A Few Things We've Learned in Amsterdam

1.) Bikes are everywhere. 
Watch your step, and watch it very carefully, because chances are you will be run over if you happen to step into one of the bike lanes in Amsterdam. Not only are there hundreds, if not thousands, of bikes in the city, but they travel very quickly. Everyone from children to the elderly can be seen zipping around on their bikes: up alleyways, across intersections, and over canals. While on a canal tour around the city, we passed a bike garage in the harbor that was packed to the brim, and on every street there are bicycles piled against buildings, even those that clearly say "forbidden: no bikes here." In Amsterdam, bikes are unstoppable.

2.) Amsterdam cares about sustainability; airlines do not.

It may not come as a surprise after hearing that so many of Amsterdam's citizens travel by bike, but the city seems to give a lot of thought to the environment, which came as welcome relief after our 10 hour flight here. On the plane, I was shocked to see how much plastic was used by the airline. Over the course of our flight, there were no fewer than three drink services, plus two opportunities to have complimentary bottled water on top of that, and three meal or snack services that all required a hefty amount of plastic packaging. Multiply that by the 293 people on our flight, our one flight across the Atlantic had the potential to use 879 small plastic cups, 586 disposable water bottles, and countless packaging materials. In contrast, there have been many energy and resource saving practices to be seen around Amsterdam. From the airport we took the bus to our hotel, and from there we have either walked or taken public transit to get around the city, but sustainability isn't limited to transportation in Amsterdam. On our first day, a very dehydrated version of myself was overjoyed to find a water bottle refill station on our way to Nieuwkerk. Then today at the Van Gogh museum, I saw what was possibly the coolest contraption I have ever seen: reusable paper towels in a bathroom! You pull part of the towel loop out of the dispenser, then after drying your hands, the machine wheels the towel back into itself were it will dry and sanitize everything for the next person's use. Later when we visited the supermarket, plastic bags weren't the go-to method of grocery transportation, and if you wanted one, you'd have to pay for it. Overall, everything in Amsterdam has seemed somewhat similar to back home, but just a little different, and in the case of sustainability, those small differences have seemed to speak volumes. 

3.) Everything here is beautiful. 

Thus far, we have visited the Oudekerk, Nieuwkerk, Ons Lieve Heer op Solder, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and various locations in Amsterdam both on foot and by canal. We have traveled time and visited everyone Constantine to Rembrandt along the way, and one thing is certain regardless of where we are in time and space: everything is beautiful. In the U.S, you can't replicate the cobbled and cozy feel that accompanies truly old cities. The climbing ivy on the closely nestled homes that stretch into the sky is just as mesmerizing as the grandeur and seemingly endless hallways of the Rijksmuseum and terrifically tall groin vaults of the churches we have visited. Even the smallest church we visited had its own charms. Unlike Oudekerk or Nieuwkerk, Ons Lieve Heer op Solder, which translates to "Our Lord in the Attic," is housed... well, inside of a house. While the home appears to be a typical steep-stepped Dutch home at first glance, walk up a few flights of stairs and you will find a Catholic Church tucked away inside: gilded altarpieces and detailed painting in all. Beauty is hiding everywhere in this city. 

4.) The Dutch have a sense of humor about their painting masters. 

While I'm getting tired and should rest before we head to the Anne Frank house tomorrow morning, j wanted to share one last thing with you all. If you are familiar with Van Gogh's famous painting "The Potato Eaters" you will know it is painted in varying shades of ruddy brown, depicting a peasant family in their dimly lit home. If you are familiar with the Van Gogh Museum, you will know they have this cheeky item available in the gift shop:

That's all for now, but I'll try to write again soon amidst our busy schedule. Dank je wel for reading!