Hitting All the Bases
While the first things many people think of when they think of Amsterdam is often oriented towards weed, the red light district, Anne Frank, and certain foods, it also has a strong artistic history. So naturally we had to spend the morning in the Van Gogh museum. Within the massive museum, I learned masses about the artist’s life, influences, artistic history, and the artists that were inspired by him. One room I was taken by was composed entirely of self-portraits exploring different styles that he did throughout his lifetime because each portrait varied so much. Of course some had his classis colorful flowing brushstrokes, but others were very dark and solemn, others more precise in their representation. He has such a distinctive and unique style that most are able to recognize, but his talents extend far beyond. Another element of the museum that I enjoyed was the amount of personal history it revealed about Van Gogh’s life. I had no idea that he started as an artist so late in life and completed his works in such a short time span: only 10 years. Van Gogh seemed to be a tortured soul with a poor relationship with his parents, a life of professional indecision, and mental illness. Despite an avid social life and a clear artistic drive, he seemed to have been deeply troubled his whole life, which ended far too early at the age of 37 by suicide. Given all that may have ben going on in his head, I think it is particularly poetic and ironic at the same time the busy paintings he created bursting with color.
We spent the rest of our day essentially on one long hunt for food, one classic Dutch dish after another. From the Van Gogh Museum we were determined to get pancakes, which, although thin like crepes, are filled with goodies like American pancakes. One can get sweet, savory, or, as we discovered, both in one. I got the seasonal pancake which was ricotta, orange zest, raspberry sauce, and pomegranate seeds in/on/around it. The creamy ricotta and the tart raspberry and pomegranates created an incredible composition of flavors.
Because we were close by, we inquired at the Anne Frank house about getting day-of tickets. Its raging popularity means that the preorder tickets sell out months, if not a year in advance but it is possible, if you are willing to tough the line that can last for up to 2 hours in peak season, to get day-of tickets. At 2:30pm, half an hour before the day-of ticket sales start, the line was already winding down and around the street so, per advice of one of the house security guards, we decided to come back later closer to closing time. In the mean time, we embarked on a journey to the Bloemenmarket, Amsterdam’s “floating” (aka on the banks of a canal) tulip market. The streets were lined with tent-covered storefronts filled with various flowers, exotic bulbs, dried bouquets, walls covered in seed packets, and other classic Amsterdam souvenirs. I stumbled upon a packet of lupine seeds and I just had to get one. Although I think it may be illegal to bring the packet into the US, I decided to push my luck because of the sentimental value these flowers serve for me thanks to “Ms. Rumphius,” the picture book I was read as a child. Also along the Bloemenmarket on the opposite side of the street, we wandered into a Gouda store where they were giving out free samples so naturally we couldn’t resist. We tried herbed gouda, honey gouda, pesto gouda, and most amazing of all, a truffle gouda that really impressed.
Once we got to the end of the market, surprise, surprise, it was on to the next quest for food. This time: classic street fries. On our way though, we stumbled upon this incredible shoe store! My obsession with shoes could not resist this incredible shop filled with shoes of all different shapes with exciting, colorful, and beautiful patterns. Check it out! After eating out mounds of fries and mayo while finding off the jealous pigeons, we doubled back to visit a cookie store we saw on our walk where we each bought quite a few after trying about two cookies worth in samples. Oops! Since we had essentially eaten an entire extremely early dinner, we walked to a large park, Vondelpark, which has winding paths, small ponds, adorable dogs, and, as we discovered, parakeets, somehow. Sometimes when I am traveling I feel like I always have to be doing something – seeing important sights, eating good food, exploring the streets – but the truth is that taking the time to relax, especially in parks with good company, can be one of the must fulfilling ways to spend an afternoon in a weekend of travel.
After a dinner of delicious Indonesian food, which Amsterdam is somewhat known for, including some delicious steamed buns, we decided to try our luck one last time at the Anne Frank house. To our awe, the line was incredibly short so we were able to get in with an hour left of opening hours to spare! I have heard from many that the house is underwhelming but I found it to be an incredibly powerful experience. While I have been in Europe for quite some time now, I have not really come face to face with more hard-hitting elements of the World War II and Holocaust history on the continent, and as upsetting as it can be, I am an avid proponent of the importance of being open about our history in order not to repeat the dark moments of our past. I had read Anne Frank’s Diary but there is something uniquely powerful about being in the same space her and her family lived in for two years in hiding, walking of over the same creaking floorboards they were cautious not to agitate. Apparently Otto Frank, Anne’s father and the only inhabitant of the annex who survived the camps after their arrest, made the specific decision not to return any furniture or props to the rooms of the building when it was made into a museum and while I’m sure it would make for a more realistic immersion into the experience of the Annex, I thought that this was an understandable decision. Perhaps he did not want to preserve such a dark time in his and the country’s history. So while it’s important to learn about these times, it is likely quite difficult for those who lived it.