Almere-Buiten, Holland
trying yet again to wild camp...this time supposedly in an area that is marked on a map (if I'm in the right area) as camping allowed.
Rain, heavy this morning, but cleared this afternoon...yippee!
I know I've missed a couple of. When I visit people, it's much harder to find time to write. Monday afternoon, drenched to the skin, I arrived at Apple Pie's Mom's house. This darling Dutch home was built by her father and she in fact grew up right next door. It's on a lane that doesn't allow cars. So quiet. Yet right off the shopping district that was ever so quaint with it's wide variety of shops and bricked road and sidewalk. And to the side of Nanny's house is a beautiful garden of roses and shrubs. Blaze just...and I mean just...fit through the garden gate:)
I arrived a day early because I was much closer than I thought and poor Nanny (pronounced Nah-knee, I believe) had to scurry around to be ready for me. She is raising her 2 grandchildren whom I've mentioned earlier. I won't share the private details about that be I will say that my hat's off to her for doing this and the children are benefiting immensely. She's just an amazing woman at 75...who at 65 hiked 3 weeks on the PCT with her daughter. And doing 18 mile days soon after she started! She also did 2 weeks on the AT. Kudos! She said if her knees could still do it, she'd be out there now! I now know where Apple Pie (Arlette) gets her strength but also her pleasing personality. She didn't fall far from the tree:)
I wanted terribly to visit Amsterdam and I wanted company so I convinced Rosalie and Casper to join me. I need them to help me with the train, etc. Besides, I really wanted their company. I love being around children and these 2 were loads of fun. Both were initially shy about speaking English with me, but Rosalie warmed up quickly especially when it was just the kids and me. Casper got more comfortable last night while we were playing games on my phone. That's always a good way for me to connect with kids:)
I did some research and came upon the Free Tour like the one Fuat and I did in Dublin. I thought it might be good for the kids because it was in English and it would be affordable for all three because you tip what you can afford. I was not disappointed. Gert was our tour guide and he was funny, charming, and charismatic! His English was excellent and his jokes were FUNNY! What a delivery! Rosalie got most of them! Casper was lost. But he stayed patient and didn't complain, at least to me, for the entire 3 hour tour. The one thing he wanted most in Amsterdam was to eat at MacDonalds. But it's not Dutch. But it's MacDonalds in Holland! So we had our snack there and he got his lunch there while Rosalie and I ate at a cafe (not coffee shop...that's where you buy marijuana:))
I'm sure I won't be able to retell all that I learned but I'll share what I remember. The first part of the tour was through the Red Light District. We told Casper to cover his eyes:) So we're walking down old city streets like any old city has and I'm not noticing much of anything except the crazy condoms displayed in the condom shop!
Then we stop in front of a church and Gert said did anyone see a prostitute in a window? Well I didn't. Guess I didn't know what to look for. Later when I did, it was not obvious because they aren't lit well and many of the windows were closed up. The story about how this district got started had to do with the church. The priests had mistresses and wanted them close by. Then the sailors who came to town wanted sex and the town didn't want the harassing their wives and daughters so they allowed prostitutes to reside there. Then, of course, the Catholic sailors didn't want to go to hell for their sins, so they would go to confession. And the priests wanting to make some money off this started charging for confessions. Then the problem of the sailors leaving before they could go to confession because their ships left in the night, the priest allowed them to confess BEFORE they commited the sin:) It's all part of the attitude of leniency and tolerance the city is known for. But also an attitude of commerce...make money. In 2000, prostitution was legalized and taxed. The women require all men to wear a condom and they have an emergency button in their rooms they can push if a john gets too rough. The police will come. They get to keep all their own money and they rent their windows. Seems a whole lot healthier and safer than our system...don't ya think? The oldest prostitute is 86 and there's a 2 week waiting list to see her. I believe the oldest one with a window was 67. I still have time!!!
Then he told us about marijuana and hash. About 35 years ago, A'dam had 10,000 heroin addicts. They decided to approach that problem and turn their head to the lighter drugs...less addictive and harmful one. And they decided to approach the addicts as sick not criminals. They opened clinics where they could get clean needles or the alternative drug (can't remember it...begins with m) if they wanted to kick the habit. They now have about 300 heroin addicts here. Very successful program. And did everyone become potheads? Doesn't seem like it. Gert said about 9% of the Dutch population smoke drugs. Just not a big deal as long as it done discretely. He called marijuana a highly regulated illegal drug. The coffee shops where it's sold have to buy a license to sell a drug that's illegal:-/ The coffee shop breaks the law every time it stocks its shelves. The police just turn their heads. That's the approach. Gert said the laws around marijuana are quite confusing. It's legal to carry small amounts of it and you can legally grow 5 plants for personal use. It's illegal to buy and sell it. There were head shops all over town.
The number of bicycles in this country and this city is mind-boggling! At the train station they were even stacked in 2 layers...and everywhere. EVERWHERE! The are outside offices in large numbers, along side all the railings and streets. Then there are all the ones being ridden, A Dutchman will never run you over by accident...it will be on purpose:) Yield to the bicycle. They would no more think of driving 2 miles in the car than... And you can have sex with a prostitute in the park while smoking pot, but do not have no light on your bicycle! You will get a ticket.
I so wanted to see the Ann Frank house, but the line was around the block. Just not worth it. Was moving just to stand outside and think about her story...and the story of all those killed in the Holocaust. 6 million Jews and 6 million others. Holland tried to be a place of refuge until Hitler took it over.
The other interesting site was this hidden courtyard. All the houses (tall and skinny as they are in A'dam) completely enclose it and you enter and exit through a door that from the outside looks like any other door on the street except maybe a little wider. It originally housed women that for whatever reason could not be nuns. Today only single or divorced women can live in the houses of this particular place. I guess there are many secret gardens like this in A'dam.
So today I cycled away in the pouring rain. Casper begged me to stay. He was so, so cute about it. But I had to leave. I have to get myself to Bremen in 10 days and you know how I hate hurrying. Today was exhausting because the route signs for the particular cycle path across A'dam that I wanted to take had many turns. And as soon as my ADD brain got distracted, I missed a turn. Arrghh. I got so lost that I was trying to us my compass to head in a direction that I might cross the path. And then they just stopped posting the signs and I would have to spot the back of the signs for the route in the other direction to see where the route was coming from. Many times I was way off track and had to double back or wander around and hope I'd see a sign for MY path. Exhausting! I just want to pedal and space out like I always do! We'll see if it gets easier now that I'm in a more rural area.
I'm kinda hidden tonight off the cycle path. I just can't worry about it because that energy causes attraction. All is good and I am tired.
Lights out...if my blinder's on:)
BagLady
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