August 1997                                  Amsterdam

Perspective from the other side of the Atlantic
                         Life remains at its challenging best by exposing me to the way rest of the world looks from their vantage point. The Dutch insist that they are the most pragmatic since they treat even their poor better than US (we have no poor people here). Lowest rate of teenage pregnancy in industrialised countries, no fear of crime(except theft), only 35% women work and highest productivity rate in Europe.  

                         People do indeed take advantage of their social security system( one out of four). Although they acknowledge severe cut backs over the last 12 years. Now someone visits you once a week if you claim to be sick. Managed care has arrived here in their own version. They admit to long waiting lines for medical procedures. They feel they can meet the EC target comfortably and are willing to tolerate no pay raises for last 10 years except for inflation adjustment. They are actually fighting for a 35 hour week with 6 weeks paid vacation for the same pay. They feel that they have politicians, business and trade unions work hand in hand to achieve this.
                          Their divorce rate is as high as US but they are marrying more often now rather than just living together. Marriage is back in fashion. Their policy of tolerance towards drugs and prostitution is dictated by pragmatism rather than moral or “necessary evil.” When asked about their tolerant attittude towards sexuality, they say, "anglo-saxons have problems with sexuality" or "silly puritans." Some claim that is not true tolerance but just Guilder (Dollar) worship. They insist that they actually believe it since 70% of Dutch vote.

                                   Another characteristic is frugality. Dutch love to shop for bargains. Flea markets are common and you can buy anything there. I saw some shops devoted to selling spices only. Average Dutch savings account has $6500.00 in the bank and they tell you New York and Harlem were Dutch towns at one time. Credit cards don’t work and they like bank transfers but don’t let you open a bank account.

                                     Trips to the grocery are amusing- you bag and weigh your own groceries. Dutch meals are hearty and reasonably spiced and they eat early. They are fanatic about coffee which is indeed good.

                           They do have time on their hands. One wonders whether they are more mature to have figured out that pursuing materialism has its limits or that they have little individuality at work (A large number of penguins gather and one of them says,"I want to be diffferent"). Dutch are likely to say that they have more individuality in their lives and Americans have "herd individualism." Whatever the case, they claim to be content in their tiny shoe box apartments up four flights of stairs, tiny cars, riding with shopping bags on their bikes!

                              One can easily argue the case that Dutch overall look happy! They have a sense of humor and are egalitarian.On another subject matter, Van Gogh museum was a mixed pleasure. It was quite surprising to see his early paintings of “dark period” and his gradual discovery of bright colors and barely hanging on to produce great art. They have an excellent collection of his drawings as well. I did get to see the "Sunflowers." The same was true for the huge Rijkmuseum which has the “Nightwatch” by Rembrandt. However, most of the masterpieces are elsewhere.

Besides that they do have the Sex museum, torture museum and Cannabis museum.
 

Amsterdam Again

                     I arrived at the crowded Cantraal station from Paris by TGV. I have yet to see this many people in any train station and the lines were long at the tourist counter. Outside the same story- hordes of young men and women walking up the Damrak. For entertainment there are jugglers, mimes and a Scottish bagpipe player. Wading through the crowds, I found my way finally to the apartment. It is in a nondescript building, up three flights of stairs in a quiet neighborhood. It is roomy but only functionally divided into two rooms. I do not feel claustrophobic as I had feared. It is a little walk to the grocery store and the tram. Overall, acceptable!

                   Yesterday, I saw crowds on the bridges, so I hopped off the tram. There was a gay parade in the canals on boats. Men dressed as women, tattooed, with pink mohawks and leather and chains. Not unlike the decadence parade in New Orleans except much bigger. This town certainly reminds one of New Orleans- alternating sunshine and clouds, high humidity, hordes of tourists, gay parades, red light district, old city (1300’s, pilgrims stayed here for 11 years before coming to America), port city, music on the streets and a serious party town.

 

 

                                                           Ah! PARIS

                                I was welcomed by two days of sunshine. After I found a Hotel and settled in, it has been a hectic museum hopping. It is delightful to see how the French made nudity fashionable. I wholeheartedly agree with their reverence for the feminine form. I have seen nudes by Ingres, Manet, Renoir and Rodin. A welcome change after being overwhelmed with religious themes in Spain. It has been a non stop go around from Muse D’orsay to Louvre to Rodin. I took a trip to Versailles one day and next went to Eiffel Tower. They were booked for three weeks for dinner but agreed to accommodate me for lunch Monday for a hefty fixed price. The appetizer started with a very small cup of salmon pate. I thought, I had been tricked. Creme of asparagus soup followed soon after. Then followed the entree and dessert followed by chocolate truffles. The waiter opens the restroom door and escorts you to your seat. What service! The wine cost more than my Hotel so I raised a glass of Eau Minerale Naturale to your health.
Parisians are very courteous, polite and helpful. Even the dogs are to be seen and not heard. I have seen numerous ads for psychotherapy and there is a “Psychologie Analytique” office down our street. If you can speak French there is a future yet for psychiatry.
 

