Photos: May 2008 Archives
I've arrived in Amsterdam, after a pleasant flight (Business class was great - it made all the difference). A porter at Schipol airport helped me manage all six suitcases and get through customs, then took me to the meeting point where my driver was waiting. Interestingly, he smelled of liquor at 07:30. Nonetheless, he got me to my hotel safely and I was happy to find that my room was available at the Gresham Memphis hotel. It is very nice, unfortunately the bed is a little hard but the great location easily makes up for that.
After a brief rest and a shower I decided to head out exploring. I'm only a few blocks from Museumplein ("Museum Square") which is beautiful. I haven't been in any of the museums yet, but I look forward to going soon.
Past Museumplein toward Centrum was nothing but one beautiful street after another. I felt like I was walking around in Disneyland or some kind of movie set. The canals are full of commercial tours and private groups out enjoying the beautiful weather. In front of historic mansions there are weeping willow trees whose branches skim the water. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and I can't wait to keep exploring.
Next I wandered into Vondelpark which reminded of a college campus, or Dolores Park in San Francisco on a sunny day. Small groups of people parked their bicycles in piles and gathered on blankets to drink wine and eat snacks. The park was so crowded I thought there must be an event happening, but it turned out the main attraction was the sunny afternoon. Given Amsterdam's reputation for tolerance I would have expected more neo-hippies, but there were actually very few. I didn't see anyone strumming guitars, playing bongo drums, or hula-hooping. I'm not sad about that. Also, people are remarkably clean. They take care to avoid leaving trash, and pick up after their dogs.
In one of the ponds within Vondelpark I saw a pair of Mallard ducks. I was surprised how comforting a couple of ducks could be to a person who actively hates birds. I mean I REALLY hate birds. About a month ago I was in Washington, DC and Fabian and I noticed a pair in the reflecting pool. Of course, they are also common in Eastern Oregon as well as Montana. The buildings, the streets, the cars, the stores, the food, even the plants are new and different; and so it is nice that some things are the same. Unfortunately, there are also Pigeons - but they're less aggressive than in San Francisco. There are new birds too, something that looks a bit like a crow, but with blue eyes instead of red. I'm not sure what they are but they seem to mind their own business and so I don't actively hate them...yet.
In the afternoon I met with Guido, a housing agent who specializes in expat rentals. He drove me around the Centrum area and showed me five different places. I fell in love with two different apartments, each on a different canal. The first was on Keizersgracht. The living room overlooks a beautiful garden, and the bedroom overlooks the canal. The second was on the ground floor and had a huge, recently remodeled bathroom and it's own private garden. The first was sunny and bright, full of energetic yet peaceful noises. The second was perfectly serene - on the ground floor and facing away from the street, painted with muted colors and almost silent. I chose the first and hopefully they accept our offer, I could me moving in within the next week.
Later I ventured out again in search of some food. My internal clock is still off so I wasn't particularly hungry, but I figured it would be good to eat anyway. I found an Italian restaurant with outdoor seating on a busy corner - perfect for people watching. After dinner I meant to make my way back to the hotel but ended up getting lost and walking for a couple of miles in various (wrong) directions. The feeling was familiar, as many of my first days in San Francisco consisted of a similar schedule. However, I found Amsterdam seems safer. There are no homeless people panhandling, and no groups of young men loitering. Eventually I made it back to the hotel for some rest and to call my family to let them know I've arrived safely.
Please check out my photos on my Picasa site. Usually I add photos here in my blog but there are just too many beautiful things to see!
