Another day, another city. I’m really enjoying getting to taste so much of Europe, but man that adjustment every few days is tough. Today, I traveled from Bayeux, Normandy, France to Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was surprisingly jarring.
Culture change
One of the biggest changes was in pedestrian expectations; in France, traffic yields to pedestrians at all times. In the Netherlands, it feels like a free-for-all. The massive bicycle culture in Amsterdam gives bikes priority on the right-of-way, making it surprisingly difficult and scary to cross the street. Today alone, I got in the way of at least 4-5 bikers as I explored the city. Speaking of bikes, I was shocked how important they are to this city. I have never seen so many bicycles in my life! There are thousands and thousands of them. Imagine rush hour traffic, but it’s with cyclists instead of cars. Absolutely nuts. I love it though! There are far more roads dedicated solely to bikes than to cars. I’m hoping to rent one tomorrow to go out riding.
Another big adjustment is the people. With how friendly and helpful everyone was in England and France, I expected the same thing here. Not so. It’s not that people are rude or anything, they’re just not nearly as warm or quick to help. Perhaps my feelings on that will change in the next couple of days.
Lastly, I really appreciate how widely spoken English is in Amsterdam. Every sign is in Dutch and English, and most everyone speaks both languages. It’s refreshing after being in France for a few days.
Dutch
On the note of language, I’d never heard Dutch spoken before. It sounds really funny! To me, knowing English and German, it sounds like a Scot trying to speak English and German at the same time. The grammar is wonky and the words sound like someone trying to make fun of English/German. Here, see an example.
To me, this sign reads “Force here this sticker, trek-handgrip it, shove door open”. I don’t know. Maybe it’s funnier when you hear the words out loud. It sounds very Scottish to me.
An odd characteristic of Dutch is that it sounds like English when you just hear background conversations, then it immediately turns into gibberish as soon as you start actively listening. Very strange. Here’s an example if you’ve never heard Dutch before either.
Family time
The best part of my day was meeting up with Katie and Hudson. Although it’s been the plan for quite a while, there’s something about meeting up with family on another continent that just feels odd. It was exciting though! I had a hard time not just unloading my experiences on them and showering them with unsolicited tips. They’re travelers too and they should get to figure out their own stuff. I’m excited for them.
We checked out an Asian restaurant that was meh. I can’t think of any traditional Dutch food other than stroopwafels, which I’ll have tomorrow. We walked around for a while and made plans to either go biking or canal boating tomorrow evening. I’m so glad they’re here.
Capsule hotel
My sleep tonight will come in one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever been in. It’s a capsule hotel! I’ve wanted to stay in one for years. If you’ve never heard of them, they’re a form of hostel. For cheap (~$40-50), you book a “room” that is about four feet tall and only as big as your mattress. The rooms are stacked on top of each other so that lots of them can be put in one place. It’s an efficient way to have a lot of guests in a small building and the small space feels really cozy. I’m loving it so far. I’m already sad I can’t stay more than two nights.
Morgen
In the morning, I head to Arnhem, a city about an hour away. It was the site of a major paratrooper battle in 1944. Katie, Hudson, and I will spend the evening engaging in shenanigans (the good kind). It’ll be a great day!