Saturday- Culinary Vindication Because it nothing is opened on Sundays, we did some grocery shopping on Saturday after coming back from the airport. This gave me the opportunity to introduce evidence of the highs and lows of Dutch cuisine. Not only was Josh understandably repulsed by the "meat salad" (as far as I can tell it is cat food with a hardboiled egg and a flower-shaped carrot slice on top) but I also had the joy of presenting him with his very first stroopwaffle (I couldn't have been prouder).
Sunday- Surprise Bar The weather in Amsterdam can be.... tricky. Sunday was a beautiful day for the most part and we saw a lot of the old city on foot. After dinner, however, our weather luck ran thin. While walking through the Leidseplein (think very quaint Times Square with sex shows and lots of pot), a magnificent bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Then it started pouring. Josh and I hurried into the innocuously named "Cool Down Cafe" just a few steps away. It was dark and completely deserted except for about five male employees. After ordering drinks and settling in a little, we slowly began to realize that this bar had a very distinctive character. The employees were conducting some sort of sound check to compile music for the evening. At first I wrote off the disproportionate number of disco songs to European musical taste (it's sort of like house music, right?). Then I noticed that ALL of the staff were wearing tight denim cut-off shorts (like mid-thigh length). As I casually whispered this development to Josh, we both became suddenly aware of the stretched and yellowing thongs pinned to the wall in front of us (Josh referred to them as "banana hammocks" though I am not certain where he learned that term). My flatmate, Yvette, who grew up in Holland, insists that the Cool Down Cafe is not a gay bar but I say, the proof is in the pudding. Basically it was pretty much the most hilarious way to wait out the rain.
Monday- Adventure! One of the best things about being in Europe is how close so many things are. Hoping to take advantage of this, Josh and I set out early Monday morning for Texel, an island in the North Sea. Though the train ride there was excruciating (nearly three times as long as expected), the island itself was magnificent. After getting off the ferry we took a scenic (and somewhat roundabout) bus trip to an old lighthouse at the far end of the island (see photo). The inland areas were covered with picturesque sheep and flower farms (fields full of Lupin and Sunflowers!), many of the buildings had "traditional" thatched roofs. The beach surrounding the lighthouse was incredibly flat and at low tide looked completely surreal, like a tundra. We explored Den Burg, the largest town, where I bought a t-shirt with seals on it (because we didn't see any seals as I originally hoped we would). After a full day, we narrowly made the last ferry to the mainland and arrived home about seventeen hours after our departure.
Tuesday- SpanDutch(ish) My dissatisfaction with restaurants in Amsterdam (quality and price) made choosing places to eat somewhat difficult. We stumbled upon a Spanish restaurant in the old city (tourist heavy) which seemed promisingly simple and affordable. The food was mostly quite good (if incredibly salty), but really the ambiance made this restaurant a highlight. The decor was, in Josh's words, "a Spanish version of the house on The Brady Bunch." The music was similarly off-the-mark. In a confused attempt at authenticity, a remixed and over-orchestrated Ricky Martin album played throughout the meal. Wine, candles, dark paneled walls.... and "La Vida Loca." Very romantic.
Wednesday- Cosmopolitan Osdorp Regular readers may be familiar with my opinion of the neighborhood I live in. Generally, the architecture is ugly and utilitarian and the population is mostly made up of families and the elderly. Needless to say, nightlife is scarce. On Wednesday, however, we happened upon a very chic and attractive restaurant and bar just down the street from me. We just had an after dinner drink, but it was practically like being in a different town. Most of the walls are windows overlooking the neighborhood's best feature, Sloterplas, a large lake used mostly for sailing and fishing. The decor is sleek and very tasteful (with the exception of blue glass water cups, a trend here I find completely incomprehensible). It was so young! So attractive! And, best of all, only a few steps from home!
Thursday- Dim Sum The Dim Sum Palace is a small, but noticeable chain in Amsterdam. The conceit of the establishment is basically the same as the ubiquitous Chinese Buffet restaurants in New York (more Brooklyn than Manhattan), unlimited Chinese food for 7.50 euro.... in one hour. Although eating fried gobs of MSG for MORE than an hour seems totally unappealing, if not impossible, the addition of the time limit somehow makes this restaurant more attractive than its New York counterparts. That and the lack of vinyl booths with gold chrome trim and fluorescent signs. Though in retrospect the plain interior could have done with a frosted glass landscape or some inlaid mirrored wall-panels. We prepared for our Dim Sum feast all day (mostly mentally, otherwise we might have skipped the chicken fingers at lunch). And my, oh my, it was terrible! EVERYTHING was incredibly salty. There were six types of dumplings all featuring an unidentifiable meat product eerily reminiscent of my impression of SPAM. It was joyfully awful at first, but very quickly became revolting. I'd say that we took about twenty-five minutes of our hour. But Josh used the rest of his later that night vomiting in the bathroom. (On Thursday we also saw the Rijksmuseum which is the national art gallery, though it was not as noteworthy as cheap Chinese food, which is more a commentary on the scale of the renovation being done than anything else).
Friday-Boots! Some of you may have had the pleasure of shopping with me. For those who have not, I am... let's say a little particular. Especially when it comes to footwear, I tend to develop very specific and often unattainable ideas of what I want before beginning the process. I can spend months, sometimes years looking for particular items. This season, I desperately needed boots. My last pair died a graceless death (involving a broken zipper, rain-drenched suede and very wet feet) last spring. I began the fall wearing my "boot outfits" with sneakers (which will always look a little juvenile, I think). So, for about three hours, through maybe 15 shoe stores we shopped. And finally.... there they were. Although I am still breaking them in (apparently leather stretches to your feet) and regularly treating them with a wax spray (for waterproofing and to keep the leather healthy), I am now the proud owner of a beautiful pair of boots. And here they are (on the right side next to Joshua's cowboy boots for comparison).
Saturday-Cruise, etc. Although I did go on a canal cruise during the University orientation, I had never been on the canals at night, when the bridges are lit up and the light reflects on the water. For Josh's last night, we went on a really beautiful cruise and celebrated his trip. We started the evening the picnic pictured below (after shopping for the ingredients at the open market) and sat with a very friendly woman from San Francisco on the boat. It was a really great way to end Josh's trip.
We tried to style the photo after the Dutch master still lives we saw at the museum.
And this is just a taste of all the fun we had! You'll have to come visit me in Amsterdam to see the rest!
1 comment:
AAAH! Your boots are so cute. I need boots like crazy (along with a new winter coat) and just can't find any anywhere. I miss you like whoa. Let's talk via MySpace IM soon.
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