Amsterdam Weekend

So we played tourist this weekend.

After service in Heemskerk with Charlotte on Friday, I met up with Matt in the city for a little good ol' fashioned tourism. I've been looking for a nice piece of art work to take back to Cali, so we went to a few artsy shops and browsed. I didn't find what I really liked until after closing hours, so I'll just have to do it again :)

We went to an early dinner at a Surinamese restaurant recommended by one of Matt's co-workers, called Spang Manakdra. It's one of the best meals we've had since we got here. And not crazy over priced like most places are. Good thing we got in early (around 5pm) because shortly after we ordered then place went mad with people crammed into it's tiny space. Our server barely had room to get from the kitchen back to the tables to deliver food. And to add to the hullabaloo, it seems they do a brisk take out business.

The restaurant was in a neighborhood we haven't been to before, so we wandered the little streets of the Pijp District, and marveled at the kitschy little shops and bicycle rentals (like this one with the horse shaped bike) and decided we'd need to come back during opening hours.

Then we caught the tram back towards Amsterdam City Center, to catch our "lover's wine & cheese canal tour". very cheesy, but a nice time regardless. I'd like to do a canal tour during day light hours, because there was no way I could take a decent picture of the pretty things we passed in the dark. Like one section of canal bridges called "the Seven Bridges" where you have a perfect echo of 7 canal crossings one right behind the next all nicely lit up. We motored through a section with big fancy house boats and marveled at how much people can fit into a boat to make it a home. Most everyone had their window coverings thrown wide open and we looked on as people ate dinners, read books, danced, and drank as though for our entertainment. The tour guide mentioned that it is a Dutch tradition to live "in the open" like that because the church long taught that if your windows were closed to passersby, it was because you had something to hide. So to show that you are an upstanding and good Dutchman, you never close the blinds. I would not do well with that...nobody needs to see this hair first thing in the morning.

We shared a table with a very nice couple from Portsmouth, England, who were just visiting for New Years. We had unlimited wine, cheese, and nuts, accompanied by lovely conversation where we got tips on where to visit, and where to stay when we try to get to London. When we came full circle, and disembarked, I discovered my hat was missing. We retraced our steps to "the oldest pub in Amsterdam", Café Karpershoek. Apparently in operation since 1606. We'd stopped in there to kill time until our cruise left. My hat waited for me under a chair next to a wall of ancient blue Delft tiles. The weather hasn't been quite so cold, but I was still very glad to find it.

Today, Saturday, after a nice "lay in", we made our way to one of the most visited spots in all of Holland. The Rijks Museum. When we got there, the line was out the door, around the corner, and around the next corner. But, we got to sneak to the front of the que because we bought an "I amsterdam" pass, and one of the perks besides getting a discount at tons of places, is skipping the line at a lot of popular places. You get to feel special. The museum has been in operation since 1798, but in this location since 1885. The tram stop, Museumplein (Museum Square) is a wonderland of art and beauty. The Van Gogh (which is NOT pronounced Van Go, but something more like Van Gawk, or Van Gahch) sits right next door, the Diamond museum, across the street. It's focus is on the Netherlands "Golden Age" which dominated in the 17th century. Housed here are such masterpieces as Rembrandt's "The Night Watch", and his 22 year old, and 55 year old self portraits. Also Vermeer's "The Kitchen Maid", and my new favorite, Hendrick Avercamp's "Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters" which is a snippet of 1609 Dutch winter activities, complete with a man relieving himself on a tree... There is also a stunning collection of silver work, and Delft pieces, and also two amazingly detailed doll's houses from the late 1600's.

When we were tired out and full to bursting with new knowledge form our recorded tour guide whispering into our ears for a few hours, we found our way back to the Pijp district, and had some Irish stew and bangers for dinner. We almost got caught up in an anti-Isreal demonstration with about 1500 demonstrators, 2 of whom got arrested (we heard on the news later). People had been gathering as we entered the museum, but it was at fever pitch by the time we came back out. It was a loud and jittery crossing from the museumplein where they centered, to our dinner. For a few minutes we thought we might have to run to get away from the marching course, because cars were being turned around on the road, and the police seemed to be ushering people exactly down the streets we chose to take. At the last minute, they turned back towards the square out front of the Rijk's, and we were in the clear. That'll get your adrenaline up though. Last time that happened it was in Ireland, and we happened to be in the North during the Drumcree March. Shiver...

Tomorrow, we have meeting in the morning, and dinner with the Ploeger's in the evening. Oh! and we got announced on Sunday as being officially part of the Amsterdam Engles Zuidoost Congregation, and I am officially serving as a pioneer here. W00t!