For my second day in the course we started off with a great lecture about the Netherlands. We learned a new word in Dutch, Lekker, an adjective describing something tasting or feeling good. I was familiar with this word in the German language. It has the same meaning only it is considered a slang in most areas in Germany, so not used as much as here in the Netherlands. In the lecture we also discussed the differences of Amsterdam from two perspectives. One being the tourist industry, and the other being from a media standpoint. The tourist industry is usually more classic family orientated ideas. I saw various shops within the city today selling cheeses, fake tulips, clogs, and replicas of the blue delft porcelains. These are the more warm and welcoming tourist attractions and souvenirs.
The media side that we discussed had a strong presence within the city too. I saw plenty of “coffee shops” that were attracting many young tourists because of the tolerance with the Dutch Policies. This idea of tolerance can also be seen in the Dutch Legal Culture, as described by Wibo van Rossum. He states that “Drug crimes- similar to abortions, euthanasia, alcoholism, gambling, and much more can be labelled as ‘crimes without victims.'” ( pg.21) Although these coffee shops are tolerated by law, it was discovered that “about 80% of the license holders in Amsterdam was discovered to have an average criminal record of six offenses.” (pg. 21) Not much is done to these coffee shops as there is a well-known “grey area” of the legal system when it comes to the legalization of soft drugs.
While walking around we also saw plenty of fantastic buildings. I really enjoyed coming across the second oldest building in Amsterdam. The Schrierstoren, which means the “weeping tower”, is situated right near the main Amsterdam train station. The name is believed to be in relation to the number of women bidding farewell to the men they loved shipping out to other parts of the world. In the 17th century, the train station was not built and the Schrierstoren was right on the forefront of Amsterdam’s city border and port. Thousands of ships were docked in the sea right in front of it, an amazing sight to fathom. The tower carries a stone commemorating Henry Hudson who, in 1609, departed here with his ship De Halve Maen (Half Moon) and then discovered New Amsterdam, which is known today as New York.879669
We also came across Rembrandt’s home which was located in the jewish quarters of Amsterdam. The house is quite large and looks very quaint with freshly painted shutters and a front door. The stained glass windows are large and I would imagine let a good amount of light into the home. It’s so sad to know that even with so much success as an artist, Rembrandt eventually lost his earnings and eventually lost his home even.
Amsterdam to Brussels 