Amsterdam - A Clash of Styles
The city of Amsterdam is a clash of styles, both conservative
and liberal. Whatever your personal views, Amsterdam is a city
you have to visit at least once.
Amsterdam
Visually, Amsterdam appears to be a conservative European city
out of antiquity. The place oozes charm with cobblestone
streets, canals and towering water front homes. Philosophically,
however, the city is very liberal with marijuana being
decriminalized and prostitution a licensed profession. It is
easy to get caught up in debates over the merits of this liberal
attitude and completely miss much of what Amsterdam has to
offer.
Museums
You'll think Amsterdam is heaven if you are an art lover. Even
if you're not big into art, the collections in the museums will
impress you. This is the stuff that was in your high school art
books, which you failed to appreciate because you were too
stupid, young or a combination of both. I certainly had a
healthy dose of both!
The Rijksmuseum carries collections of some of the great Dutch
painters such as Vermeer. While the building alone can be
considered a great piece of art, the Rembrandt collection is a
must see. For those who are art illiterate, I'm talking about
the painter, not the toothpaste. Included in the collection are
pieces such as the famous Night Watch. This painting has reached
that peculiar level of fame wherein a psycho idiot tries to
slice it in half every few years. Now that's fame. A very sad
form of fame, but there you are.
Ah, but what about that crazy man with the really bad ear
piercing? Where are his paintings? Fret not. The Vincent van
Gogh Museum is considered the finest and largest collection of
his work. It is impressive, but I thought framing his notes
regarding picking up food for dinner was a bit much. Just
kidding. Impressive notes...very impressive. Brought a tear to
my eye.
Coffee Shops/Red Light District
The coffee shops in Amsterdam actually sell coffee. This is
often a surprise to some since they are famous for selling
marijuana as well. I don't know this personally, but have "heard
from a friend" that such things go on. I can, however,
definitely recommend the coffee. Good stuff. If you prefer to
try things other than coffee, try to show some restraint. You
are in a foreign country and an out of his or her mind tourist
is asking for trouble.
The red light district in Amsterdam is an odd place. Because of
the fame, it is more of a tourist destination than anything
else. The "professionals" sit behind storefront windows, waving
and winking at people passing by. These "people" typically
consists of tour groups and random tourists who want to say
they've seen the place. Although I am sure business is being
done, it isn't particularly obvious.
While the clich