California Vacation

Just when Amsterdam decided to go tropical, I'm actually spending the summer in California, a.k.a. HOME. Ticket was booked, so I flew but realize I'm missing something historical because weather reports vouch it's HOT. Oh well. Instead, I have the Pacific to dive into, freeways to drive, tacos to munch and unlimited cable access but somehow I'm missing Amsterdam's compactness, its density, my bike....my god, my kingdom for a bike! Returning to America as an expat always has impact, too. I'm aware of how quickly general political naivity irritates me, how ClearChannel has mediated all the messages, and how many damn SUVs are driving down the streets--you'd think everyone around here owned an Ostrich ranch. I walked to the supermarket the other day (only 1.2 miles) and passed 92 SUVS on the way there, 113 on the way back and not a single human being crossed my path. What, I wonder, are all these sidewalks really for?

Sunny Amsterdam

This city is incredible when the sun shines. Everyone ditches whatever they're doing to be outside, and Vondelpark (which lies just around the corner from me) becomes a hive of activity. Without a doubt, Vondelpark is one of the city’s most popular meeting places and probably one of those most beautiful parks I've ever visited in the world. It's the kind of place where cyclists speed, smokers openly toke, picnickers BBQ, dogs chase ducks, parrots breed overhead, lovers fumble and gay men lurk near the rosebushes, waiting for sunset. In the 1970s, the park became famous worldwide as a Hippy Haven and open-air dormitory for alternative living, which later backfired due to drug arrests, but you can totally see why it became a hangout. Yesterday, as I cycled through, I saw hundreds of people, tourists, children, etc. wandering through, picnicking, singing, drinking, doing yoga, jogging, and generally celebrating life in the most public way. It is a truly magnificent meeting point.