So we finally leave Germany, and head for our last stop on the tour - Amsterdam.
Seeing as we're behind schedule - once again, brief lunch stop somewhere along the way before continuing on our journey and picking up folks who'd booked an Amsterdam weekend.
Now, those of us who'd been on the 16 day tour - especially those who'd had two seats to themselves, including yours truly, weren't all to happy with this as it meant having to share seats. And share seats for the last part of the trip. You know how the return trip is always far more tedious than any other.
Get to Amsterdam - pick up the 8 people - and guess what, they moan about waiting....and moan about having to fly to Amsterdam from London city airport and making three tube changes to get there. Like, that is our issue why? We've been on a faulty bus for the past 14 days - behind schedule for most it (had a good time anyway). You don't see us complain do you? We could, but what's the point?
First stop was Zaanse Schaans - windmills and clog making. It wasn't a very long stop - about 40 minutes - seeing as we were behind schedule and all. It takes about 3 hours to make clogs by hand, 5 minutes by machine. Took a wander around the shop, fitting on clogs and then outside taking random photos in the huge clogs outside before climbing back onto the bus and heading to the seaside town of Vollendam. But, first stopping at a cheese factory to find out how cheese is made, and of course a taste session. The girl explained cheese making from start to finish in like 10 minutes. If you blinked you would've misssed all of it.
Reached Vollendam late afternoon - quiet little village. Pretty in the late afternoon light. Just took the usual wander around taking photos. Before reaching Vollendam we were told about our plans for the evening in Amsterdam - the Red Light District - and a sex show if you were interested.
Vollendam
A list was made with all interested adding their names - in total about 28 people - half the group decided to go.
After Vollendam head back to Amsterdam to the youth hostel we were staying in. More drama with the bus though before we get there. Mr bus driver headed the wrong way on a one way and of course there were cops around! It was the funniest thing - the entire bus started buckling up. The newbies were a bit confused since they'd missed the seat belt talk at the start of the trip - how if stopped in Europe - passengers get fined if they're not buckled up on coaches. New law. Nobody said a word - or else it was stage whispered - all you heard was the click click click of seat belts being fastened and waiting for the whole thing to get sorted.
Police escourt number two for the day and we finally made our way to the youth hostel at about 7pm. Dinner first, seeing it was only open until 8pm and we were to leave for the red light district walking tour at 9 - however, for whatever reason - running late. Again!
Now, Amsterdam is an interesting city. Especially traffic wise. We survived the crazy Parisian and Italian drivers - but it seemed as though we might just be harmed by cyclists in Amsterdam.
There are cars, bicycles, trams and people everywhere. There are of course bicycle lanes, but being a foreigner you invariably forget this as it is on the pavement. Add trams, and everything being on the wrong side of the road - it's a tricky business trying not to get run over.
Get the tram to the war memorial in the city centre and from there begin the (very) brief tour of the red light district. The brevity of the tour was because the sex show started at 10pm...
Found out a bit about the coffee shops and the girls in the window and then headed to the sex show.
It really was a bit weird wandering the streets of the red light district. It being a Friday night, the area was jam-packed with people. Men and women, and of course, a whole lot of tourists.
Weird - because it felt like wandering around some bizarre zoo - only, it was women on display. Thing with the Red light District - it's all strictly controlled, and of the safest places in Amsterdam as it's quite heavily patrolled by policemen. In addition, the girls all pay tax and belong to a union.
If the curtains are open the girls are advertising themselves, scantily clad, or in UV bikinis. Most of the females on our tour group found it odd. Unable to really look. I had a look around at all the people - men in particular - walking by - the look of delight on their faces was quite funny. Of course, there were groups of men out on stag nights, and boys celebrating 18th and 21st birthdays - as evidenced by printed t-shirts and what-not.
If the curtains are closed, well....
Viewed a few interactions of girls and potential clients. We were told that the girls turn down clients quite often. Also, they have friends standing around outside. There are signs all over indicating photos should not be taken - and be warned if you do. It's all at your own peril. These friends will take your camera and chuck it into the canal, and the cops won't do a thing since you it was your own stupidity. And it wasn't theft.
Made our way to the place where the sex show was to be. It was a 'when in Amsterdam' moment. One not to be repeated. I saw waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than I ever wanted to. What's seen cannot be unseen. Ever. Couple of our group members walked out and we found out later - made their way to a coffee shop. The people who didn't attend the sex show had gone out for a drink.
There were some funny moments though - when they asked for volunteers from the audience. And no, I wasn't involved. Watching it all was more than enough.
One of the girls on our tour pointed out though that there comes a point when it's like whatever. There's so much sex related things around you get over pretty quickly after the initial 'shock'.
Had a bit of walk through more of the Red light district after the show before heading back to the hostel.
Day 15 and the second last day of the tour was our free day in Amsterdam. Uhmmed and aaahed the previous night about what to do - and in the end didn't even do it. Had planned a bicycle tour, or hiring bikes ourselves, but the next morning after breakfast found a few people hanging the lobby going to do a free walking tour - so joined them.
