So I woke up this morning, got ready, and set out for the Red Light District–an odd choice for a morning’s walk, I know. But a) I wanted to see it for myself, b) I absolutely did not want to see it at night, and c) Fodor’s said there was a good bakery there. My logic is flawless, I know. Turns out the bakery next door to the bakery that Fodor’s recommended smelled far more delicious, so I grabbed a ham and cheese croissant, butter cake with vanilla sauce, and a latte there.
Latte in hand, I walked towards De Oude Kerk, or The Old Church. The Dutch are so good at naming things. I turned the corner and saw a beautiful church straight ahead of me, a coffee shop to my right (coffee shop=weed; cafe=actual coffee), and prostitutes’ windows to my left. More than a little disconcerting. I listened to a family as they spotted the windows; the mom told her teenage son he could “just walk by and look and then walk back.” I was amused but also upset that these women were basically like zoo creatures. I knew I was just as bad for wanting to see, though I hoped I was being slightly less conspicuous.
I was ready to leave, but the only way out was further in, it seemed. I found myself walking down a narrow alley lined with windows on either side. Many of the women were pressed up against the glass in their lingerie; some were knocking against the glass. Though I’m sure it was largely in my imagination, the men walking towards me looked slightly menacing.
I felt relieved when I escaped the Red Light District and suddenly very sad. Theoretically, I’m for the legalization and regulation of prostitution only because I know that it will happen whether it’s legal or not, and government regulation is the best way to keep the women safe. But seeing it is another matter, and pragmatics aside, scantily-clad women (only women) for sale in windows just felt like the ultimate objectification. In related news, a couple blocks later, a guy whistled and made some dumb comment about how I was looking good or whatever, and I think he was stunned by the stream of profanity he got in return.
I spent the rest of the day at small museums. My first stop was the Rembrandthuis, where they’d recreated Rembrandt’s primary residence in Amsterdam. (He went bankrupt at some point and had to downsize.) It was pretty fun; I enjoy seeing old furnishings and such. Box beds, for instance, look unbelievably cozy to me. They also had an etching demonstration in one room, where someone demonstrated the process of making plates, coating them in ink, and rolling them through a press.
Next, I went to the Museum Willet-Holthuysen, a seventeenth-century canal house that was left to the city to be turned into a museum in 1895. It retains the late nineteenth-century furnishings and art collection. There’s not a ton to see here, but as you can probably tell, I enjoy seeing how other people live or used to live. The gardens were very nice (see left).
My favorite museum of the day, though, was the Tassen Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of handbags. It sounds dumb, I know, and I was a little embarassed about going in there. But it was really very interesting. The exhibit is arranged chronologically, so it began with the tidbit that interior pockets weren’t invented until the seventeenth century, so everyone had to carry some sort of bag. They had all kinds of specialty bags on display, such as gaming purses with flat bottoms to sit on tables that were popular in Elizabethan England. I loved the special purpose bags, such as the opera bag
which came with special compartments perfectly sized for opera glasses and a program. As the exhibit moved forward in time, they showed bags made from different materials and by different designers, including both classics like the Hermes Kelly bag and more unusual creations like a bag shaped like a cruise ship. I stopped in the bright, lovely cafe and got a snack: a perfect little goat cheese sandwich with apple slices and honey. Even the bathroom was charming; they put handbags in every stall (see right). And I was happy to see that they had handbags for sale in the gift shop. There’s nothing more annoying than looking at fashion and not being able to buy any. I realized the last time I moved, though, that I have more handbags than I could ever possibly carry, so I didn’t buy one. I did, however, buy a green leather dinosaur keychain. Rawr.
While I was going to all of these places, I was basically making a giant half-circle around the eastern part of Amsterdam, so naturally, I snapped a few pictures along the way. To the left you have your
obligatory canal shot. To the right is the coolest doorknob I have ever seen. Below is a close-up of an amazing gable.
After a little afternoon rest, I went back out for dinner. I hadn’t made reservations, and after my massive walk, I didn’t feel like going too far, so I opted for Cafe de Koe, just a few blocks from my hotel. The menu was in Dutch, so I could only read about half of it, but my waitress very kindly read it to me. I started with one of the best salads I’ve ever had. I’m not a salad person, in general, but this one was arugula with sundried tomatoes, fontina cheese, and pine nuts, covered in what tasted and appeared to be only the best parts of bacon, with a truffle vinaigarette. All of this added up to salty, savory goodness. My main course was veal with roasted potatoes. The veal was a bit overcooked/dry, but the flavor of the sauce was very good. I walked home in the bright light of 11 PM, much happier with my second day in Amsterdam than my first.
Tags: Cafe de Koe, Museum Willet-Holthuysen, Red Light District, Rembrandthuis, Tassen Museum
