The Dutch, I heard, had a policy of naming something the way they saw it. And that’s how this wonderful city came to be named – the dam on the river Amster.
I reached Amsterdam along with a friend on a Saturday evening. It was already dark, thanks to the winter. Thanks again to the winter as this allowed us to view the city in all its glittering glory for close to five hours. Christmas had just bid adieu, and the New Year was about to usher
in, giving it a bridal look.
The city is entirely built on the sea. And the highest point is a bridge close to the railway station, the “Amsterdam Centraal”, and is a full 1.5 m higher than sea level. For the most parts, Netherlands is below sea level and hence the British named it so. Although a major portion of Belgium, and parts of France also come under this league, only Holland remained as the Netherlands in recent memory.
The Europeans have a wonderful way of preserving their ancestral properties. Most of the historical edifices serve as hotels, banks, public utility offices or in some cases administrative offices of manufacturing plants! While the façade is not altered, the interiors keep pace with time. So, one can have the latest cuisine under old time charm.
The Tulips at Keukenhof, the windmills on the country side, the Alsmeer floating flower market, the innumerable canals are some of the best attractions of this city apart from the variegated museums – Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Anne Frank, Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Historical. Lined on both sides of any road are a vast number of restaurants serving predominantly Argentine, Italian, Indian and Indonesian cuisine. The second highest population after native Hollanders are people from Suriname. Oliebollen (or Oil Balls) are fried doughnut balls that are Holland’s most famous roadside food along with Vlaamse Frites, a kind of French Fries.
But Amsterdam, as you all know, is famous not just for its architecture, but also for the innumerable “Coffee Shops” and of course, the Red Light District.
There was a purpose as to the existence of these two star attractions. The oldest church in Amsterdam is right in the middle of the Red Light District. Initially, the ships used to land close to where the church was to be established. After traveling for a long period, the usually exhausted sailors tended to eye women and girls on the street for some pleasure. This apparently led the senior members of the society to request a few women from the society to lend their bodies in order to protect the majority of the women. They were promised full anonymity and good support. And to this day, it is illegal to photograph a girl behind the window in the Red Light District. These ladies do it just for the money and live a respectable life outside their shift. Everyone is above 18, youngsters are not allowed and the girls do not pose nude. Some also rank among the richest in Holland! The oldest worker is apparently 75 and still going strong!
On similar lines were the coffee shops established. Drug abuse was a menace. In consultation with doctors it was identified that some drugs had a lower hallucinating effect. And hence the government allowed the sale of these in small quantities in these coffee shops. All coffee shops have trained personnel capable of handling people who pass out. And the licenses are strictly administered. Once caught doing wrong, there is no way one can return to business. At 9%, Netherlands ranks the lowest in drug abuse in the entire EU.
Both of the star attractions are destined to meet the Dodo’s fate in five years. While these have come to symbolize the unbelievably open culture of Amsterdam, it has apparently not worked for the government, especially after the EU formation. My observation was that there was considerably less number of middle aged and old tourists here unlike other places I have been to. These are also the ones tending to spend more and stay in hotels and not hostels, thus increasing tourism revenue for the government. But, the exact reasons are not known to me.
Europe is generally conservative in constructing homes. Netherlands beats everyone to the finish. The apartments literally stick to each other. One can have windows only in the front and back. It is very rare to have it on the sides. The stairs are the steepest in the world with a few cases where you may be forced to crawl up the stairs with your hand! The smallest house in Amsterdam is just 1.5m wide and 3 m in length. The person staying there is 1.5m tall! Dutch, if you did not know, are among the tallest people in the world.
Owing to the fact that the Dutch spoke German (or Deutsch as it is called here) in a crude way they came to be called as Dutch. Amsterdam is the home of the Dutch East India Company, a now defunct organization, but one that ruled from 1600 to 1800 and was the world’s first publicly held corporation and also the first one with overseas trade.
While area around the central station is reserved for the old world charm, the southern part of the city is where the new high rises are. Amsterdam is home to the World Trade Center of Netherlands, and also to the corporate HQs of ABN-AMRO, ING and Philips.
Amsterdam is probably one of the few cities where exists a seamless synergy between the pristine past and a pulsating present. Where else can you find an erstwhile men’s prison that’s now a sprawling shopping mall?
