Determining Where to Walk

Tossing around many ideas of what we should do this first day on the streets of Amsterdam, we decide to head for the water and an  Amsterdam Canal Cruise to get a feel for the city.

Leaving our apartment and turning left, we pass only a few apartments before we reach the Amstel River. We dodge baby carriages, cars, and bicycles as we walk.

“Charlotte, you are walking in the street.  You are going to get run over.” I look down.  It doesn’t look like a street.  I move.

“Charlotte watch out for those bikes.” Deadly and silent and fast, you only hear their swoosh as they whiz by. I look down.  I move again.

The brick patterns are different, but deciding where I should put my feet is difficult.  This may take practice.

It appears pedestrians are in the minority and an easy way to identify a tourist. The other way is the bike riders that are lollygagging.  If you are not on a bike and if you don’t ride fast — you are not from here.

Lunch

We continue walking toward the center of Amsterdam and the canal cruise boats, located on and in the Damrak. Google maps alert me that it is right across from the Sex Museum — another story I am sure.

 We eat an uninspired early lunch at The Grasshopper — the interior is charming.  Michael orders Dutch snacks and is served a plate piled high with an assortment of things (circles, squares triangles, ovals, tubes) stuffed, puffed, and fried— fillings unidentifiable.  My chicken sates are drowning in a cup of peanut sauce.

A Canal Cruise

The last to board the noon cruise, we plug in our earphones and start listening and looking.  From my interior seat view, I see mostly sky and clouds — ever-changing clouds — and rooftops.  From my earphones, I learn things.  First and foremost, the canal where we live, The Prinsengracht, was on the lower rung of society when first built, and the high-class canal, The Herengracht, is currently only affordable to businesses with big bucks. This is the canal of focus, and the buildings are stately and elegant. 

Hermitage Museum

Our path home takes us close to the Hermitage Museum — satellite to the original in Saint Petersburg. We decide it is a definite stopping place. Originally built in 1680 as a retirement residence for elderly women, it is huge and spans a long city block.  I think that by the time we visit all the rooms I might need to apply for residency myself.

Napoleon

The current exhibit is on Alexander I, Napoleon, and Josephine. Love. War.  Power.  Greed.  Friendship. Mistrust. Broken promises. Betrayal. It has it all. I learn things I never thought about knowing, and find it all fascinating. Most fascinating is the portrait of the young Napoleon — a determined, ruthless, relentless warrior.  There is nothing of the egomaniacal man-emperor of his later portraits.

Alexander I admired Napoleon and they formed a friendship, signing a treaty which both men broke (each wary of the other) until finally, Napoleon marched on Russia with 600,000 men, returning home with barely 30,000 intact. They are just numbers, too large to fathom. Then I try attaching them to men marching across Europe en mass, putting bodies and faces and fear into those numbers, imagining the size and the scope — and I can’t do it.

There is an artist who painted enormous pictures of Napoleon’s war on Europe (four of them line the walls of this gallery) who tried to show the vastness of his army — the thousands upon thousands of men involved — and I want to know more about him. I pull out my phone to Google Peter von Hess.

“You know if the guards see you with that they will throw you in jail,” Michael tells me. Not sure if he is joking, I slip the phone back into my purse and wait till prying eyes are nowhere near.

The Dutch Golden Age

Napoleon exiled, Josephine dead, Alexander nicely ensconced in St. Petersburg, we make our way to the paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, and the story unfolds of an immigrant merchant society with no monarch, but a governing body of regents — men with sufficient wealth and a long residence within the city — who built Amsterdam into a world power.

The governors of the Nieuwezijds Huiszittenhuis in Amsterdam, ca 1650 and Banquet of civic guardsmen 1632

Note: While the power in the rest of Europe lay in the hands of rulers and church officials, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was ruled by the bourgeoisie. By governing city and country, trading, taking on the city’s defense, stimulating scientific developments, and setting up and managing the social safety net, the citizens ensured that the Republic became one of the most powerful and prosperous nations in Europe.

The Long Walk Home

Stepping from the Hermitage, the gray clouds that played tag with the blue skies all afternoon seem to have won the day.  Thinking we are taking the shortcut back to the apartment we find the bridge across the Amstel near our current residence is blocked — a celebration of 200 years of the monarchy (thanks to the Napoleonic Wars and Napoleon installing a King of the Netherlands in 1815 — Napoleon’s brother who married Josephine’s daughter) is in the final stages of preparation.  A huge stage of scaffolding spans the river at “our bridge,” and beyond is an equally large edifice constructed for the VIP audience.

Our walk back home takes three times as long as intended.

Historical Research

Back at our apartment, I have to do further research on the things I saw at The Hermitage, thinking again of Napoleon’s battle for Russia — over 500,000 dead for power over one country — the battle lost. Even if won, the images are beyond disturbing, and these numbers are only Napoleon’s losses.  So many lives thrown away — like dust tossed out a window. It makes my insides tighten and my heartache.

While searching the Internet I learn more. The estimated death toll, civilians included is from 3,500,000 – 6,000,000 people. Then I see the top line of the chart. World War II.  The numbers say between 60,000,000 – 85,000,000 dead.  And I cry. Things known but forgotten, but should always be remembered.