Going Home

Nothing exciting happened on the way home.  We did take the train (photo is of the RAI station) back to the airport and discovered the ticket machines 'speak' English but they don't speak credit card or cash.  So, for the first time since I've had a bank card, I actually used it to pay for something.

We stopped in the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol duty free shop after taking about 30 minutes to get our boarding passes and pass through security.  The guards didn't like all the electronic gear in my bag so they searched that and I had to remove both my camera and my zoom lens from my camera bag.  But, we'd left plenty of time so weren't upset about these delays.

Glen is drawn to every duty free shop in search of cheap Cohiba (Cuban) cigars.  They run about $35 each in Canada so when he spots them for about under $20, he buys them.  He knew they were $17 in Frankfurt but bought them in Amsterdam when he discovered they were the same price.  I bought some tee shirts to give as Christmas presents and both of us were given the chance to pay in Canadian dollars.  Do this if you have the choice as it cuts out the service fee most credit cards charge to do the exchange.

Our connection in Frankfurt was just over an hour which seems like enough time but when we disembarked from Lufthansa, we had to take a bus to terminal then go through passport control.  We lucked out as the lines were short and we circumvented security.  We still had a long walk to our gate and by this time, my legs had started to swell.  I had a rather uncomfortable flight home but managed to get a couple of hours of sleep between sore legs and a baby crying.

It was 4:00 am Amsterdam time when we fell into bed.  When I awoke my rash had faded and the swelling in my legs had gone.

Beer and Boats

I awoke on Wednesday with a rash from my head to my toes.  I think it was a reaction to the amoxicillin I took for my sore throat.  I have a sensitivity to penicillin so this might be how it manifested itself.  Fortunately, there were no visible spots on my face but I spent the morning in the hotel room packing and taking it easy.

Glen joined me for lunch after his conference ended then we grabbed a tram to do the Heineken Experience.  On board, we met another conferee.  He'd sat near us on the canal ride the previous night.  We discussed our plans and he was off to do a canal tour.  All conferees were given free vouchers for a tour.  Glen had never picked his up so Alan gave us the two extra ones he had.

The tram announces the stop for the Heineken Experience so you can't miss it.  We weren't great Heineken beer drinkers but it is part of the Dutch culture so we wanted to see what it was all about.  Unlike the Guinness Storehouse (see In Dublin's fair city), we were among the oldest tourists doing the Experience.  Most were in their twenties and obviously came for the 'free' beer (admission was 17 euros or $22).  

The brewery was constructed in 1867 and served as the main Heineken brewery until 1988.  In 1991, it opened as a visitor centre and was completely renovated in 2008.  You begin the tour learning about the history of the brewery.  The company was founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken when he bought an existing brewery.  Now, it is the third largest brewer in the world.

In 1886, Dr. H. Elion, a student of Louis Pasteur developed a bottom-fermenting yeast (which produces a lager beer) called Heineken A-yeast and this yeast is still used today to make Heineken beer.  Henry Pierre Heineken who ran the company from 1917 to 1940, developed techniques that would allow large scale production and the company expanded its operations across the globe.  His son, Alfred (Freddy) Henry Heineken, had a flare for marketing and was responsible for brand logo.  The 'smiling e' in the Heineken name was a surprise to us.  Check it out sometime.

The tour then took us past the copper brewing kettles and we got to sample the wort (beer before the yeast is added) and were instructed on how beer was made.  I smelled something earthy which we discovered was the stables.  The Heineken Shire draught horses still pull beer wagons throughout the city.  I noticed that the horses had English names which was probably to honour their British heritage.

We climbed many stairs while experiencing the brewery and at the top of the next flight was the 'Brew U' experience.  This 'ride' took us through the brewing process then we emerged to sample the beer.  Next, you may create your own personalized bottle before being bombarded in a media room by the latest Heineken commercials.  We finally reached the 'World Bar' where we turned in our tokens to have a very cold, big glass of beer (you could also have two small glasses).  We also had a token for a free gift but you must ride the brewery's canal boat to reach the store so we decided to forego this.

