A Day Of Quiet Reflection

It didn’t start off this way. It certainly was not my intent. But my day became all about introspection and reflection.

“Asking yourself a question. That’s how resistance begins.”

The day began with a visit to the Dutch Resistance Museum. To me, it was important being in this country to visit this museum.

The Verzetsmuseum examines what it was like for the Dutch on a personal level, when the Netherlands became occupied by German forces in 1940 through to their liberation in 1945. It examines the rise of the Dutch Resistence.

With real film footage and radio recordings from the war, as well as, real photos, forged ID papers, underground newspapers and mementos, such as love letters & goodbye letters thrown from deportation trains, it’s heart-wrenching to think what people went through back then. The decisions that they made that would seal their fate. The motivations to either resist the German occupiers or to align with them. The choices and dilemmas that became more far-reaching than anyone would’ve thought.

Clockwise from left: celebrated illustrator Fritz Behrendt, WWII propaganda posters, goodbye letters thrown from deportation trains, more posters.

There’s no graphic images that one already associates with extermination camps in this exhibition, but it’s just as hard-hitting, especially when the exhibit is supported with real people’s testimonials and authentic personal items you would never think you’d see IRL.

I never thought that a pair of shoes or glasses would move me so much. But knowing it belong to someone who may have perished for standing up to the Nazi regime just made me feel so sad. These were tangible items from the war period and they’re right in front of me. You can’t deny them.

One of the first pictures taken after the liberation of Holland.

How did those affected find the strength and courage to do what they had to do? I came out all humbled by what a good life I have. I dare to complain about my life? Knock on wood that I would never have to make decisions like the people did back then.

I was glad my next destination was the Hortus Botanicus, so that I could take a contemplative walk. The botanical garden, dating back to 1682, is one of the oldest gardens in the world. It has around 4,000 different species of plants, flowers, trees and a labyrinth. There’s also 3 glasshouses, one with palm trees.

A small and pleasant enough retreat but overall, not the best botanical garden I’ve been to. That honour would go to Huntingdon Gardens.

Getting a bit hungry, I went back to de Bijenkorf to redeem my i Amsterdam coupon. Customer service desk gave me a voucher for a dessert and coffee/tea. I LOVE this i Amsterdam card.

I got a slice of pear pie and earl grey tea (valued at € 5). One thing I noticed is that yes, food can be on the pricey side here, but it’s very standard across the board. So I would pay roughly the same for a high end department store snack, as I would going over at some random cafe or buying a pre-made sandwich at the local grocers. The difference is not that much. If you’re going to eat out anyways, pay an extra Euro or two and have really good eats.

Sated, I walked across Dam Square to hit up Nieuwe Kerk, right next to the Royal Palace. The gothic church was built when the congregation outgrew the Oude Kerk (old church). The 2nd oldest church in Amsterdam has been the setting for the coronation of Dutch royalty.

It’s all very grand inside the church: huge transept organ, monuments, stain glass windows and an elaborately carved pulpit. Although I’m not a church-goer, it did feel nice to appreciate the beauty and the hard work it must have taken to build such a grand church.

Working up an appetite from shopping at Magna Plaza, it was time to eat. I lined up at Mannekin Pis, voted Holland’s #1 place for fries. There’s always a line up, whenever I pass the food stand. So I bought small fries and sweated all the choice of toppings: mayo, ketchup, curry, chilli sauce, shrimp cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, bbq sauce, to name a few. I went for the standby of half ketchup and half mayo. And it definitely tide me over as i walked over to Holland International for a canal cruise.

I flashed my i Amsterdam card for a 100 highlights cruise, in which we would cruise on the canal to the historic city centre, check out elegant merchants’ houses dating from the golden age, look at the famous gables, towers and churches and the iconic Magere Brug (skinny bridge) of the Amster river. I lucked out choosing to sit on the right side of the boat which had more attractions than the left side.

Hungry yet again (all this walking burns a lot of calories!), I picked up some Julia’s Fresh Pasta at Centraal station on my way home. I ordered the penne pasta with pomodoro sauce and mozzarella. For € 4, it was a cheap and filling dinner. Italian fast food! Plus the take away box is adorbs.

Gosh, I’m turning into a little foodie on this trip.

View more photos of my trip on my Flickr album.