Apparently, Finland shuts down for the Christmas holidays. Everyone spends time with their families, which means that lonely expats such as myself would be left with no movie theaters, restaurants, or gyms to entertain us from December 24-26th. However, since I was already in Europe, traveling someplace else (someplace warm, for example) wouldn't make much sense either -- or at least, that's what I was told -- so Aaron and I are spending Christmas in Europe.
Our trip started in Amsterdam on December 17th. It got off to a particularly bad start when Aaron's messenger bag was stolen on the train from the airport to Central Station. Fortunately, the most valuable (and difficult to replace) item was his passport, but the bag also contained a multitude of gifts to Aaron from previous years: an ipod and camera (from my parents), a book and leather gloves (from me -- as well as the bag itself). Also, the customized christmas cards I was supposed to write in Amsterdam and mail in time for Xmas were in the bag, so no xmas wishes from me to my friends -- though at least that provided a handy excuse.
Anyway, the net result was that our first couple of days were spend either dealing with crime bureaucracy at the Police Station or the American Consulate (both of which were great and very helpful, incidentally) or consumed with anger/frustration at being taken advantage of by random petty criminals who didn't understand the meaning of Christmas. But then we knew we had to get over it so we could actually start to explore Amsterdam.
First thing we noticed -- lots of water! (See one of our many canal pictures, above). Second thing we found -- the Bloemenmarkt. Basically one long set of stalls on a canal bank which is probably beautiful in the summer, but in the winter sells primarily tulip bulbs, cacti, orchids, and various touristy knicknacks.
Interestingly, in Amsterdam one such touristy knicknack is...Cannabis. Aaron posed with a display of what claimed to be ten different kinds, as well as an easy "grow it yourself!" starter kit.
Another easy-to-identify difference about Amsterdam -- bicycles. They are everywhere. It was a glorious testament to a non-car culture which we would have participated in had it not been so freakin' cold. Amsterdammers are brave and hearty people, clearly, for even the snow flurries and rain didn't seem to stop them. Bikes were lined up on every canal edge and propped in front of every storefront, and apparently they even make for a handy way to walk your dog.
The canals are definitely the centerpiece of Amsterdam, though. Some people like them so much they live on them all year round, as evidenced by the number of houseboats we passed.
I also liked the idea of canal intersections, though there was a noticeable lack of canal traffic lights. Are there ever canal accidents? Aaron is sure there are, but more due to the number of cars parked right on the edge of the canal with no protective barrier to keep them on land. In a city known for an active bar life, it does seem likely that a car takes a tumble in every once in a while, though sadly there was no evidence available to back this up.
We also admired the many large windows on all the canal houses, while also being impressed by the heating bills these windows surely generate. Apparently the windows are an architectural necessity because the ground cannot support the weight of these heavy brick multi-story houses, so large windows are carved into the buildings to lighten the overall load. Either way, the windows help to open up buildings which might otherwise look rather oppressive if all this tall brickwork was combined with very small windows -- I think that would actually look rather jail-like. Of course, it still looks a little oppressive if one of the windows appears to be holding Homer Simpson prisoner.
Of course, we saw all the typical Amsterdam sights as well. The Riksmuseum (currently being renovated so only the "highlights" are available), the Van Gogh Museum (fabulous for showing the range of work Van Gogh actually produced rather than just sunflowers - I would never have known he also painted a skull with a cigarette dangling from its mouth), and the Anne Frank House, among other things. But it is the canals, the bicycles, and of course the delicious pastries sold conveniently on street corners which I will remember most. So far, it ranks as one of my favorite cities, which says a lot given how miserably cold I was for the full four nights were were there.
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