Zackberridge’s Weblog

My train ride from Brussels to Amsterdam was another smooth transtion from one world to the next. Amsterdam is a very beautiful city as well as a very hot spot for tourists. Holland is very well know for the windmills (as well as the wooden shoes, but that didnt excite me very much……..wooden shoes?) for the windmills were originally used to pump the water out of the city since much of Amsterdam and northern Netherlands were very much marshlands. Then they began to use the power of the windmills to saw wood, grind wheat and corn, and various other uses, which allowed the Dutch people to become very advanced and speedy ship builders and tradesmen. At one point the dutch were extremely wealthy from the selling of timber and ships, and the international trading they were able to do with their superior ships and products. As most us of know New York was originally called New Amstedam because the dutch settled there first. There were two common dutch surnames, the Yans and the Kees; hence the term ‘yankess.’ Also, the word dollar came from the dutch word for currency, dòllàr (pronounced slightly different), which came from the german word for currency ‘dommelsch’ meaning ‘from the valley.’

I had a great time, as well as some great food while in Amsterdam. I met with two friends, whom I met in Paris while staying at the same house, on my second day and we went to the Van Gogh museum. Being an artist I really was inspired by Van Gogh’s brilliant, innovative approach to his unconventional style of art. He refused to conform to any specific style and felt that true art from nature has no limits and no rules, therefore it is perfect anyway it comes out, and I agree with that completely. (particularly because if I try to draw a tree, it never looks exactly like what I see, so its a good excuse for me, ha!) At the same time I was saddened by his life story of selling very few paintings during his struggling life, ending up in a mental hospital, and then finally taking his own life at an early age because he suffered from Parkisons disease and could not do what he loved so much, which was to create art.

My last day in Amsterdam I rented a bicycle and crused around the city looking for the Anne Frank house, but the line to get in was extremely long and I was pressed for time, so I didnt get to see the attic. Amsterdam is THE city of bikes. There are twice as many bikes as cars, and the cyclists even have their own streets and traffic signals, as well as guaranteed right of way at all times. (thats what Im talking about!) The city is full of canals that are the result of the cities irrigation of the water, and there are over a thousand bridges in the small city. I think I walked over everysingle one on my first night after several really strong beers and being lost in a city who’s street names are impossible to read, much less remember. Plus my mind wasnt clear because I thought I lost my phone and was trying hard to remember where the pub was located that I was at, and that turned out to be a 2 hour fiasco because every damn street looked the same. Turns out my phone was on my bed in my hostel the whole time….wooo hoo! Well, thats all I will blog about for my Amsterdam trip, and because I got lost so many times I was a bit relieved to leave the city. Plus the Dutch language is very strange to me. cheers!