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To Travelers Digest Amsterdam Page
Travelers Digest 2005
Summer World Tour After completing our extensive tour of the entirety
of the UK and the Republic of Ireland we arrived in Amsterdam on the 8th
of May 2005. Our previously arranged tour guide met us at the airport, Mr.
Marius Hovius, owner of “De
Dagtoertaxi.” translated it simply means, "Day Tours," I assure you there
is nothing simple about this most cherished man. He is without doubt one
of the most likable people in the Netherlands and most surely a very
knowledgeable tour guide. We were driven and guided to the best sites and
locations of the entire country, as he is not limited in his service to
any specific area and will drive his much-appreciated clients anywhere
in this region of Europe. Including, but not limited to, the entirety
of the Netherlands, into Germany, The Hague, Belgium, etc. An excellent
speaker of English, Dutch and German, he also speaks some French and
Italian. Welcoming travelers from around the globe, he will definitely
become an intricate and valuable part of your vacation. In addition to
being a great guide, he is a good person and working with retirement
homes, he enjoys his time spent touring the elderly, doing so at his own
expense. What more can be said of a man devoting his free time providing
comfort to these lovely and most often lonely people. In the time spent with him he unearthed the mysteries of Holland and like him, we too, began to fell in love with this magical kingdom of the North Sea. Our affection for the cities, the people, the laid-back lifestyle, the art, culture and heritage of this country grew continuously from the first moment we arrived on our first tour in the spring of 2001 and in May 2005, we were now ever so ready to truly explore the entirety of this land risen from the sea by years of hard work and giant innovated windmills.
To provide you with some history of this country, the Dutch are primarily of Germanic heritage with some Gallo-Celtic mixture. Their small homeland has frequently been threatened with destruction by the North Sea and if that wasn’t bad enough, they have often been invaded by the great European powers. Julius Caesar founded the region, now
known as the Netherlands, which were inhabited by Germanic
tribes in the first century B.C. The western section was
inhabited by the Batavians and became part of a Roman
province; the Frisians inhabited the eastern portion.
Between the fourth and eighth centuries A.D. the Franks
conquered most of both sections. The region later passed
into the hands of the House of Burgundy and the Austrian
Hapsburgs. Falling under harsh
Spanish rule in the 16th century the Dutch revolted in 1558
under the leadership of Willem of Orange. By virtue of the
Union of Utrecht in 1579 the seven northern Dutch provinces
became the Republic of the United Netherlands. During the 17th century, considered its "Golden Era” the Netherlands became a great sea and colonial power. Among other achievements the period saw the emergence of the art’s world Old Masters including Rembrandt and Hals, whose works--along with those of later artists such as Mondriaan and Van Gogh--are still on display in museums throughout the Netherlands. The country's importance declined, however, with the gradual loss of Dutch technological superiority and after wars with Spain, France, and England in the 18th century. The Dutch United Provinces supported the Americans in their Revolutionary War and in1795, French troops ousted Willem V of Orange, the Stadhouder under the Dutch Republic and head of the House of Orange. The great conqueror Napoleon took reign and fell in love with the region, accomplishing many of the freedoms still endowed today. He wrote and bound in law, individual rights, protection from unjustified persecution, granted free education and wrote their bill of rights, still mostly intact today. The USA also uses his Bill of Rights. Following Napoleon's defeat in 1813, the Netherlands and Belgium became the Kingdom of the United Netherlands" under King Willem I son of Willem V of Orange. The Belgians withdrew from the union in 1830 to form their own kingdom. King Willem II was largely responsible for the liberalizing revision of the constitution in 1848.
Elements of the Netherlands' once far-flung empire were granted either full independence or nearly complete autonomy after World War II. They granted their distant colony of Indonesia its independence in 1949 and Suriname in 1975. The five islands of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao Bonaire Saba St. Eustatius and a part of St. Maarten) are an integral part of the Netherlands realm but enjoy a large degree of autonomy. Aruba, which had been a part of the Netherlands Antilles, was granted in January 1986 a separate status within the kingdom on par, but apart from the Netherlands Antilles. Getting back to the present. Every moment of everyday during our in-depth exploration of this country, we were held in bewilderment. Adapting to the comforting lifestyle of the locals we quickly learned the valuable art of relation and in every visited town and city; we mingled along the endless array of canals lined with bars, restaurants & cafes. As the sun slowly goes down they quickly become packed, so grab a table early. Along with dinner, lots of drinks and excellent company, our hours of conversation were always festive and relaxed. Of the several million English words to describe this amazing country, with its diverse culture, liberal lifestyle, phenomenally beautiful architecture, historical importance, immaculate landscape and remarkably intelligent and friendly people, the most appropriate description would simply be an invitation to visit it in person. Beauty and bewilderment is perfectly and harmoniously endowed throughout the cities and my cameras soon became my closet companions. Amsterdam is art-imitating life as it appears simply just too beautiful to be real, but fortunately… it is real. During our month in Holland, we were quite fortunate to have acquired a luxury apt. in the center of the city, a region called the Nine Streets. Everything was in walking distance. The Anne Frank House was only two blocks, a large food mart, 2 blocks, the Palace, 5 blocks and the central train station only 15-minutes away. Walking anywhere in this city is a leisure stroll of amazement, with countless sidewalk cafes, museums, grand churches, art dealers, antiques stores, book shops, clothing boutiques and 14th century architecture, the city is truly a wonderland.
Just across the street from our apt. was what was soon to become my favorite hangout, was The Damsteeg bar and very delectable restaurant, located at 28-32 Reestraat St. He also has a sweet and very attractive waitress, Ms. Katrine that moved here from Russia and enjoys living here, as she so proudly stated. I spent quite a few leisurely hours, sitting at the outside tables, basking in the warm, early summer sun, sipping cold drinks and watching the people walking and riding by on bicycles. Dakota, and I made many friends during our month stay and venturing around the city consistently we were reluctant to leave. When you do, and you really should, make the trip to Holland, rent a car and discovery its real beauty. Bring your cameras…you’ll need them!
Travelers Digest
explicitly recommends the above mentioned businesses and
most assuredly…the unforgettably country of Holland, also
known as The Nederland’s and/or The Netherlands, but
what-ever you call it…visit it and get to know
it…you’ll be glad you did. The country offers endless
attributes to archititecure, fine dining, picturesque beauty
and its people are genuinely friendly, speaking several
languages, including English and it is definitely one of the
safest regions in the world. It is also one of the most
affordable destinations in Europe. Written by Mike Smith Click here for Rates, Reservations, or just Inquiries! This editorial in its entirety is the sole property of Travelers Digest and may not be distributed, sold or copied without prior written permission of Travelers Digest and/or its licensed representatives.
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Of
the 100 plus countries I have had the utmost pleasure of
touring, Holland left me with the promise, to myself, that I
would return...again and again!