As we left the brewery, we met Alan again.  He had had a wonderful cruise then decided the brewery tour might be fun.  We said our good-byes, then hopped the tram to begin our cruise at the Spui station while Alan did the Heineken Experience.

Rederij P. Kooij canal tours begin at the Rokin jetty beneath a statue of Queen Wilhelmina (ruled the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948).  Piet Kooij began the company in 1922 when he bought a run-down boat.  He had a knack for repairs and usually sold what he fixed up but this boat came with a launch license so he began ferrying tourist along the canals.  During the war, the Germans confiscated his boats but Canadian soldiers helped get them back from Germany.

Tours (fare is 9 euros or $12) are an hour long and the boats leave every 30 minutes (each boat is named for a member of the royal family).  At six o'clock sharp, we left the jetty then passed the Hotel de L'Euorpe a very posh, old-style hotel which I've since learned displays the private art collection of Freddy Heineken.  The boat then turned onto the Gentlemen's (Herengracht) Canal.  This canal is one of three that circle the old city (we actually crossed it while walking to Anne Frank's house) so you see many historic buildings of varying architectural styles. 

We passed under many bridges until finally coming into Amsterdam harbour.  Large ocean liners can no longer birth here so we only saw river barges plying its waters.  The port was first used in the 13th century and became the main port of the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century.  This company was given a 20 year monopoly on trade with Asia and is considered the first multinational corporation in the world (also the first to issue stock).

We returned to the Rokin jetty via the famous Red Light District (Rossebuurt) but only saw empty stools in the windows as it was late afternoon.  This district began in the 13th century when sailors came ashore hungry for female company.  As the years went by, the district changed with society's views on prostitution.  In the middle ages, prostitutes had a strict dress code and could not be married (and married men could not visit them, either).  When Napoleon ruled Holland, prostitutes were required to have health checks twice a week.  If you do tour the district at night, remember it is illegal to photograph the girls.

Our canal tour ended at seven and we decided to return to our hotel for supper since it would be a quick trip back to the room after a leisurely meal.  And no, we didn't drink Heineken with it.

Vincent Van Gogh

Yesterday we awoke to a light rain.  A perfect day to do a museum which were my plans.  Originally, I thought to do the Van Gogh museum because it looked to be within walking distance of our hotel and I've always been fascinated with his style.  As it turned out, the museum was not close so I took a tram.

I had walked to this tram (#16) station on Sunday so knew it took 30 minutes.  I had a transit guide and began counting down the stations as we made our way across the city.  As we passed the Olympic Stadium, I wondered when Amsterdam had hosted the games.

The summer games of 1928 saw a Canadian, Percy Williams, win gold in the 100 and 200 meter sprints.  They were the first to light an Olympic torch and its tower still looms over the stadium today.   The Amsterdam games also standardized the event to 16 days (they used to drag on for months) and was the first to have Greece lead the parade of nations with the Netherlands ending it.

I didn't need to worry about missing the museum as the tram stop was called Museum.  It was 10:30 and there was a line-up so if you go, get there early (above photo is outside as no photography is allowed inside the museum).  As a single, I couldn't use a credit card to pay my entrance fee (14 euros or ~$18) so bring cash if you find yourself in a similar circumstance.  Also leave your backpack in your hotel room as you are not allowed through security with it.  The gentleman in front of me had several infractions including a camping knife which horrified the woman searching his man-bag.  What was he thinking?

The first two floors of the museum (opened in 1973) are devoted to the works of Van Gogh.  His sister-in-law kept most of his work as well as others in Vincent's brother, Theo's collection.  Their son, Vincent Willem Van Gogh, transferred (in 1962) the collection to the Vincent Van Gogh Foundation which loans it to the museum.

Vincent was born to a Dutch Reformed Church minister and despite excelling in school, quit to apprentice in his uncle's art galleries.  He worked in various cities including London and Paris before deciding his real calling was the clergy.  He becomes obsessed with ministering to the poor.  He enrolled in a theology school but soon gave up to become a lay preacher.  He espoused poverty and gave away all his belongings.  Soon the church dismissed him for his extremism.

