Experiencing Amsterdam

Amsterdam is arguably one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in all of Europe. Originally a fishing village, it is the capital and largest city in the Netherlands which boasts of world-famous museums, international restaurants, and historical sights, yet has medieval charm with its winding, cobblestone streets, pulsing with people and traffic.  The intricate waterways and canals mirror the thousands of tall buildings, elegant apartments, offices, hotels, and waterside cafes which are adorned with narrow windows and ornamental gables.   Amsterdam is sometimes called the Venice of the North for its many canals that weave and divide the city into ninety small islands, all linked together by over a thousand picturesque bridges.

In the streets of Amsterdam, the bicycle is the king of the road, and makes up for almost half of all human transport.   Everything else – be it human beings, automobiles, trams, buses, or alien spacecraft  –  must surrender the right of way to anything on two wheels. Granted, cycling is healthy and pollution-free, and is highly beneficial for cutting down the traffic noise and congestion.  For a truly authentic and local experience in Amsterdam, one is encouraged to rent a bike. Some will argue that this is immersing in the culture.  I beg to differ. Tourists on bicycles in Amsterdam are a death threat.  Period.

Please don’t misunderstand; I am all about taking risks.  I dared to go hand gliding in Maui and underwater caving in the depths of Western North Carolina.  I’ve crossed the streets of Shanghai and resisted purse snatchers in Tunisia.   But while I do have a passion for experiencing cultures, I also happen to value my life.  The truth is, like most everything else in Amsterdam, traffic rules are entirely subjective and open to interpretation with its multiple lanes and various vehicles racing in all directions…

So rather than lower my life expectancy on a bicycle in Amsterdam, I experienced the city through the art of Van Gogh and Rembrandt, toured the home where Anne Frank spent the last two years of her life, visited the Oude Kerk (Old Church) which is, in fact, Amsterdam’s oldest parish church and whose patron saint is Saint Nicholas (who, incidentally, was born in Turkey!) and strolled through Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden with over seven million bulbs.