Paris Again

                Paris is warmer and more crowded with tourists this month than the last time I was here. It was easier getting around since I had been most places already. I did get to the Opera house this time and the Carnavalet museum. Catching up on what I missed last time. Talk of cultural differences- I saw this commercial on TV  at 8:30pm:

“The scene opens with a figure drawing class. A nude male model is posing for a class of artists. An attractive young woman artist who is obviously late enters the room and quickly walks over to her seat in the front row. The male model looks a little distracted and then troubled. He looks down in puzzlement. A male student with a sighting stick(to measure different parts) finds himself changing the angle of his sighting stick upwards. Another female artist smiles enthusiastically. By this time, the late coming artist has managed to put her things down and looks up at the model and looks a little shocked and then smiles accepting the compliment. The male model raises his eyebrows and shrugs helplessly. We are now informed subtly with text  of a perfume”.

April 18, 1997                       Portugal

                        Lisboa, as the Portuguese call it, is an "ordinary" European city with its Grand Avenues currently under repair while in preparation for the world's fair. Language presented some unusual difficulties as did the food. Portuguese are pleasant and polite. The food included some things like Cod fish which they call Bacalhau and steamed clams. I would call them valiant efforts at making things delicious. I did listen to traditional music called Fado   ( listeners are supposed to feel a knife turning in the heart) till 2 am. The sights are from Castelo Sao Jorge - I have a sunset picture from there which reminds one of New Orleans.

However, the true adventure is a trip to SINTRA. Byron called it "glorious Eden" in his epic poem "Childe Harold." It is quite a sight, after a rather steep mountain climb one ends up at a fairy tale Castelo dos Mouros. If you take a trip, plan to spend a week in this picturesque place.
 

                                        SPAIN

                  Madrid- Is a party town. Some bars actually don't open till 4 am. Revelry is natural to them. It is a big Metropolis. Hotels were hard to find and food uninspiring. Art is another matter. Prado is a gem. I did get to see the Velasquez portraits- I wonder if Sargent would call him his inspiration. And the nude and clothed Mujer by Goya. Fabulous El Greco's and a masterpiece of a statue of Isabel. A series of 3 paintings by Botticelli which show a man chasing a nude woman and killing her. This was her curse in every life for having spurned his marraige offer till she married him, which she eventually does.

                         On a grand avenue called Del Prado is a statue is of a woman riding a chariot of lions- the story goes that she was being chased by men. The goddess put her on the chariot and converted the men to lions.

                    Toledo- is a picturesque city in the hills and was the the capital till 1560. We found a hotel which has a view of Toledo from the top of a hill. It is a medieval town with winding streets in which I got lost time and again. Wherever you look is a painting or a picture. One evening, while we were headed for dinner, I ran into a group of revelers wearing black pantyhose and serenading pretty girls. This is a festival called LUNA TUNA.

Andalucia

                     I took the fast Ave train from Madrid to Cordoba. A gentle quiet city where I saw the Mesquita and the gardens of Alcazar. Granada, however is the place to see the eighth wonder “Alhambra”. The remarkable thing is that most people involuntarily say Ahh! when they enter the courtyard. The gardens surrounding it are a most serene and beautiful sight. Now that I have seen Versailles gardens, I can unequivocally say that Alhambra is unequaled in beauty. The countryside made for a scenic ride through rolling hills, olive trees and Moorish castles. Then I took the bus to Algeciras along the Costa del Sol. The descriptions are over rated. Gulf shores is better and less built up. I hopped the ferry to Tangier from Algeciras.

                               Then I came to the Grand Old Lady "Cordoba"- I had decided I need to take it easy. So far I have been going at a pace of two week vacation. So I looked for Napoleon House and found Taberna San Miguel. This place has been in operation since 1880 and is decorated with Bull fight posters and memorabilia. I had Rabo de Toro (Bull's Tail) and delicious Salmorejo (creamy gazpacho) with Fino (local sherry).

                         Then the magnificent 15th century Alhambra in Granada can take your breath away. It is surrounded by one of the finest gardens in the world. It is the world's 6th greatest wonder!