Amsterdamaged

GoldMember: "Look. My vinky was a key"
Nigel Powers: "Only a bloody Dutchman....."
-from "Austin Powers' Goldmember"

"AMSTER-ABOUT-DAM TIME! PART DEUX"-

Hi. I've come up for air to finally Finnish my tale...sorry for the delay-
The trip needed to sink in a bit for me...I had to work it on others like
a comedian works out his material in the comedy clubs before I felt like
throwing it out there. I always seem to remember more of it talking it out.
We all had a shortlist of what we wanted to see while we were there and
AnneFrankehuis was at the top of the list. The museum of the young Jewish diarist,whose family hid from the Nazi's during WW II is probably the most
sobering thing you'll ever do here, but it's incredibly powerful.
There were people there who were visibly moved to tears by the stark imagery.
We left and appropriately enough, it started to pour. Sheets of rain.
We ran to a cafe across the street an had an accidentally wonderful breakfast.
Pretty cool for just stepping in from the rain!
Now when it rains in New York you can usually sit tight somewhere and wait for a lull-
but it never happens here I guess. The clouds were set on "Riot Hose" for the entire afternoon.
We picked up some 5 Euro umbrellas that were suprisingly sturdy for off-the-street rip-offs.
We knew the weather was gonna be crap so we'd planned to take the tram to the Musuem Quarter
and see the Van Gogh and RijksMuseum. I can't lie. This is why I'm here.
Van Gogh was like a hero to me growing up.
The place was laid out like a career retrospective, and at the later stage asylum pieces you see him
just completely lose his grip through the canvas and it tears at you.
Wheatfield With Crows is frickin huge. You can see the defeat right there.
It breaks your heart.
And to see a Rembrandt self portrait thisclose is something I'll savor for the rest of my life.
I could see the cracks in a Vermeer. An amazing day.
Unfortunately the weather also prohibited a trip to Vondelpark, which really bummed me out.
We headed back home, had an amazing dinner at this mom & pop place, where we tried some
"Dutch Cuisine"- some excellent cheeses, bitterbollen-which is like a deep fried ah spicy meat-ahball!
(think about how much fun it is among three men to order anything that sounds like "Bitter Balls")
and most importantly, some great, sweet, sweet, Beer. Beer in Amsterdam tastes amazing!
Even Heineken-which stateside I think tastes like Panther- Piss goes down great!
I was like Frank the Tank!
"Fill it up again! Fill it up again! Once it hits your lips, it's so good!"
Our bellies full we decided it was time to hit what became known as the RLD:
The Red Light District.
I'll have to split this story yet again unfortunately cause I'm bloody exhausted, but
I'm sure you'll be back for the finale. I promise the next post'll be sooner.
Holy CliffHanger!
Ribbit