Amsterdamned
This week I visited the capital of the Netherlands not once, but twice.
That's right, I just couldn't get enough of the den of iniquity the first time, so I went back for seconds.
On Wednesday, our entire class went on an "Excursion" to Amsterdam, in order to improve our understanding of Dutch art and culture. First we visited the Rijksmuseum, where famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt and Steen are showcased. We saw a lot of impressive works of art, and the tour ended with the famous Nacht Wacht (Night Watch). Next, we made our way over to the Beurs van Berlage, a large exhibition hall that used to act as the trading floor for stocks. I wish it still served that purpose; I would have bought a stock or two. We rounded out the day with a walk through the Red Light District and a visit to an organization called "The Scarlet Chord." It is an organization in the heart of the Red Light District whose purpose is to talk with prostitutes and encourage them to change their lifestyle. We had a good talk with them, and the information they shared with us was quite eye-opening. Overall, the Red Light District was a grim look at the sex culture in Amsterdam and Western Europe. Prostitution became legal in the Netherlands in 2000, in an attempt to lower prostitution-related crimes and ultimately decrease the practice. So far it has been ineffective.
We didn't have a lot of free time to explore the city, so I decided to take advantage of this uneventful weekend by heading back for a second look.
Yesterday five of us went back, despite rainy weather that was not ideal for sight-seeing. So, we stayed inside as much as possible.
First we toured the Anne Frank House. It is a very familiar story, but becomes all the more powerful when you walk through the same hallways and climb the same stairs that they did. To refresh your memory, there was a total of eight people who lived in hiding on the top floor of a working warehouse. After 25 months, they were discovered by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Only the father, Otto Frank, survived. The rooms were completely unfurnished (the Nazis cleaned the place out upon its discovery), but the structure itself was, for the most part, orignial. Everything - from creaky floors to low ceilings - made for a compelling experience.
Next we visited the world-reknown Heineken factory. The tour included free samples and a free gift, making the experience all the more enjoyable. The 150-year old factory stopped functioning in 1998, but was very interesting to see nonetheless.
Finally, Jessica and I stayed a few hours longer than the rest of the group and did some more walking around. After we had had enough of the same shops, we took an evening canal cruise around the city. It was a great way to explore the entire city without having to walk or take public transportation everywhere.
So I think I've had my fill of the Amsterdam for a while. Unless Ajax moves into first place, I shan't be returning anytime soon.
That's right, I just couldn't get enough of the den of iniquity the first time, so I went back for seconds.
On Wednesday, our entire class went on an "Excursion" to Amsterdam, in order to improve our understanding of Dutch art and culture. First we visited the Rijksmuseum, where famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt and Steen are showcased. We saw a lot of impressive works of art, and the tour ended with the famous Nacht Wacht (Night Watch). Next, we made our way over to the Beurs van Berlage, a large exhibition hall that used to act as the trading floor for stocks. I wish it still served that purpose; I would have bought a stock or two. We rounded out the day with a walk through the Red Light District and a visit to an organization called "The Scarlet Chord." It is an organization in the heart of the Red Light District whose purpose is to talk with prostitutes and encourage them to change their lifestyle. We had a good talk with them, and the information they shared with us was quite eye-opening. Overall, the Red Light District was a grim look at the sex culture in Amsterdam and Western Europe. Prostitution became legal in the Netherlands in 2000, in an attempt to lower prostitution-related crimes and ultimately decrease the practice. So far it has been ineffective.
We didn't have a lot of free time to explore the city, so I decided to take advantage of this uneventful weekend by heading back for a second look.
Yesterday five of us went back, despite rainy weather that was not ideal for sight-seeing. So, we stayed inside as much as possible.
First we toured the Anne Frank House. It is a very familiar story, but becomes all the more powerful when you walk through the same hallways and climb the same stairs that they did. To refresh your memory, there was a total of eight people who lived in hiding on the top floor of a working warehouse. After 25 months, they were discovered by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Only the father, Otto Frank, survived. The rooms were completely unfurnished (the Nazis cleaned the place out upon its discovery), but the structure itself was, for the most part, orignial. Everything - from creaky floors to low ceilings - made for a compelling experience.
Next we visited the world-reknown Heineken factory. The tour included free samples and a free gift, making the experience all the more enjoyable. The 150-year old factory stopped functioning in 1998, but was very interesting to see nonetheless.
Finally, Jessica and I stayed a few hours longer than the rest of the group and did some more walking around. After we had had enough of the same shops, we took an evening canal cruise around the city. It was a great way to explore the entire city without having to walk or take public transportation everywhere.
So I think I've had my fill of the Amsterdam for a while. Unless Ajax moves into first place, I shan't be returning anytime soon.
posted by Aaron at 9:03 AM
2 Comments:
Just to tell everyone, Aaron loves me the most. He emailed me a special picture from the Heiny factory.
Aaron, could you explain the process of that picture? Did you stand in some pod and get to take the picture and email it all at once? I could see a similar "picture pod" in the background, please explain...
And, I'll shed some light on your confusion with the fine arts. To understand a work of art you need to understand the context in which they were being painted-they were gay.
You have such a wonderful taste for fine art - natural? Or was it Mrs. Marcus' 7th grade toucan illustrations that did it for you?
And yes, there were photo-taking pods at the Heiny factory in which you could snap and send all in a matter of seconds. Pretty nifty.
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