Holland:
All right... this is WAY over-due, but I gotta get this done sometime. I will thus over this week do the last leg of the catch-up entries, so help me God.
During my Month of Travel (tm), the first place I adventurously embarked to (after Paris) was Holland. More precisely, Amsterdam, the city everyone knows, and Nijemegen, the city no-one does. Which is too bad, because of the two, I prefer Nijemegen.
Not that Amsterdam isn't nice. But I think what impressed me most in Amsterdam was the number of people dressed in ridiculous costumes in its main square, hoping other people would give them money just because they got ready a little early for Halloween. But then, I'm all about ridiculous costumes, so I say, the more people dressed in silver foil and paint, the better. :)
Amsterdam also, of course, has its many canals. And its famous red-light district. And... well, other than museums, what else does it have really? The red light district is nice too, it's in a very pretty, historic area of town. Sadly, all its sex-shops are very mediocre. Stupid toys that no-one would really use, and joke gifts... nothing more than another Spencer's. No real bongage gear that I could see, nothing too interesting... sigh. I'd been hoping to get some nice stiletto boots there, but alas, saw nothing. (I go in to sex shops for the clothes. Apparently, I like to dress like a prostitute.)
The prostitutes in the windows, though, were very pretty. Surprisingly young, fit, and ethnically diverse. I had been considering paying one for an hour of her time and conducting an interview with her, just for fun, but the person I was with wasn't too keen on the idea. Neither was she keen on smoking marijuana while listening to 60s psychedelia. I suppose I'll have to get high while listening to "My People Were Fair" some other time.
If any of you stop by Amsterdam though, make sure to get high and then support the local prostitution industry, so you can tell me all about it.
Other than prostitutes, Amsterdam also has Anne Frank. Or had her. They weren't too careful with her, really. The Anne Frankhaus, a museum dedicated to her that's located in the building she hid out in, is really very good. Very moving exhibit, and well-presented... Makes everyone cry.
I went to other museums too, and they also nearly made me cry, but for different reasons. I don't know why, but all the museums in Amsterdam suddenly decided to renovate themselves this year. Thus the biggest art museum was closed (except for a small gallery), and the Van Gogh museum only had two of its three floors open. Only the Modern Art museum was fully open, but even it was under renovation. Thus I spent enirely too much time in that one. It was very badly organized, and most of its stuff was really rather lackluster. Maybe it's just that I can't appreciate modern art. Or maybe it's that modern art can only be appreciated in small doses, and over a sofa (I'm borrowing this from my sister).
That sounds really ignorant, but to some extent I think it's true. Modern Art sculptures, specifically, simply cannot be viewed within the constraints of museum walls.
The Van Gogh museum was good though. Lots and lots of Van Gogh (always a treat), and also an interesting exhibition of artists that Van Gogh himself either worked with or admired. Friends and influences, so to say.
...I was about to go on here in detail about the featured works, but then remembered that no-one cares. You're all spared for now. :)
The best part about my museum-Amsterdam outing, was that the weather was simply delightful! It was raining very hard, and it was very cold, and every so often, the rain changed to hail.
Then suddenly the rain would stop, the sun would come out, and it would be perfectly warm and lovely.
It invariably did this, however, while I was inside the museums. I'd see the sun shining, and think, "Oh good! I'll be able to walk to my next destination in comfort!" And then as soon as I'd step outside--whoosh, drip-drop-bam: wind and hail again.
Yeah. Good times.
In Nijemegen, the weather was somewhat better, especially on the first day I was there. Rima (the person mentioned before) and I went riding on bicycles. Ohhhh, heaven. I must say, what Nijemegen has is trees. Fantastic, marvelous, beautiful trees! Trees in parks, and also, lovely, lovely, lovely trees out in the country. The bike ride past city limits and into a little village was one of the most fulfilling sight-seeing experiences I had. Trees, grass, wildflowers, swans, lake, sheep, TREES.
Okay, it's not like these are any specifically exotic trees. They're normal, northern trees. But so well balanced! With such a graceful turn to their trunks! Oh, oh trees. Muse is probably the only one who might understand this tree-related rapture of mine. But then, she's a Marc Bolan fan. As well as some other things...
As well as breathtakingly beautiful trees, Nijemegen also has some old ruins that are lovely. And a sweet little park, and sweet little deer that inhabit it. It also has a lovely old church, many spires, and picturesque streets. It's just a very very pretty town--not too big, and just how a quiet European town should be.
I wanted to stay there longer--it's a beautiful place to live, to do nothing, to just be. Walking around the square, a cup of tea in a streetside cafe, fresh fish bought at the market... I did get to spend an afternoon sitting on the grass overlooking the lake, and weaving a flower wreath, but then it began to rain and I had to return back to Rima's apartment.
Of which I wish I'd remembered to take photos, because it is gorgeous. Up in the attic, so with a great view, but not cramped at all--rather, light and spacious, all glass and mirrors and windows and smooth golden wood. It was the perfect artist apartment, the perfect studio. If I ever become rich, I want one like it.
