Today was our very first day in the Netherlands! After a long journey with little sleep, we landed in Amsterdam bleary-eyed and stiff-necked, but ready and excited to take on the long day ahead of us! On our way to our hotel, we took the train from the Schiphol Airport, then the metro, getting a taste of what public transportation is like in Amsterdam (just between you and me, it’s much more efficient than Pittsburgh’s PRT system). As I explored, I quickly discovered the benefits of utilizing public transport over private vehicles. Amsterdam is very crowded and has many narrow, winding streets, but has well-established aboveground infrastructure for biking, trams, and buses. In fact, bikes are often given priority over cars and sometimes even pedestrians, with many wide biking-only lanes monopolizing many streets and alleys.
We kicked the day off with a scavenger hunt to get us acquainted with navigating the center of the city, solving clues to find local landmarks such as Magna Plaza, Anne Frank House, and Noordermarkt. I loved having the opportunity to explore culturally relevant areas of Amsterdam and learning about some of the local history while we walked around. After several hours of walking, we headed into the Jordaan neighborhood to grab some food, discovering many small restaurants and cafes as we ventured forth. I have quickly learned that Amsterdam is very accommodating of dietary restrictions, and there was no shortage of meatless options for me to try!
With our stomachs full, we meandered towards Centraal Station to head back to our hotel, check in to our rooms, and get some rest. Later, we journeyed back to Centraal to get dinner at Batavia, where we got the chance to try Stamppot, a traditional Dutch dish with potatoes mashed with other vegetables and topped with sausage. It was certainly fun to try something new!
Notes on Sustainability
As I went about my day, I made it a point to take note of all of the differences between city life in the U.S. and the Netherlands. There were many little things, such as buttons to open the metro doors individually instead of all of them opening automatically, or escalators slowing down when they don’t detect anyone on them. Then, there were the obvious things like well-maintained public transportation and sidewalks. A theme that I’ve noticed here that is lacking in the U.S. is a focus on conserving energy where possible (no matter how small of an impact it has) and reducing waste. However, Amsterdam is not perfect either. As I navigated through the city streets and alleyways, I noticed litter scattered across the red brick road, and sometimes even heaping piles of garbage just left to rot. It was disheartening to see in a country so focused on sustainability, but every place has its flaws. I will just have to do my part and hope that our environmental situation improves as we head into the future.
I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store for me! Tot de volgende keer!