He then decided to become an artist but rejected studying in favour of independent study.  He relied on his brother, Theo for money to live.  In 1881, Anton Mauve, a cousin by marriage, taught him watercolours and oils and you see some of Mauve's work in the museum.  In 1883, Van Gogh began painting Dutch peasant life, mostly dark portraits.  Theo told him these wouldn't sell as the bright paintings of the Impressionists had become the fashion in artistic circles.  Van Gogh had just painted his famous The Potato Eaters.  I knew where it hung because of the crowd gathered around it.  This was the same for all the well-known Van Gogh paintings so be patient.

In 1886, Vincent moved to Paris to live with his brother.  The Impressionistic style of Monet and Manet influence him and pieces in the museum show how he used their techniques as an inspiration for his own works.  He also meets, through Theo, Paris's modern painters--Gauguin, de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pissaro.  Seurat and Signac introduced him to pointillism which he modified into his famous colourful, brush stokes.

In 1888, Van Gogh left Paris for the south of France and invited Gauguin to join him there.  He painted a series of sunflower pictures to decorate Gauguin's room.  A few months later, Van Gogh had a psychotic episode where he threatened Gauguin with a razor then cut a piece off his own ear.  He admitted himself into hospital but refused to paint his personal bleakness.

By 1890, Vincent began to achieve recognition as an artist.  His Irises and Starry Night are praised and one critic links him to the Symbolists.  He returned to Paris and placed himself into the care of a homeopathic doctor.  Theo had become disillusioned with his uncle's gallery and decided to go into business for himself.  He warned Vincent they would soon have less money.  Depressed,Vincent went into the wheat field he was fond of painting and shot himself.  He died a few days later.

Once you've travelled through Vincent's life in his paintings at the museum, you ascend the stairs and see those art works which he and Theo collected.  I was fascinated with all the Moulin Rouge posters done by the likes of de Toulouse-Lautrec.  Scattered among these were other Van Gogh works reflecting that influence.  The final floor explores lithography and shows how Vincent re-used his canvasses.

Adjacent to the main museum building is the Exhibition Hall where special exhibits are housed.  Until June, the exhibit is Dreams of Nature.  Symbolism from Van Gogh to Kandinsky.  I'm a great fan of Kandinsky and was not disappointed by the two paintings on display.

I spent over 2 hours wandering the museum and it was well worth the effort.  The massive crowds on the first floors diminish as you go upstairs and there were even fewer people in the Exhibition Hall.  My rather limited knowledge of Van Gogh was increased and I saw paintings which were far from famous and yet just as exciting.  One piece that surprised me was one he did of a Japanese courtesan.  At the time, Paris was exhibiting Japanese wood blocks and Vincent took inspiration from these.  His background for the courtesan painting was cranes and frogs, words that meant prostitute at that time in Paris.

I took a different tram (#5) back to the hotel and had my lunch in the bar.  Glen returned at 4:30 having successfully manned his poster and enjoyed several seminars.  Dinner was the conference banquet and it began with an hour long canal cruise from the conference centre to a famous downtown hotel, The Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky.  A jazz quartet played who lead singer/pianist was reminiscent of Diana Krall in the hotel's Winter Garden room with a glass and iron roof.

Tulips!!!

Yesterday morning Glen attended some epidemiology seminars.  Not his field but he says he always learns a lot from these studies.  He was reluctant to leave the conference but we had planned a visit to a tulip garden.

Keukenhof Gardens are only open for two months each year, mid-March until mid-May.  This year because of the cooler temperatures in the Netherlands (which means low-lying land), the blooms were still vibrant.  This was the 63rd year the gardens have been open for viewing tulips and other spring bulbs.  They display 4.5 million tulips featuring 100 different varieties.  We spent 2 hours in the park and only saw half of it.

Keukenhof means kitchen and in the 15th century, the area was a hunting park and herb (kitchen) garden for the castle of Jacoba van Beleren.  Later, it was transformed into a classic English garden then in 1949, became an open air flower exhibition.  Pavilions scattered about the park and named for the Dutch royal family, continue this exhibiting tradition.