I reached Amsterdam along with a friend on a Saturday evening. It was already dark, thanks to the winter. Thanks again to the winter as this allowed us to view the city in all its glittering glory for close to five hours. Christmas had just bid adieu, and the New Year was about to usher
in, giving it a bridal look.The city is entirely built on the sea. And the highest point is a bridge close to the railway station, the “Amsterdam Centraal”, and is a full 1.5 m higher than sea level. For the most parts, Netherlands is below sea level and hence the British named it so. Although a major portion of Belgium, and parts of France also come under this league, only Holland remained as the Netherlands in recent memory.
The Europeans have a wonderful way of preserving their ancestral properties. Most of the historical edifices serve as hotels, banks, public utility offices or in some cases administrative offices of manufacturing plants! While the façade is not altered, the interiors keep pace with time. So, one can have the latest cuisine under old time charm.
The Tulips at Keukenhof, the windmills on the country side, the Alsmeer floating flower market, the innumerable canals are some of the best attractions of this city apart from the variegated museums – Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Anne Frank, Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Historical. Lined on both sides of any road are a vast number of restaurants serving predominantly Argentine, Italian, Indian and Indonesian cuisine. The second highest population after native Hollanders are people from Suriname. Oliebollen (or Oil Balls) are fried doughnut balls that are Holland’s most famous roadside food along with Vlaamse Frites, a kind of French Fries.
But Amsterdam, as you all know, is famous not just for its architecture, but also for the innumerable “Coffee Shops” and of course, the Red Light District.
There was a purpose as to the existence of these two star attractions. The oldest church in Amsterdam is right in the middle of the Red Light District. Initially, the ships used to land close to where the church was to be established. After traveling for a long period, the usually exhausted sailors tended to eye women and girls on the street for some pleasure. This apparently led the senior members of the society to request a few women from the society to lend their bodies in order to protect the majority of the women. They were promised full anonymity and good support. And to this day, it is illegal to photograph a girl behind the window in the Red Light District. These ladies do it just for the money and live a respectable life outside their shift. Everyone is above 18, youngsters are not allowed and the girls do not pose nude. Some also rank among the richest in Holland! The oldest worker is apparently 75 and still going strong!
On similar lines were the coffee shops established. Drug abuse was a menace. In consultation with doctors it was identified that some drugs had a lower hallucinating effect. And hence the government allowed the sale of these in small quantities in these coffee shops. All coffee shops have trained personnel capable of handling people who pass out. And the licenses are strictly administered. Once caught doing wrong, there is no way one can return to business. At 9%, Netherlands ranks the lowest in drug abuse in the entire EU.
Both of the star attractions are destined to meet the Dodo’s fate in five years. While these have come to symbolize the unbelievably open culture of Amsterdam, it has apparently not worked for the government, especially after the EU formation. My observation was that there was considerably less number of middle aged and old tourists here unlike other places I have been to. These are also the ones tending to spend more and stay in hotels and not hostels, thus increasing tourism revenue for the government. But, the exact reasons are not known to me.
Europe is generally conservative in constructing homes. Netherlands beats everyone to the finish. The apartments literally stick to each other. One can have windows only in the front and back. It is very rare to have it on the sides. The stairs are the steepest in the world with a few cases where you may be forced to crawl up the stairs with your hand! The smallest house in Amsterdam is just 1.5m wide and 3 m in length. The person staying there is 1.5m tall! Dutch, if you did not know, are among the tallest people in the world.
Owing to the fact that the Dutch spoke German (or Deutsch as it is called here) in a crude way they came to be called as Dutch. Amsterdam is the home of the Dutch East India Company, a now defunct organization, but one that ruled from 1600 to 1800 and was the world’s first publicly held corporation and also the first one with overseas trade.
While area around the central station is reserved for the old world charm, the southern part of the city is where the new high rises are. Amsterdam is home to the World Trade Center of Netherlands, and also to the corporate HQs of ABN-AMRO, ING and Philips.
Amsterdam is probably one of the few cities where exists a seamless synergy between the pristine past and a pulsating present. Where else can you find an erstwhile men’s prison that’s now a sprawling shopping mall?
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