Amsterdam Love

Our days in Amsterdam went by incredibly fast. We did so many things that it would be impossible to tell about them all, so here are some of my favorite things.

1. The Heineken Brewery. Not actually the brewery anymore, but they have a really cool tour through the original brewery with a lot of interactive activities and even a simulation ride that takes you through the brewing process. I never would have guessed there was so much to know about beer.

The Brewing Process

2. Delft, Netherlands. This small town is known for the Royal Delft Company that makes the blue and white pottery that Holland is known for. We went to the Royal Delft factory where they have seven people who hand paint a number of their products. The work is so intricate that it takes each painter about four hours to complete one piece.

One of the Workstations

A cute piece of pottery

Other than the Royal Delft Company, Delft is a beautiful little town with a unique town center.

3. The Bikes. Ok, this one is going to have it’s own post later on when I finally have all the photos and videos I want to include. But here’s a short introduction. There are about 750,000 bikes in the city of Amsterdam alone, and looking around, I believe it. The Dutch have truly revolutionized the bicycle SUV. So far, the most people I have seen on one bike is six. Two small children in the front wheelbarrow-type basket, one child in a seat by the steering wheel, the driver, and two children in small seats on the back – and this isn’t uncommon. In the states, children tend to fight over who gets to sit “shotgun” in the passenger seat of the car, but over here, I assume the children fight over who has to sit in the front seat because that person is going to absorb the majority of the wind and weather, while the person in the back gets protection. The picture below is of the multi-floor parking garage for bikes outside the Amsterdam train station.

4. Nighttime in the city. Amsterdam is almost more beautiful at night. At night, the city comes alive with bikers who are constantly on the move (and who never seem to sleep… there are still bikers on the streets at one in the morning on a weeknight) and the lights from the city shine on the canals. It creates a beautiful wave of color.

5. The incredibly blunt and peculiar sense of humor the Dutch have. One thing I have learned is that the Dutch tell it how it is. They’re probably some of the most honest people I’ve ever met. In the words of my Dutch mentor group leader, “All I have to convince you are my honest eyes.” They also have one of funniest sense of humors as well. Just take a look at a few of the peculiar things we found around Amsterdam.