I had booked the tour on-line with the company recommended by the conference, Lindbergh Tours.  We were to catch the bus from their store on the Damrak.  They offered three tours of the gardens--4.5 hours, 7, and 9 hours.  We chose the half-day one (beginning at 2:30) which cost us 38 euros (~$50) each.

The bus drove us through the city and into the countryside where we saw just a smattering of brightly coloured fields.  Our guide told us that most tulip fields are green because it is the bulbs that are the main crop, not the flowers.  We did see fields where red and yellow petals blanketed the paths between the rows where farmers had removed the blossoms to encourage bulb production.

Our guide told us we had 2.5 hours to explore the gardens and photograph the tulips.  It seemed like a lot of time but it flew by.  The first beds we saw were colourful but the tulips had passed their prime.  This changed when we wandered further into the gardens.  As there is so much to do, we decided to focus on walking to the windmill we'd seen when entering the park.

We paused first at the walled, historical garden planted with centuries-old flowering bulbs and kitchen herbs.  Glen couldn't resist rubbing the rosemary.  It is a contemplative garden and folks were seated in the benches lining the walls enjoying the brief periods of warm sunshine on this cloudy, cool day.

The meandering paths led us past tulips of every shade, hyacinths in fuschia and white, and more varieties of narcissus than I thought existed.  Canals divided the gardens and one could board 'whisper' boats to explore it as gardeners once did.  Water is also featured in reflecting ponds and fountains.  We passed one of these and came upon a maze.  We hadn't done a cedar hedge maze since we visited Hampton Court Palace in London, England 35 years ago.

Unlike a labyrinth which has only one path to its centre, a maze has several choices.  We quickly discovered the correct path, climbed the gazebo to view the hedges then began our journey out.  Well, that was easier said than done.  We hit every dead end, I think, and ended up walking the entire maze.  When we passed a man for the second time, I remarked that I had seen him before and he laughed.  We finally exited the way we had come in after passing this way out after twice being fooled into thinking it was a dead end.

Next came the Inspiration Gardens which used different planting techniques designed to inspire you to build gardens for your backyard or balcony.  The circular garden had full-length mirrors to give a sense of space and had tulips planted in pots set on cast iron chairs.  PVC tubing formed another planting idea.  Three of these pipes hug on a wall.  Painted in bright yellow and planted with daffodils, they were a cheery way to decorate a fence.

Finally, we came to the windmill where the sails slowly swept past its viewing balcony.  We climbed up to get an overview of the canals with their whisper boats.  A man dressed in overalls and dutch clogs  monitored the sails and the people viewing them.  Glen asked if wind powered the sails.  The man chuckled and said, "Yes, otherwise we'd call them motor-mills."  We laughed but how often have you seen a windmill where the sails are propelled by a motor?  After we descended, the wind died and so did the twirling of the sails so the Dutchman had not lied.

We decided we'd see one pavilion and that was the Beatrix one.  Queen Beatrix began her rule in 1980 when Queen Juliana stepped down and named her queen.  During the war, Princess Beatrix lived in Ottawa where her sister was born (the Civic Hospital became international territory so Princess Margriet would be Dutch).  After the war, Princess Juliana, arranged to have tulip bulbs delivered to Ottawa each year as thanks for protecting her family.  We display these during the Canadian Tulip Festival held each May.

Displayed at the Beatrix pavilion were hundreds of orchids so not only did I have fun photographing tulips, I enjoyed taking picture of the rhododendrons leading to the pavilion and the exotic orchids inside.

By this time, Glen was tired of walking and I had pretty much taken all the pictures I had energy to take so we made our way back to the main entrance.  Here a calliope played the Bohemian Rhapsody (by Queen).  We watched it work then headed to a cafe to enjoy a couple of Heinekens.  I then popped into the gift shop and bought some Christmas presents.  We had to re-connect with the bus at 6:00 which we did then returned to the city.

We had supper in the hotel--fish and chips.  The fish lacked the 'puffy' batter we're used to but it was cooked perfectly and very tasty.  We've become regulars at 'The Vermont' so minutes after sitting down, two beers appeared on the table.

