Sunday and Monday
On Sunday, we took our time getting out of the apartment, although Michael had taken a walk by himself earlier that morning to visit our favorite little bakery and bring back some delicious pastries. And even though I had consumed a healthy breakfast of greek yogurt and strawberries just a couple of hours before, I eagerly devoured the delicious little flaky pastry pocket filled with ham and cheese, and topped with more cheese. Mmmmm, I just love the pastries here - even more those in Paris.
The morning sun was soon replaced by afternoon clouds and drizzle so we walked over to Rozengracht to catch the #14 tram over to the area known as Plantage, one that we hadn't yet explored on previous visits to Amsterdam. After grabbing a quick bite and beer in a tiny cafe, we walked down the street to the Dutch Resistance Museum, or Versetzmuseum, which recreates life in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation in WWII. It took us awhile to work our way through the exhibits, since there was a great deal to read in addition to the displays. Having read the Diary of Anne Frank many years ago, I was vaguely aware of the heroic efforts of many Dutch people during the Occupation, but wasn't aware of how widespread and diverse the resistance movement really was. I left feeling both inspired by the courage of these people and a little depressed, but culturally richer for having visited.
We had intended to explore the Plantage after the museum, but the rain and the lingering effects of jet lag pulled us home. We wound up napping from about 5pm - 8:30pm and then headed out for dinner. We walked up and down Westerstraat which had several promising looking eateries, and finally settled upon a (relatively) inexpensive pizzaria. Michael ordered a salami pizza, and I opted for Spaghetti Neopolitana, and both were washed down with a couple of Heinekens. The food was nothing mind-blowing, but comforting, and we enjoyed the somewhat unusual experience of sitting at a sidewalk table in the rain - covered by an awning, of course.
Afterwards we strolled through the Jordaan district, with its exquisite lighted window displays, which included some naughty statues. I'd post them here, but realize some may be viewing these in an office environment and they really are quite pornographic.
We continued exploring the neighborhood but eventually the wind and rain got to even these hardy Oregonians, so we called it a night and headed for home around 11:30pm.
Monday, August 4
Despite our "late night", Michael and I were both up at 6:30am, wide awake and motivated by the blue sky and sunshine streaming through the windows of our apartment. After some coffee and a light snack we headed deeper into the Centrum to buy more delicious breakfast pastries from our favorite bakery. Standing by the side of the Singel Canal, we marvelled at the view, the crisp morning air, the absense of tourists, and the businessmen in three-piece suits cruising by on their bicycles. Ahhhh ... Amsterdam. This is what this city is all about, not the drugs and prostitutes (though you can certainly partake of those things if that's your predilection.)
Amsterdam: Serene Morning Beauty. (click photo to view larger)
After a quick stop at Albert Heijn to pick up some lunch items, we returned to our apartment to relax and contemplate our last evening in Amsterdam.
After eating a simple lunch out on our balcony, we headed over to the Westerkerk, a beautiful Protestant church about 5 minutes from our apartment. I had read in one our guidebooks that you could climb the tower, and sure enough we were able to procure a couple of tickets. Although we weren't allowed to go all the way to the top, going halfway was PLENTY. And, the 186 very narrow and claustrophobic steps made Michael and I both very glad that we've been working on our lower body strength at the gym lately! Even so, by the time we made it down those 186 steps (a good deal of it backwards as we were climbing down steep ladders) my thigh muscles felt a bit like rubberbands that had been stretched to just shy of the breaking point.
The aforementioned tower, we climbed to the viewing platform just below the blue shield.
Upon leaving the church, we wandered the streets in our beautiful little neighborhood, drinking in the warm sunshine which felt even more delicious after the previous night's rain. We found a sunny table at a corner cafe, ordered some drinks, and watched the wild and fabulous Amsterdam human parade. I think we sat there for almost an hour, with Michael rolling tape on the scene before us a good part of the time. Finally, a young family came by looking for a place to sit, and we happily relinquished our table, realizing that our butts could potentially adhere to the chair (wouldn't that be embarrassing) if we didn't get moving soon.
On the way back to the apartment, I spotted a boutique that looked interesting and decided to stop in. Michael wasn't feeling it and headed back to the apartment. I had an absolute blast in there, with the owner being a very friendly and attractive blonde woman of about 50 who moved to Amsterdam from her native Australia 24 years ago. Through chatting with her, I found out that she also decided not to have children, so enjoyed hearing about her experiences with that and how she dealt with all the unsolicited comments. (She doesn't, she just writes them off as busy bodies and ignores them. Love her!) The conversation then turned to U.S. politics, fashion, and food. I could have talked with her for hours and bought out the entire boutique, but I showed admirable restraint and only purchased a dress, a shirt, and a denim skirt.
The sun was beckoning so Michael and I again set out on a long walk, and finished up with a hearty meal of delicious Pannekoeken at Meneer Pannekoek, where we have enjoyed this treat on prior visits. A great way to end an amazing day - the best of the three so far - in Amsterdam.
Tomorrow morning we are off to Copenhagen so this will be my last entry from Amsterdam. Although it seems like we just got here and I will miss this place, the effects of jet lag are largely gone and we're anxious and ready to tackle a new city. On to Denmark and to see for ourselves why Danes are the happiest people in the world.
Ciao!
Beautiful!
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