I had planned to see the capital for a while. Last time I was in Amsterdam it was in September when I flew back from Barcelona, but I had no time to visit the centre of the city then.
I have always wondered what fascinates me the most about it. The architecture of the houses is definitely one of the most interesting features. I love the reflection of their facades in the canals. They transpose me to an age where the complexity of the 21st century was absent. I am brought back however into the present by the amalgam of logos and banners, mostly representing clothing brands.
But it is the canals that are undoubtedly the feature that I am completely enamored with. I have no idea why water and living by the water has been my biggest life dream. At its core there is the sense of timeless serenity, whilst reflecting the current reality of its surroundings. Maybe that resonates with my artistic personality, namely, we both reshape what we see, rendering differently the aspects of life. It is said that there are 1281 bridges over the canals.
I must admit that I never liked the crowded streets for which the capital is famous for. Today was no exception. The square in the middle of the city, called “De Dam”, played host to a fair with all sorts of attractions and Halloween activities. From there I headed towards the busiest street, and this shopping street was packed with tourists and locals.
During lunchtime I found a bench near one of the canals and I ate my sandwiches brought from home (very Dutch, I know). The sun was now shining, flooding the facades and streets in light. I had one goal in mind: to visit my favourite clothing shop: Scotch and Soda. I haven’t bought anything, which I am very proud of. Minimalism vs Alex’s consumerism 1-0.
I was not interested into visiting any of the museums, galleries or cultural centres. This time I just wanted to roam around and visit all those small boutiques. In one of them I saw a pair of wooden round glasses. They were marvellous. When I get my next salary I will give it a well-deserved holiday.
10.000 steps later, I found myself on the train going back to Tilburg, listening to some Rend Collective and writing this blog post. This afternoon will definitely be part of my highlights of the year. Even if what I have done this afternoon doesn’t sound extraordinarily interesting, I realised that even the small things can still bring me so much happiness, gratefulness and fascination.
Dissected Life 