Sights and Sounds - Final Posting

Dam Square is located at the center of Old Amsterdam. Here you’ll find shopping plazas, buggy rides, a giant Ferris wheel and tons of excitement. This week is a holiday for school kids and you can hear the screams at the top of the wheel. If any square in Europe can be described as a circus, this is the one. With the swarms of crowds there is a heavy presence of police. They walk in groups or ride on horseback, keeping an eye out for pickpockets and scam artists.

Beyond Dam Square lies Amsterdam’s Red Light District. In this liberal-minded city, the come-ons from the scantily-dressed ladies standing in the windows are an accepted and legal practice. The neighborhood takes in several blocks and attracts as many tourists as clients. Tour guides, some of which are former Madams, walk through the narrow streets, conduct a little window shopping and give a local history of the oldest profession. The Dutch differ from the West in addressing their social challenges with sex and drugs. There is no conclusive evidence that either society is right.

The general population of Amsterdam is full of life and vigor. Here, we are in the midst of friendly, obliging people who can switch from Dutch to perfect English at the blink of an eye. On a number of occasions we were studying our city map and interrupted by “Can I help you?” On the tram, a young couple overhears us asking the attendant about our stop and says “That’s our stop, just follow us.” Any request for information was greeted with a warm smile and a helpful response.

Physical activity is an integral part of Amsterdam life. In the parks you can see parents playing with their kids or teens engaged in a game of soccer or volleyball. Everywhere people are biking. There are 750,000 people in Amsterdam and 600,000 bikes. The bike is the most widely-used form of transportation. Men in suits, and women in dresses and high heels pedal to and from work, go shopping or run errands. They may be riding their bike while talking on the cell phone or holding an umbrella. The bikers have their own path throughout the city and ride in harmony with the trams, buses and cars. Surprisingly, there is no mandatory law for helmets.

Monica and I have been well-received everywhere we visited. It reinforces our view that people are basically good wherever you go. Amsterdam is a large city with a small-town ambiance. The people here are smart, friendly and witty. It has a down-home Newfoundland feel - a feeling we'll get lots of as we prepare for our flight back to St. John's.

Here ends our trip and our Eurospace Blog. Thank-you for allowing us to share our experiences with you.

Starry Night

One can’t visit Holland without exposure to the world of art. The Rijks Museum is currently under a major renovation. Because of their restricted space they are only exhibiting the crème de la crème of the Dutch Masters. These paintings represent Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, artists from the Golden Age. Of particular interest is Rembrandt’s most famous painting, ‘The Night Watch’. In this large piece Rembrandt displays his skill with creating light and movement.

Across the square there is another Art Museum dedicated to one painter. The Van Gogh Museum displays the art, letters, and influences of this amazing Neo-impressionist. Vincent Van Gogh was 27 years old when he decided to devote his life to art. In 10 short years he produced more than 800 paintings, and more than 1000 drawings and sketches. His mood-creating brush strokes and use of vivid colours set him apart from artists of his period.

Van Gogh suffered from mental illness and his changing moods can be depicted in his work. In a state of depression he painted crows hovering below a dark sky and paths that led nowhere. In better times he painted sunflowers, wheat fields and bright blue skies. I can’t help but think of American singer/song-writer, Don McLean. His classic 1971 hit ‘Vincent’ captured Van Gogh’s life and moods remarkably well. You can go to McLean’s website (http://www.don-mclean.com/vincent/asp) and play a slideshow of Van Gogh’s paintings to the lyrics of this beautiful song.

Van Gogh is considered the father of modern art. Unfortunately his distinctive style and value as an artist gained appreciation after his suffering finally ended in 1890. Van Gogh died at 37.