Here I guess I'd better wrap up this entry, so I'll leave you with some (rather long anyway) reflections on Holland in general:
1. Windows. Windows are important, and almost always open, and everywhere. They function more for display than anything practical--except once again in the case of prostitutes, where display IS practical. I must say, it is the strangest thing to pass by a house where the windows are all open, and in each window sits a girl in a chair and very little else. Framed like that by the parted curtains, sitting in a calm boredom, waiting for the next customer to arrive, each one different and yet all the same, they acquire an odd kind of Warholian art feel. I'd like to paint it someday: the scene is really a good example of the absurd bordering on sublime. ("Absurd," because the prostitutes in Nijemegen are right in the middle of a residential district--other than the small red light under their windows, nothing distinguishes their nice, tidy red-brick house from any of the other nice, tidy red-brick houses bordered by playgrounds and squares.)
2. Bicycles. There are lots and lots and lots of these, and they are everywhere. The bicycle is king. Everyone owns one, and it seems to be the most popular mode of transportation. Ramps and bicycle lanes are provided on every road. An interesting side-effect (I might be jumping to conclusions here)--is that I saw many more wheelchair-bound people out about the town. I think that because of all the ramps and lanes, it is much easier for them to get around. Holland can really teach us something--Washington's paltry attempts at "wheelchair accessible areas" are nothing in comparison to what exists there. It would be so nice if we could take their cue and make our cities TRULY wheelchair-accessible.
In fact, Holland's just good with such things in general. The streetlihghts make certain sound to accompany the switch from green to red, so that blind people know when to cross. And they're very protective of their environment. Goodness, the USA seems such a barbaric country in comparison.
3. Punks. Very bizzarely, even though punks are supposed to be all angry and revolutionary etc, and the Dutch are supposed to be cold, unemotional, and bland, punk fashion is very trendy there. Everywhere you see the spiked hair, and many people do the whole fishnet-and-safety pins thing. There's a big alternative clothing store in the center of Nijemegen, and as for Amsterdam, well, I'm sure there are dozens.
Yet none of the people sporting this look seem to really BE punk per se. I'm not even sure if they listen to the music--though they might. They seem to have little idea of the significance of their attire, or that they're supposed to be living up to a certain stereotype. Unlike the recent tendency of dumb American teens to wear punk clothes with no knowledge of the movement (Avril Lavigne, grr), I am not at all annoyed by the Dutch punks. They honestly seem to just wear the style 'cause they like it, and simply that. It's really quite adorable.
During my Month of Travel (tm), the first place I adventurously embarked to (after Paris) was Holland. More precisely, Amsterdam, the city everyone knows, and Nijemegen, the city no-one does. Which is too bad, because of the two, I prefer Nijemegen.
Not that Amsterdam isn't nice. But I think what impressed me most in Amsterdam was the number of people dressed in ridiculous costumes in its main square, hoping other people would give them money just because they got ready a little early for Halloween. But then, I'm all about ridiculous costumes, so I say, the more people dressed in silver foil and paint, the better. :)
Amsterdam also, of course, has its many canals. And its famous red-light district. And... well, other than museums, what else does it have really? The red light district is nice too, it's in a very pretty, historic area of town. Sadly, all its sex-shops are very mediocre. Stupid toys that no-one would really use, and joke gifts... nothing more than another Spencer's. No real bongage gear that I could see, nothing too interesting... sigh. I'd been hoping to get some nice stiletto boots there, but alas, saw nothing. (I go in to sex shops for the clothes. Apparently, I like to dress like a prostitute.)
The prostitutes in the windows, though, were very pretty. Surprisingly young, fit, and ethnically diverse. I had been considering paying one for an hour of her time and conducting an interview with her, just for fun, but the person I was with wasn't too keen on the idea. Neither was she keen on smoking marijuana while listening to 60s psychedelia. I suppose I'll have to get high while listening to "My People Were Fair" some other time.
If any of you stop by Amsterdam though, make sure to get high and then support the local prostitution industry, so you can tell me all about it.
Other than prostitutes, Amsterdam also has Anne Frank. Or had her. They weren't too careful with her, really. The Anne Frankhaus, a museum dedicated to her that's located in the building she hid out in, is really very good. Very moving exhibit, and well-presented... Makes everyone cry.
I went to other museums too, and they also nearly made me cry, but for different reasons. I don't know why, but all the museums in Amsterdam suddenly decided to renovate themselves this year. Thus the biggest art museum was closed (except for a small gallery), and the Van Gogh museum only had two of its three floors open. Only the Modern Art museum was fully open, but even it was under renovation. Thus I spent enirely too much time in that one. It was very badly organized, and most of its stuff was really rather lackluster. Maybe it's just that I can't appreciate modern art. Or maybe it's that modern art can only be appreciated in small doses, and over a sofa (I'm borrowing this from my sister).