Exploring Amsterdam

We slept until 7:30 am Sunday morning so had a late breakfast.  The restaurant was packed as everyone had decided to begin the day late.  We had freshly-squeezed orange juice which I made myself and coffee was also self-served.  The machine provided for all tastes and since my coffee looked milky, I made an espresso for Glen.  Turnout my froth was leftover from someone else's latte.  We were hungry so had a big American style breakfast.

I walked with Glen to the RAI conference centre and he checked in.  He wanted to attend a pre-meeting symposium so I left him and returned to the hotel to get my camera.  I'd checked the local map and decided to walk down to the university which would give me a sense of distance for any further exploring.

Being Sunday, traffic was light so I got used to the bike lanes and tramways.  Bikes are king in Amsterdam so it's up to pedestrians to be alert for they will mow you down.  The road ran beside a small canal that supported a few aquatic birds like coots, ducks, and herons.  Birds called Jackdaws, with a fringe of grey on their heads, competed with magpies that could have lived in Calgary.

Being in the suburban section of Amsterdam (population 800,000), I found myself walking beside buildings with unique architecture and the university itself was very modern despite being found in 1880. Vrije University (if my translation from Dutch is correct) is a protestant university with a student population of about 24000 and is one of two universities in Amsterdam.  I also saw the university's medical centre but my sidewalk disappeared so I decided to retrace my steps.

I arrived back at the room to find Glen sitting there.  Turns out he should have pre-registered for the symposium and the line-up to pay was so long, he eventually gave up.  He tried calling me but I never received either his call or his text.  Turns out I can text him but he can't text me.  Not sure why since we're both on the same phone plan.

We then left the hotel to go downtown.  I'd already asked about the price of the tram since as the #4 route begins at RAI station and ends at the central rail way station which is right downtown.  I had planned out a walking tour based on one a tour company offered.  Glen had a free transit pass while I about a 24 hour one (7.50 euros).  You must scan the cards as you board and leave the tram.

The ride was 20 minutes as we wended our way from suburbia into downtown.  We had thought to get off at Dam Square but ended up at Centraal Station which was a beautiful old station (opened in 1889) on the outside with a modern interior.  As I took photos of the clock towers, a young woman asked us for help. We laughed and said we'd try but had never been in the city before.  Turned out she wanted to know where to get tickets for the tram.  Easy answer.  You buy them directly from the tram driver.

We walked up the main street toward Dam Square, called Damrak.  There were hordes of people out enjoying the cool Sunday afternoon.  Many were bundled up in winter jackets and scarves.  We came to the main square where we consulted our maps.  Before us stood the Royal Palace of Amsterdam (still used for state functions) with the New Church (de Nieuwe Kerk--built in 1408, rebuilt in 1645 ) beside it.  To our left was Madame Tussaud's wax Museum and behind us the National Monument build in 1956 as a memorial to World War II.  There were wilting wreaths and tulips strewn at its base.  I've since learned that May the 4th is Remembrance of the Dead day when the Netherlands remembers those who have sacrificed their lives in conflicts since the outbreak of WWII.

At the square, we had two choices.  Go right to the famous red light district of Amsterdam or left to Anne Frank's house.  Glen chose to see the Frank house so we discussed the best way to get there.  An elderly Dutch woman stopped and asked if she could help us.  She pointed the way which confirmed my plans and we were off.  After crossing four canals, we came to signs showing us the way.  There was no doubt we had found the place when we saw the line of people snaking down the street ahead of us.  We had no desire to see the museum so viewed the outside of the house then crossed over the canal to have lunch.

The service at Café de Prins was slow and I had to finish up my mug of beer before they could pour another as they had too few glasses but the food was excellent.  I had a huge Veggie club made with goat cheese (over an inch thick), roasted red peppers, tomatoes and avocado while Glen ate a tuna fish club (with no bacon).  Originally a coffee shop, it became a cafe in 1967, and is a popular meeting spot for locals as well as tourists.  We sat at an outside table and enjoyed the passing scene of bikes, horses, tour boats and small water craft.

