Old Retired Guy Blog
June 25 - 28, 2010
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Amsterdam (Page 3 of 3)Have I mentioned bikes yet? If not, let me just summarize by saying they're everywhere! The Netherlands is about as hilly as your kitchen table. From now on even Illinois will look hilly to me. When you take into account that central Amsterdam is quite crowded and has very narrow streets, I guess it's not a surprise that bicycles are popular. There are sidewalks, bike lanes, and streets, but since the streets are very narrow the cars often park on the sidewalk and bike lane. That means pedestrians often have to walk out into the middle of a narrow street where bikes and cars are zooming along. It's kind of scary at first.
Men in fancy business suits pedal by while talking on their cell phones. Women in high heels wearing very stylish dresses go flying by. Young couples, probably on dates, were riding side by side. Can you imagine a 16-year old American girl riding a bike while going out on a date with some cute guy she has a crush on? I doubt it.
Of course a great city like Amsterdam has plenty of museums to visit. We went to the Rijksmuseum where we saw some of Rembrandt's paintings. We also toured the Van Gogh Museum where we saw some of Van Gogh's paintings as well as those of some of his contemporaries. A visit to the Anne Frank House provided a somber reminder of what can happen when prejudice and hatred consume a nation. After that it was good to sit out in the fresh air at a sidewalk cafe and think about the freedom that we currently enjoy.
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'Amsterdam' Entry |