And it was a good thing. The tour guide - Kevin - was absolutely fantastic. American, from Boston, been in Amsterdam for two years and he's completely embraced the city and found out tons and tons about it's history.
Found out so much - and of course, there's still so much more he could've told us. It was a 3hr walking tour, with a stop for lunch.
He told us a bit about the red light district - not in great detail though, since he did the night time red light district tour, and about coffee shops. Kevin pointed out that Amsterdam is not your typical Dutch city, and is definitely the exception. The Netherlands has a Protestant government and coffee shops and prostitution - although legal - is very strictly controlled.
The Dutch figured it this way - since it was there anyway, and brought in money, might as well legalise it. Because in Amsterdam, it's all about the bottom line. Technically marijuana isn't legal - it's decriminalised. The only place where you're legally allowed to smoke it is in coffee shops. And coffee shops are not allowed to serve alcohol. If you're found smoking it on the streets you can be fined on the spot.
Kevin told us about how Amsterdam got started, it's political history and so much more. From why you have houses leaning forward and the weak foundations (since Amsterdam is built around canals) to World War II and the Nazi invation.
I couldn't even begin to try and impart the knowledge I gained about that city. It's just way too much. We found out about 'pistflectors' - basically devices put up against historic buildings to prevent people from peeing on them. These pistflectors splash urine back on the offender - who's in all liklihood drunk - and the next day will be left wandering why his pants and shoes reek!
The last stop of the tour was outside the Weste Kerk - it is this church's bells Anne Frank heard while in hiding. The annexe they stayed in was right around the corner. The group sat down as Kevin told us one last story about Amsterdam.
He'd described the attitude of Amsterdammers as one of plausible deniability. If you ignore it, and don't see it then it doesn't really exist. This is what happened when the Nazi's first invaded Amsterdam. They noted they'd come but didn't really do much about it and so went about their day to day business. This was before the Nazis started rounding up the Jews and sending them off to concentration camps. It was easy for the Nazis to round up the Jews since they all lived in the Jewish quarter and they all had to do was cordone off the area.
During this time there were boxing clubs around - both Jewish and non-Jewish. These boxers helped keep the peace between the boys who were part Nationalist Party and the civilians. One day a group of Nazi teens attacked a group of Jewish kids a playground. This playground happened to be across from a Jewish boxing club. The boxers weren't about to tolerate little kids being beaten up by big boys so they stopped them. The next day - senior members of the party entered a Jewish ice-cream parlour and wreaked havoc - attacking young kids and their parents.
Amsterdammers stood up and noticed. They came together - beseeched the bus drivers and tram drivers not to go to work that Monday, a day in Feb 1941 if I remember correctly. No public transport meant no-one could get to work. The people of Amsterdam came together in protest against the Nazi treament of the Jewish people. Yes, they'd tolerated their prescence but they'd gone too far with the attacks on kids. The Nazis had of course made it out that the Jewish boxers and attacked the teenagers and made no mention of the Jewish kids these teens had beaten up.
This strike started small - but by the end of that day about 200 000 Amsterdammers had come together in protest. They stood up against the Nazi treatment of the Jewish people. Yes, they may have been Jewish. But they were Amsterdammers too. This strike was short lived as the Nazis had called for back up - fighter planes and all sorts.
Retelling this story doesn't have the impact it did when I first heard it. Kevin told us that for him that was what Amsterdam was all about. I found this story quite touching, and it just added to everything else I'd grown to like about this city.
Amsterdam is far more than just the red light district and coffee shops. And it is definitely one place (amongst many) I have to return to and explore and get know far better than what less than 48 hours allows.
Amsterdam certainly is a place for the bleeding hearted liberalist.
After a most excellent walking tour, we made our way to the Van Gogh Museum and then Anne Frank House.
The annexe Anne and her family lived in was tiny. The room she shared with the dentist, the narrow, steep stairs, the small window in the attic where she caught a glimpse of sky.... wow.
The pictures of film stars she'd put up are still on those walls. As are the pencil markings indicating the growth of a child. I'd reread the her diary on the bus and finished a couple days before getting to Amsterdam - and seeing it all after reading about it again just added to emphasis to it all.
There was so much more I wanted to do in Amsterdam, but didn't get around to - being pushed for time and all, but what I saw has ensured that I will return.
Last evening before heading home, and a few of us decided to head out. First a bar and then a coffee shop.
Another 'when in Amsterdam' moment. Done. Not for me. Thanks but no thanks.
I have never felt so shite as I did after that and really did not relish the experience. One girl - who came along but didn't take anything - commented that it was the quietest walk ever. The next morning still felt absolutely terrible - breakfast, bus, and then sleep. Belgium went by without being seen - even though we were only on the motorway anyway. All that was seen of Belgium was a truck stop where we got lunch.
Back to Calais, board the ferry, Dover and then London.
Felt a little off for a few days after the end of the tour - travel withdrawal symptoms I think. I loved being around fellow travellers, and truly loved seeing all these new places. The travel bug has bitten good and proper and it is something I just have to continue doing.
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