Coffe shops in Amsterdam are actually places where you can get marijuana and hashish.  We also passed shops that sold magic mushrooms.  Recently, the government has decided selling cannabis to tourists should be outlawed but the coffee shop owners are vigorously opposed to this.

By the time we finished lunch, we realized if we were going to attend the opening ceremonies for the conference, we had best leave downtown.  We heard two speakers during the session, one spoke about the E. coli outbreak in Germany last year and the other talked about the Netherlands system to cope with a similar outbreak.  We then listened to a quintet of reed players called Calefax who were excellent playing Mozart, Debussy, and Duke Ellington.  The classical pieces they had to rewrite for reeds.

The reception was held at the Sandy Beach which turned out to be a man-made beach area of the conference centre.  It was too cold to really enjoy the deck so everyone was jammed into the beach house where a string quartet played folk music.  After a couple of beers and some brief conversations with colleagues, we returned to the hotel to enjoy another beer and a plate of finger food before heading to bed.

To Amsterdam

We left the cool spring of Calgary which is typical, to even cooler weather in Amsterdam which is not.  Our flight to Frankfurt was uneventful except when the ladies behind us decided to indulge in a midnight chat.  I was fighting a cold so fell back to sleep quickly enough but Glen could not.

Our connection with Luftansa to Amsterdam was 2 hours and that turned out to be perfect.  Our bag went directly to the airplane as we went through customs and security.  Others on our plane weren't so lucky and may have missed their connections.  I think we also circumnavigated the airport as it took forever to find our gate then we boarded a bus which took us back to where we had landed (about a 10 minute ride).

I had forgotten lunch was provided on the short one hour flight to Amsterdam so I had to wake Glen or he'd have missed a half sandwich of very healthy bread and mystery white cheese.

The Amsterdam airport is a lovely building and it was easy to find the train station.  We knew the hotel was a step away from the Amsterdam RAI station so we bought our tickets (3 euros each) and the woman told us where to go to catch our train.  She mentioned its name but it didn't register with Glen or myself.  Jet lag will do that.  Next time, I'll have to write these things down.  We did hear that we were to disembark at the second station.

So our adventure began when we boarded the Amsterdam Centraal train instead of the Amsterdam Oosterhaar one.  We got off at the second stop (see photo) even though it wasn't called RAI to discover ourselves deep in suburbia.  There was a Holiday Inn Express hotel at the train station and since we were staying at a hotel in that chain, I went to inquire where our hotel would be (always travel with a printout of your hotel reservation with its address).

The Asian receptionist could barely speak English but told me to take the subway to the hotel.  I didn't want to pay for another ticket so we went back to the train station and found a great station master who told us the best way was to return to the airport and get on the correct train.  He assured us our ticket would be valid so that's what we did.

Once at the airport, we again asked for help.  This time the station master (they all wear red hats so you know who to ask) had limited English so he showed us on his hand-held schedule device the information we needed.  It is easier to remember Oosterhaar when you see it written down.  This time we were more alert to the comings and goings of the trains so bordered the correct one and sure enough got off at RAI station.

I was a bit disoriented but once I saw the sign pointing to RAI, I knew our hotel was in the opposite direction.  We walked along the road until we spotted it, about 5 minutes from the station.  Fortunately, we had only one suitcase so schelping our bags was easy.  The awkward part was Glen's poster tube which lacked a strap but we managed.

Due to the additional cost of breakfast and internet (only two devices allowed so I chose my laptop over my phone), we decided to upgrade our room so these costs would be included at a cheaper rate.  Such decisions are hard to make on 5 hours sleep but we muddled through.

We were supposed to meet a group for supper but RAI is also in the suburbs (20 minute tram ride from downtown) and we were so wiped, we knew we couldn't carry on a decent conversation with anyone.  The hotel restaurant was quiet so we had some Grolsch pilsner and a vegetarian pizza (really a cheese pizza with a little pesto sauce).  It was all we needed before tumbling into bed at 8:30 pm.