Netherlands Part 2

Tonight I'm writing from Athens, where I just arrived after a jam packed couple of days in the Netherlands.

Sunday was another day of exploring with Israel. We started with an amazing breakfast at Harvest Cafe in Rotterdam. We lucked out and got a table by the canal, even though it was packed. The entrees were very original. Mine was grilled eggplant with ricotta, seaweed, and a few other toppings. The pastries were the premise for going, and they did not disappoint! After, we walked around Rotterdam admiring the modern architecture. Though the streets were full of trash, so it felt a bit grittier than charming little Delft.

From there, we took the train to Leiden, which had been suggested by my Dutch colleague. The Naturalis museum was our first stop, on our radar for its dinosaur skeletons. Standing below the towering Camarasaurus, Israel joked "this is how it feels in the Netherlands" (Dutch people are tall!) We explored the other exhibits, including realistic models of hundreds of animal species, a tongue-in -cheek exhibit on animal seduction, and a reflective exhibit on death and decomposition. The building had beautiful geometric windows that illuminated the reddish rock on the interior.

Strolling the main part of town, Leiden struck me as a larger version of Delft. It was a pleasant scene waking the calm cans, everyone out enjoying the nice weather, playing sports or picnicking. We had a seafood dinner, and tried some Dutch bitterballen (like croquettes filled with meat) and local beer.

Monday, I said farewell to Israel and boarded the train to Amsterdam. The central station was a bit of a labyrinth, but I managed to store my luggage in an automated locker and picked up a 3 day city pass (called "iAmsterdam", emphasis on the "I Am"). Then I began my walking tour!

I meandered away from the touristy areas to a low key Monday farmers/flower market, pausing for a moment to enjoy fresh strawberries and listen to some live music. Then I visited the Micropia museum of microbes. There was a brief nod to Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch inventor of the microscope, but it was all about the microorganisms! They had excellent displays, including microscopes you could control with a joystick to explore various Petri dishes. I think it was the first time I'd seen a tardigrade in person (they look like tiny bears!) Some of the exhibits were a bit gross, but they were all educational. They even had signs on the bathroom mirror, describing the germs you might find...

Lunch was a trio of Argentinian empanadas, enjoyed on a park bench. I booked a canal cruise for later in the day, and visited the Museum of the Canals while waiting. Through clever digital projections, the museum explained how the city of Amsterdam was carefully planned as it expanded. They also had a great garden with butterflies, and an exhibit showing modern canal issues, like buildings gradually sinking and collapsing. Fun fact, the canal houses are sitting over giant poles that had to be hammered deep into the ground with a special machine. Thanks to the museum, as I walked around the city, I started to notice where canal walls had collapsed and were being repaired. The temporary reinforcing walls have created little pockets for gardens and nesting birds. The canal cruise itself was good. A little touristy, but it was funny seeing the driver honk and yell at a boat going the wrong direction through a passage. As you can imagine, I was ready for a quiet evening after such a busy day. I picked up some cheese and charcuterie from Albert Heijn, the ubiquitous grocery store in the Netherlands, and laid low.

Tuesday was my Museum day (with a capital "M"). I entered the illustrious Rijksmuseum at the first possible time slot, and ran upstairs to the Gallery or Honor to beat the crowds. I turned the corner and found myself face to face with Rembrandt's Night Watch. I had no idea it was so large, and it was magical to have a moment where I was only one admiring it. Because it's so large, the air currents can bend it like a giant trampoline. They had special equipment set up to study its vibrational behavior so they can better reinforce the back with a dampener. But that was only the first few minutes of a 4+ hour exploration through all the galleries. All of the classic Dutch paintings of course, but also sculptures, musical instruments, doll houses, model ships, weapons, and so much more.

To give myself a museum break, I had a poke bowl and walked the stalls of the Albert Cuyp street market. Along the way, I stopped for a surprisingly good boba tea (it seems to be a national obsession, boba is everywhere in the Netherlands). Then I visited the classic Van Gogh museum, which was crowded but still enjoyable. His use of color and texture to convey emotion is iconic. Showing his works side by side with other artists showed their influence on his style, but also highlighted his mastery.

My free city pass included a free taste of jenever, Dutch gin, at a charming local bar where the tabs are still kept by hand. I also tried corenwyn, the Dutch answer to whiskey. For dinner, I had takeout Indonesian food in the fun Jordaan neighborhood. The options were labelled, but I didn't recognize any, so I pointed at the dishes that looked good! My favorite was beef with a dark sweet sauce that reminded me of mole.

Wednesday, I visited the Maritime Museum for interesting naval history, beautiful old maps, and miscellaneous "curiosities" like navigational tools. Inspired to venture onto the water, I took the ferry across the river to the newer part of Amsterdam, which instantly felt like being in a different city. Much quieter, less touristy, more green space. I briefly checked out an exhibit on Werner Herzog at the Eye Film Museum, since it was included in my city pass. Herzog seems like a fascinating director who bended the truth to portray intriguing characters in unusual locations around the world.

My friend Kristin happened to be in Amsterdam for the afternoon, so we met up and visited a historic hidden church called Our Lord in the Attic. Spanning 3 floors of a narrow canal house, it was built to continue Catholic workshop in private when the official government was Protestant. Besides being a beautiful and unlikely church, the building itself was a delightful labyrinth with many layers of history. We also tacked on an impromptu self guided walking tour of the historic Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam. We wrapped up the day with Nepalese food for dinner and walking around the canals, now illuminated with street lights 

I didn't like the hostel where I stayed. The location was good, but the other roommates were the more stereotypical Amsterdam tourists. I found the passed out asleep at random times of day between their misadventures (probably a few "coffee shops", not to be confused with normal cafes). They were also some of the loudest snorers I've ever encountered. I was glad to check out. The hostel here in Athens has already been a lot friendlier.

Long post, but shows how much fun I had in the Netherlands!

(I'll try to add some pictures later. It's a bit challenging to upload them to the website from my phone.)