In which Sid and Doris do tourism in the first foreign country of their journey (of how many they do not yet know).
Vital statistics
Distance: 1 kilometer maybe on bikes.
Climb: Out of bed
Weather: OK for sightseeing. Did not add to first day sunburn.
Today we did not go to the Van Gogh museum or take a canal boat, see Anne Frank or go in a stoners’ cafe. We were in the Red Light District in the morning when, as Damon Runyon will have taught you, everyone is resting up for more sinning later. For an exhaustive history of Amsterdam please see the Wiki entry or buy a proper book.
The Netherlands is an easy introduction to ‘not being like at home’. This foreign-ness will be like frog boiling. We will gradually notice things getting more different as we head into old Warsaw Pact territories, South West Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. But for now its easy. By then it will be too late.
We did walk through Amsterdam to the Oude Kerke which gave us a good feel for the touristed centre. The church is the oldest building in the city and is lucky to have survived fire and destruction. At the time of the reformation (late 16th C) the local Protestants vandalised the church in the name of (not sure, Sid to do more research into mob behaviour and religious fervour).
Even so the structure is interesting if you think of cathedrals as the massive Gothic devices like Chartres. Because the roof is wood, not stone arches with iron and copper the pillars are finer and the windows larger. It is also very light: the Calvinists broke the stained glass because God spoke to them though what he said is unrecorded.
Do not look for an enormous gilt altar. No altar. The focal point is the pulpit from which to hear the word of God. Here you may hear about guilt. There may be much to learn.
For another shrine see the Pathe Tuschinski cinema. This really is worth finding on Wiki. It is a functioning cinema and has been since 1921. They chose 1940 as the time to put in a Wurlitzer organ but of course it had to be renamed The Tivoli because Mr Tuschinki was from an unpopular culture. (Refer to research on mob behaviour and fervour). The Oude Kerke also has a fine organ. I make no comment about the Red Light District. The cinema’s architecture is Jugenstil, Art Nouveau and a bit early for Art Deco. It’s great. And you can go the fillums.
Doris will fill you in on Alex’s bike shop where the neddies have been stabled for a bit of fettling.
Take as read: canals, savoury pancakes, over-proof beer, more bikes. Tonight’s approach to eating authentically is to draw on the Dutch East Indies and go out for Indonesian curry.
Tomorrow we will discover: do the bikes run more efficiently and can you fuel riders with Indonesian curry. However, S (see mascot pen portraits) says that Team Sky gave G (Geraint Thomas, our hero) steamed fish for dinner. But let’s remember the Tour de France is only three weeks long.