Amsterdam

Goedemorgen!
I have now entered the part of the trip where I do not speak the language of my host country, and it is a humbling experience. I have taken for granted traveling to nations over the past few years where I speak the language, or at least can understand a good majority. Other than a few words: proost, dank u, goededag/goedemorgen I know nothing. Fortunately, the Dutch are master linguists and almost everyone speaks English. I have never been so happy and at the same time so jealous by their amazing command of multiple languages. We really should be teaching more languages in schools - they are required to learn a minimum of 4 (Dutch, German, English and at least one other of their choosing, +\- Latin depending on their school and if they are honors students). They put us to shame in this regard.

The Dutch also win the award for happiest, friendliest and most open people I have come across on this trip to date. Yes, they beat out the Irish in this regard. I was sitting at a cafe listening to the bells of Westerkerk, when I witnessed a women pushing a stroller with a toddler in it and carrying a smaller baby stop to ask (in perfect English) an

obviously lost tourist couple if they needed help. I was dumbstruck. I hadn't seen that type of generosity in quite some time (US or abroad). It was heartwarming. Faith-renewing.

In "preparation" for my visit to Amsterdam, I decided to re-read "The Diary of Anne Frank." I have vague recollections of reading it in middle school (7th grade, I believe), but as that was some time ago, it was worth revisiting. This go-around, I was struck by her perceptive nature and knowledge of the world, even at the tender age of 13-15. I don't think I realized half of what she did about the world, the nature of people, or even my own aspirations when I was her age. I wonder if that is because, as a large generalization, Americans comparatively know less of the world/world affairs than their international counterparts, if it is a product of modern society, or if it is the product of living during a time of war that affected every aspect of life. I suspect it is multifactorial. It was a good reminder that deep,

well-formed thoughts do not solely belong to adults.

I finished her diary the night before visiting the Anne Frank Museum and the secret annex. The bells of Westerkerk church were chiming as I entered the museum - the same bells she listened to and took comfort from during hiding and references in her diary. To see the bookcase that hid the entrance to their annex, to stand in their rooms, to see the attic where she had her first kiss, and to listen to Otto Frank discuss his discovering his whole family had been killed and his reading of the diary was powerful. Emotional overload yet again reached. I highly recommend visiting this museum if you have not, and if so inclined, reading her diary beforehand.

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My other must sees/dos for my short time in Amsterdam included riding a bike through the town like the locals and visiting the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum. All 3 accomplished. Amsterdam has some 800,000 residents and close to that number of bicycles. It is incredibly enjoyable to join the locals and discover their city via the seat of a bicycle. Highly recommend!

Of the two art museums I wanted to see, I had expected my favorite to be the Van Gogh museum. After visiting them both, however, I actually preferred the Rijksmuseum. It can be a bit daunting at first -

over 8,000 works from Dutch artists - but it was actually quite accessible and interesting. Tourist tip! Download the free Rijksmuseum app prior to your visit and bring some headphones. It has the same info as their audio guide, including preset tours depending on interest (collection highlights, 1600s, 17-1800s, 20th century) and the ability to search specific works based on their assigned number, but does not cost you €10. Save your money, learn just as much, and be a little smug ;)

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My favorite night in Amsterdam was the night I was invited to share dinner with my airbnb hostess, Marion, and her family. They were having stamppot, a traditional Dutch dish of mashed potatoes with vegetables and sausage, usually served in winter, and perfect for a rainy day. It is not the most sophisticated of meals, but it is hearty, filling and tasty! It was a treat and an honor to be adopted into their family for the night. Her kids, aged 12 and 14, were absolutely hilarious and I have not laughed so hard in quite some time. Good conversation with the learning of our various cultures and societies added another fabulous layer to the evening. It didn't hurt that they also served fantastic Belgian beer with the meal ;)

Dank u Marion and Amsterdam (and also to all the tulips - they are one of my favorite flowers). Until next time...