That sounds really ignorant, but to some extent I think it's true. Modern Art sculptures, specifically, simply cannot be viewed within the constraints of museum walls.
The Van Gogh museum was good though. Lots and lots of Van Gogh (always a treat), and also an interesting exhibition of artists that Van Gogh himself either worked with or admired. Friends and influences, so to say.
...I was about to go on here in detail about the featured works, but then remembered that no-one cares. You're all spared for now. :)
The best part about my museum-Amsterdam outing, was that the weather was simply delightful! It was raining very hard, and it was very cold, and every so often, the rain changed to hail.
Then suddenly the rain would stop, the sun would come out, and it would be perfectly warm and lovely.
It invariably did this, however, while I was inside the museums. I'd see the sun shining, and think, "Oh good! I'll be able to walk to my next destination in comfort!" And then as soon as I'd step outside--whoosh, drip-drop-bam: wind and hail again.
Yeah. Good times.
In Nijemegen, the weather was somewhat better, especially on the first day I was there. Rima (the person mentioned before) and I went riding on bicycles. Ohhhh, heaven. I must say, what Nijemegen has is trees. Fantastic, marvelous, beautiful trees! Trees in parks, and also, lovely, lovely, lovely trees out in the country. The bike ride past city limits and into a little village was one of the most fulfilling sight-seeing experiences I had. Trees, grass, wildflowers, swans, lake, sheep, TREES.
Okay, it's not like these are any specifically exotic trees. They're normal, northern trees. But so well balanced! With such a graceful turn to their trunks! Oh, oh trees. Muse is probably the only one who might understand this tree-related rapture of mine. But then, she's a Marc Bolan fan. As well as some other things...
As well as breathtakingly beautiful trees, Nijemegen also has some old ruins that are lovely. And a sweet little park, and sweet little deer that inhabit it. It also has a lovely old church, many spires, and picturesque streets. It's just a very very pretty town--not too big, and just how a quiet European town should be.
I wanted to stay there longer--it's a beautiful place to live, to do nothing, to just be. Walking around the square, a cup of tea in a streetside cafe, fresh fish bought at the market... I did get to spend an afternoon sitting on the grass overlooking the lake, and weaving a flower wreath, but then it began to rain and I had to return back to Rima's apartment.
Of which I wish I'd remembered to take photos, because it is gorgeous. Up in the attic, so with a great view, but not cramped at all--rather, light and spacious, all glass and mirrors and windows and smooth golden wood. It was the perfect artist apartment, the perfect studio. If I ever become rich, I want one like it.
Here I guess I'd better wrap up this entry, so I'll leave you with some (rather long anyway) reflections on Holland in general:
1. Windows. Windows are important, and almost always open, and everywhere. They function more for display than anything practical--except once again in the case of prostitutes, where display IS practical. I must say, it is the strangest thing to pass by a house where the windows are all open, and in each window sits a girl in a chair and very little else. Framed like that by the parted curtains, sitting in a calm boredom, waiting for the next customer to arrive, each one different and yet all the same, they acquire an odd kind of Warholian art feel. I'd like to paint it someday: the scene is really a good example of the absurd bordering on sublime. ("Absurd," because the prostitutes in Nijemegen are right in the middle of a residential district--other than the small red light under their windows, nothing distinguishes their nice, tidy red-brick house from any of the other nice, tidy red-brick houses bordered by playgrounds and squares.)
2. Bicycles. There are lots and lots and lots of these, and they are everywhere. The bicycle is king. Everyone owns one, and it seems to be the most popular mode of transportation. Ramps and bicycle lanes are provided on every road. An interesting side-effect (I might be jumping to conclusions here)--is that I saw many more wheelchair-bound people out about the town. I think that because of all the ramps and lanes, it is much easier for them to get around. Holland can really teach us something--Washington's paltry attempts at "wheelchair accessible areas" are nothing in comparison to what exists there. It would be so nice if we could take their cue and make our cities TRULY wheelchair-accessible.
In fact, Holland's just good with such things in general. The streetlihghts make certain sound to accompany the switch from green to red, so that blind people know when to cross. And they're very protective of their environment. Goodness, the USA seems such a barbaric country in comparison.
3. Punks. Very bizzarely, even though punks are supposed to be all angry and revolutionary etc, and the Dutch are supposed to be cold, unemotional, and bland, punk fashion is very trendy there. Everywhere you see the spiked hair, and many people do the whole fishnet-and-safety pins thing. There's a big alternative clothing store in the center of Nijemegen, and as for Amsterdam, well, I'm sure there are dozens.
Yet none of the people sporting this look seem to really BE punk per se. I'm not even sure if they listen to the music--though they might. They seem to have little idea of the significance of their attire, or that they're supposed to be living up to a certain stereotype. Unlike the recent tendency of dumb American teens to wear punk clothes with no knowledge of the movement (Avril Lavigne, grr), I am not at all annoyed by the Dutch punks. They honestly seem to just wear the style 'cause they like it, and simply that. It's really quite adorable.