I went on a tram ride and visited the largest mill in Amsterdam. I went on a boat ride through the famous canals, and it was such a peaceful experience that I began to feel drowsy. Then I went on a ‘walking tour’ and saw that Amsterdam was a lovely, vibrant city. Children were taking part in a ‘street painting’ competition’. People were dressed in clothes. And oh, how could I forget posing next to Bob Marley at the entrance of Madame Tussaud’s wax museum?
As part of their heritage, the Dutch had beautiful wooden shoes on display everywhere. An internet search revealed: “ Until after World War II, almost every village bore its own wooden shoe maker, resulting in a variety of styles, colors, carvings and decorations.” Those shoes were being sold as souvenirs everywhere. I even posed inside a sunflower-yellow clog for a photograph.
Even today, whenever I think of Amsterdam, I close my eyes and recall the sights and colors of the city. I remember my ride through the canals on a lazy afternoon, and think of Lewis Carroll’s words:
Ever drifting down the stream – Lingering in the golden gleam— Life, what is it but a dream?
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