Amsterdam is the most famous thing associated with the Netherlands. So widespread is its fame, that for people who have never lived here, Amsterdam ís the Netherlands.
The first thing most foreign students do on arriving in Eindhoven is to spend a weekend in Amsterdam to sample some Dutch traditions, their virgin initiation into Dutch culture.
But Amsterdam is not Netherlands. It’s a different entity, a subculture by itself. Amsterdam is not a typical Dutch cultural experience. But it is something unique and special on its own.
Over the last year, my opinions about the city have changed a lot. Last weekend I revisited Amsterdam. This time I was no longer the naïve, fresh faced tourist I was a year ago.
Amsterdam is a city where cultures collide, crash, fuse and merge. It’s where politics and old affluence swirl among new ideas and young ambition. It’s where art is made and history is preserved. Walk the city streets and you’ll pass through places ranging from total chaos to strict order. Stark contrast is the norm. Where a dignified, grand 13th century church is surrounded by windows of temptation. Where Sunday morning church goers mingle with Saturday night’s hung-over party animals. Amsterdam is about freedom and tolerance. It’s about freeing yourself, letting go, and self discovery. It’s about music, dance, art and expression. It’s about youth and the heady feelings that go along with it.
Amsterdam is wet. And it’s always under construction, constantly changing and evolving. It’s sinking and rising with the tides, literally and figuratively.
Amsterdam is shaped like half an onion. And like an onion, its superficial layers, so apparent to the casual onlooker, disguise the true experience beneath.
Just watch out for the bikes. Nothing fake about them. And they hurt like hell.