Many of us in the London group did some traveling during our fall break this past week. I decided that my destination would be the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. (I want to make it clear that this column is just an account of my trip, not a way of encouraging anybody to do anything illegal. Any references to those things are meant to be a factual statement of what I saw, or just a really funny joke).
In the days leading up to my trip, it became clear to me that traveling to Amsterdam is like a rite of passage for college students. After having been to Amsterdam, it seems a bit unfair that Amsterdam is stereotyped as a place that has relaxed drug laws and legalized prostitution when there is so much more to see and do. Actually, I am only pretty sure there is more to do; see, all I remember is getting off the plane, and waking up in the McDonald’s in Heathrow Airport five days later.
Of course, I am only kidding. There is a lot to see in Amsterdam, and I am happy to say that I got to see all of it. I traveled with fellow senior Doug Robertson, and we stayed at a youth hostel called The Flying Pig Downtown. “The Pig,” as it is called by people in the know (they had to tell me … I still don’t get it) is the epitome of how you might picture a hostel in Amsterdam to be. It was rocking most of the day with music, a pool table, a bar in the lobby, and a “Happy Room” in the basement.
Throughout our five days, we took in everything the city had to offer culturally. We visited the Anne Frank House, which was really important for me to see not just as a history major, but, more importantly, as a Jew. To see first-hand where the one of the most famous Holocaust victims was taken away by the forces of hate was very important because I think that when you sees something that is part of your people’s past, it helps you maintain that important connection to the history of your people.
There was also a trip to the Van Gogh Museum, which was interesting, but a little disappointing because some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings such as Starry Night were not there because the paintings’ permanent home is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I was thinking that if they are going to do this, they should have a sign outside the museum similar to the signs outside theaters that announce changes in a play’s cast: “Due to illness, Starry Night will not be seen tonight; in its place will be Sunflowers.”
Of course, there was the trip to the Heineken brewery, which was very worthwhile because for only a few Euros we not only got three half pints of beer, but a free gift at the end. You will have to go and find out what the free gift is yourself because I don’t want to ruin the surprise.
Past all the museums and beer halls, there is the most famous part of Amsterdam: the Red Light District. It is very rare to see pictures of the Red Light District, and that is because prostitution is legal and very popular in that part of town. You see, the way the girls advertise their services is by renting out a little room along the street (those rooms are lit with red lights, hence the neighborhood’s name) where they can advertise their services to potential customers. The best way I can describe this practice is to compare it with going to a butcher and trying to buy a piece of meat, and browsing around a while to see which piece of meat looks the best. Crude, I know, but that is how it is done.
As far as the legalized cannabis goes, all the places of business that advertise themselves as coffee shops are places in which marijuana can be bought and smoked. To smoke anywhere else is considered rude because not everyone in Amsterdam enjoys the smell.
Amsterdam is a city with wonderful history and architecture, and a very unique culture. As our plane flew back over London, however, I was happy to see that city again. London has become a temporary home for me, and as it is for most people, going back home is often the best part of the journey. Of course, the one lingering question remains … where did I go again?Matt Geiger is a senior who is majoring in history