minute ago I was watching them play in the basement at a friend’s house party in 1996. I’m thrilled for their success.

And now that I’m back from a restful, satisfying vacation, what am I doing? Thinking about the next one. That’s right, Barcelona in six weeks! It’s ON!