Walking in Amsterdam

Royal Palace

Royal Palace 1600's

Our Hotel - fittingly called Hotel Amsterdam is just a few feet from the Palace square - supposedly a  historic meeting place since the 17th century as you can see from the above painting which I photographed at the Rijks museum. We visited the Palace yesterday - not the Royal family's primary residence - but apparently they sometimes put up important guests there. It would be dreadful to live in a Palace. So cold and awful - not necessarily temperature wise. All of the marble and huge ceilings and furniture from the 17th century pushed symmetrically against the walls. And then the horror of those massive paintings from the 17th century- of all these men grouped together against a dark background- paintings that sometimes are 7 meters by 6 meters - larger than life horrors. Not a woman to be seen - maybe just the occasional dog that I have termed the taxidermied dog of all 17th century Dutch painters - they must have all shared this dog that looks like an springer spaniel leaping up. It was weird to see the same dog in the same position in all of these different paintings from different Dutch artists including Rembrandt, who as Joop says was not capable of painting an animal or child ( I agree heartily).

Amsterdam at night

I'm trying to see if any visible differences exist between the people walking and cycling through Amsterdam and a city in North America. The bikes are very different of course - all upright - many with people talking on their cell phone with one hand and delicately steering with their other hand - seemingly only possible through the use of foot pedal brakes, Fashion for women seems quite universal - many women walk by our hotel clutching their H& M bags. The young men have a slightly different look compared to the same 20 somethings in Canada. I can't quite put my finger on it. I think the dutch haircuts seem a bit shorter, maybe the pant legs a bit tighter and definitely no runners to be seen -mostly nice leather shoes. To be twenty something in Amsterdam would be to feel like you were in the centre of the Universe - nothing but huge groups of people in their twenties - biking about, coffeeing about... Looks so exciting. Weirdly when I was in the UK in the mid 80's there was this pant style that has never taken off in NA - a very droopy crotch and tight calves. It has reappeared at least in Holland as a very current look. Despite the plethora of other types of cafes - Starbucks is still my favourite place to haunt. Joop claims their coffee is better than the Dutch coffee of which he was once (even just 7 years ago) so fond. Food is a bit tenuous to procure if you don't eat wheat. The dutch love their breads and pastries. I am impressed with their vegetables. They serve small amounts of many different types - perfect nutrition. Maybe that is why they are so tall. In Amsterdam most of the people are normal weight or slim. The first two people that I saw that had that ubiquitous truncal fat that seems so common in NA- I hovered near to see where they seemed to be from - sure enough - Canada! Of all the hundreds of people that you see - these two stood out as being the first that had that shape. Sadly they were youngish women in their 30's. Since all the eating is similar - I really have to believe that it is mostly sitting that must cause it - not enough walking and biking.

Dog working for a living in downtown Amsterdam

Begijnenhof

This picture of Joop and me is from this little enclave hidden in the middle of Amsterdam. It is so removed from the hustle and bustle of streets packed with walkers and cyclists. It was the area where these Catholic women lived since the 1400's who had chosen a life of service for the poor and sick without taking their religious vows - so nuns but not nuns. They lived for hundreds of years here until the 1970's even though for a lot of the time Catholicism was illegal. The group still owns the buildings despite the active order having died out in the 70's. They still rent it out to only women - I think they somehow subsidize these 60 women that get to live here in all the apartments. It is such a lovely spot to be able to live. There are even little vegetable gardens.

House from 15th century that didn't burn down

Vondelpark near Joop's childhood home

Oranje Nassaulaan 13 Amsterdam

This is Joop standing in front of his childhood home. It is currently owned by a famed dutch fashion designer - Frans Molenaar. Joop's family lived in the four storey home from the late 30's until the late 70's when his father died. Feeling incredibly brave (with my encouragement) Joop knocked on the door. Frans answered and when he realized that Joop was Professor Dooyeweerd's son - invited us in for a tour. The first floor that used to be a salon, kitchen, music room etc.. has been Fran's atelier for his fashion house. There were racks of his designs near the back. Every floor has been gutted and is now only one big room per floor. On the second floor that used to be Joop's father's study and another bedroom Frans has transformed into golden splendour. The photo below does not do the goldness of everything justice. I have not seen a room like it. It kind of reminded my of decorating books from the 70's where everything is just from that period - like a show home. Joop was very gracious and enthusiastic about it all. Trudging up another long steep staircase we came to the black and white marvel that was his bedroom - again - not one thing that was not black and white -statues in little niches everywhere - Frans was especially proud of the black glass blown chandelier that he spotted in a magazine lying on the road somewhere, the pages flapping in the wind and Frans deciding right there and then that he must have it.

The backyard of Joop's childhood home

Living room of Frans Molenaar

Frans Molenaar

Staircase of childhood home

Every staircase was a visual extravaganza of all of Frans' fashion shoots, models etc... some even dating back to the early 60's. He proudly stopped us at pictures of him with many famous people that he worked with and partied with - Frans and Andy Warhol, Frans and Yves St. Laurent,  Liza Minnelli  etc... You get the picture. It was so wonderful to be able to be in the house where there are so many stories of Joop growing up... The time he scampered on the roof near the hook which you can see in the adjacent house (used for getting furniture in and out of the top floors) and nearly caused heart failure in the residents of the seniors home across the street... the hiding of the jewish people in the war in the attic...the many rooms that he slept in including his father's bathroom which is now Frans' kitchen, it was amazing to picture that there was once 13 rooms throughout the house. 

