We just returned from Amsterdam and Paris.
After landing in Amsterdam, we took the train to Amsterdam Centraal Station. The Dutch are very big on repeating vowels. Don’t even get me started on how they use “oo”.
Amsterdam was founded in 1735. In polite conversation, it is referred to as “Amsterdarn.” There are no accommodations for people with disabilities. Just steep narrow stairs everywhere.
Bookstores are thriving in the Netherlands. So are newspapers, as there is government support of independent journalism. We even saw Dutch people reading real books on the train.
When we came to the Netherlands, we saw the faces of my wife’s family and the faces of Dutch families from our church. My wife was in denial, though, and won’t admit she’s Dutch.
Everyone in Amsterdam rides a bike and no one wears a helmet. If a bicyclist rings their bell because you’re in their way, it’s called “road rage.”
The Dutch are a hearty people who dine outdoors regardless of cold temperatures and rain. The crowd sitting outside the cannabis cafes is especially hearty.
The Netherlands is the fifth happiest country in the world, based on GDP, social support and life expectancy. The U.S. has dropped to 23rd place, although our 60 and over crowd is still in the top 10.
The Dutch are the tallest people in the world, with men averaging 6 feet 4 and women averaging 6 feet. This was part of a nationwide conspiracy to make me feel short. Our 6-foot son Mark was in on it.
Mark was our tour guide on the trip. He used his phone to lead us through the streets, while also booking hotels and restaurants. Like many Boomer couples, we need someone who can use a phone.
We took a canal boat tour of the city. The boat was well-stocked with wine and beer and passengers were required to take a sip as we passed under each bridge. Amsterdam has more than 1,200 bridges but whooze counting.
Our guide showed us a houseboat that was once home to an obscure Dutch band called Golden Earing. She didn’t think we had heard of these one-hit-wonders until a passenger started playing “Radar Love” on her phone.
The food is so fresh and healthy in Amsterdam. Even when I purposely ordered an unhealthy breakfast of bacon and waffles, it was topped by fresh fruit.
My sister-in-law, Micheline, welcomed us to Paris and had us buy ride tickets for taking trains and buses. We did not find the Parisians to be rude. One even gave up his bus seat to me — one of the rare perks for having gray hair.
We later enjoyed a four-hour dinner with Micheline and her family at one of Paris’ famed restaurants. We walked all over Paris with her, 7 miles in one day.
We climbed the Eiffel Tower. We also took a boat tour of the Seine, we passed Notre-Dame Cathedral which is undergoing a massive reconstruction. Forest Park’s Andrzej Dajnowksi is helping with the rebuilding.
Like the Dutch, the French support newspapers and bookshops. There are over 3,500 independent bookshops in France.
We met one of my former students in a bar near Notre-Dame. It had been 10 years since I had seen Elodie but she still remembered her first day of class.
The boat tour continued but we were distracted by two young women in front of us. They had stylish hair, their make-up was expertly applied, and they wore fashionable outfits. When they stood up, they blocked our view of the monuments.
How do you say, “Down in front!” in French?
