Very much in evidence in this photo, the Dutch Park-n-ride concept is one of
bicycles, not cars, parking at the Amsterdam Centraal train, while their
riders travel by train or tram to their jobs... Parking a vehicle is at a
premium in Amsterdam- hence the much more common use of bicycles.
Bricks for the buildings and also for the streets, and tiles for the roofs -
with an occasional suburban thatched roof in evidence -
The cities' homes were attractive, compact, conservative of space, and expensive.
The buildings do look as though they will be there forever, and, indeed, many
of them have been in existance for centuries. In the last few years housing
costs have increased greatly. For a nation as densely populated as the
Netherlands, one notices the many large forests and farms. The people cluster
together in population centers, and their farmers continue to furnish them
with the dairy products, meats, and cheeses, using the open spaces for livestock,
as well as the flowers and bulbs Holland is famous for.
The tulips and daffodils were just beginning to bloom at the time I was there..
it is the custom to bring fresh flowers to one's hostess when you visit.
The canals are the core of Amsterdam... some live on the canals in permanently
moored houseboats. Others dine on cafe water-front patios, tourists ride the
canals in guided boats, and in winter there's skating, too. We were tourists
too, using the canal boat for a ride to the Rijksmuseum, and walking back home
through the marketplaces of downtown Amsterdam.
I learned to ride the train system, the bus system and the trams before the trip was over. Public transportation is by far the best way to get around and see the country when alone, but family and friends with cars did make the travelling complete. And if you can get a bicycle - it's a whole different world over there.
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