Joop doing what he does best at Hotel Amsterdam

We leave today on the train for Paris -Joop's actual birthday. I will miss Amsterdam especially because I just love to walk and see everything and everyone. Despite the crowds you almost never see any police - I think only once. There seem to be no poor people at all. Joop's nephews wife who produces a radio program like the Current for the public broadcasting radio network here - insisted last night that there are no poor people in Holland. I would love to believe it but with the elevated cost of everything - a euro buys what a dollar does - I can't almost believe that it is true. But it is nice to leave Holland with that image of just people loving life and socializing and having such a great standard of living.

First days in Holland

Me, Mila, Joop, Bas and Bella

Bas, Mila and Joop in Bas's kitchen

Ans and Frederique walking outside Bas andAns' house.

Ans and Fred

Joop

The first days in Holland have been hectic. It is exhausting to arrive 9 hours jetlagged and then have to gird your loins to prepare for a party. Luckily most, if not all of the details had been handled by Joop's nephew Bas and his wife Ans. We feel tremendous gratitude for all of the planning that they did and organization of all of the details that went into making the party such a huge success.

We arrived on Thursday morning and Joop's brother Arnold picked us up at the airport and whisked us to his home in a seaside village Driehuis, for a wonderful lunch made by his wife Marlene. Afterward we hunkered down in a hotel in Amsterdam in the centre of town for supposedly a restful sleep prior to the intense preparty planning. It was a most wonderful hotel but I could not sleep. In fact sleep eluded me until after the party 2 days later. I think I look very perky for a person who has not slept in 3 days in the post party picture. Somehow our hotel was located in an area under construction so we could not drive anywhere near it. Try to lug your huge wheeled suitcase down cobblestone alleyways while suffering profound body collapse. Not a delightful picture. I think I am indebted to Starbucks Vente awake teas for enabling me to make it to Lelystad the next day in reasonable form.  I took 3 teas in a 3 hour time frame.

Once we arrived in Lelystad we raced around buying flowers and drink ingredients. Rural Holland does not take credit cards. Just a tiny detail but quite profound in its implications. In fact I ended up actually despariging the North American dependence on credit cards for navigating. It simply did not occur to me that I might need actual money. After the fifth shop keeper explained to me that it was because the charges from the credit companies are too high (me in complete agreement but still non the less panicky at how could I now get money without severe penalties from my bank); I began to see the Dutch in a new light - a debtless society - subsequently debunked by one of Joop's nephews who then waxed on and on about the lines of credit that keep everything afloat. We bought beautiful flowers - such a great price. I compromised on some of my drink ingredients. We had supper at the neighbours - Joop's niece Ester. Party planning - which consisted of me arranging flowers and making a drink - began in earnest the next day. The party was a huge success. A large band consisting of many professional musicians sang a song about Joop's life. We had an amazing Jazz duo - the guitarist brought in by Joop's brother Arnold a professional bassist - then wild dancing. It was very entertaining. The guitarist when leaving went to say goodbye and then before he grabbed my shoulders said: "I need you to know that this means nothing, it is just Dutch" as he proceed to do the routine 3 time cheek kiss. You got to love that preemptive negation. The catered food was beyond wonderful. I still am shocked at how inexpensive it was compared to North American caterers. 

The next day we walked along the small canals to pay for the bed and breakfast hotel that some of Joop's sisters stayed at. Lelystad is freshly "reclaimed" land. This means that 50 years ago all of Lelystad was under the open sea. Significant dikes and pumping of water has revealed the marvel of flat landscape that is Lelystad. I am quite amazed by the linear copse of trees that permeate Holland - usually only 3 trees deep - all the same height. Everything is a manufactured landscape - how weird is that? One night from our tower bedroom - Bas had built this tower where we slept in the loft - all self contained - very amazing - (I always told everyone that I would just let my hair down and they could come in), I heard a dog barking incessantly - my first thought is what is there to bark at in this predator free constructed world? Foxes were the answer.

Miles and miles of windmills

The spectres and the changing sky

The day after the party we drove to Arnold's village for supper. The landscape can be quite disconcerting especially if it is shrouded in fog and the bodies of the windmills are hidden - all you see are these lonely blades of the windmills slicing through the opaque cloudy sky. It feels very Orwellian.

Once at Arnold's having navigated the rainy, dark highway with cars that kept flashing their lights at us, Joop became quite incapacitated with dizziness. We ended up having to stay at this historic hotel even though we had no luggage. It was quite a delightful old hotel near the open sea harbour that had survived WWII while the rest of the region was razed just because the German Army captains liked to stay there. We might have been the only guests. They had the remote control beds that we have at home but we failed to notice until the next morning. We felt quite cheated. The town is located on the dunes with the open sea raging beyond. Joop's childhood summers were spent biking from Amsterdam to the northern dunes to a cottage. I love the image of the family biking together all of those many miles to their summer stay.

The sand dunes and open sea outside Arnold's town  Driehuis

The Augusta hotel Ijmuinden

The bicycle capital of the universe -Amsterdam

We are now happily ensconced in the Amsterdam hotel in the centre of town. I am still in awe of the bikes. In fact at central station they are so deep as they are tied up that I don't know how you could possibly retrieve your bike. I loved all of the school children heading home on their bikes from school on the rural paths. 

Joop and I in our tower after 10 hours of Partying at the 70th - don't we look perky?