Our trip started in normal All Star fashion by running into an old dear colleague at the airport. Mr. Payton Kelly, of Boulevard artistic fame, was also flying overseas to meet up with his wife Brit in Germany and we all happened to be on the same flight. When we arrived in Philly for our connecting flight the first thing on our minds was CHEESESTEAKS!
We had a 5 hour layover so we said fuck it and jumped in a cab, with a cabbie we barely understood who's only concern was that we "took care of him," to head down to South Philly to sample the legendary Philly Cheesesteaks of "Pat's King of Steaks" and "Geno's Steaks." These two places sit across from each other so aside for the cab ride from and to the airport it was a no brainer. (Note: Don't try this unless you don't care about cost or time)
We both heard about the rivalry and we had dem boteths and through much discussion and spilling cheese wiz in the back seat of this cab it was decided, although it was close, that Geno's wins! The onions on the Pat's sub proved to be the downfall. But I'm willing to take the challenge again if it arises.
Ask me over a beer about the "Jersey Shore" guy washing his car on the street just before it was about to rain. Gotta love Philly.
Eight hours later we arrive in Amsterdam. It was time to explore and see what this city has to offer. One of the first symbols I saw was XXX. Now the first thing that springs to mind is what it stands for in America, but it actually represents Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate - on the coat of arms of Amsterdam. Ironic for a city known for its Red Light District (RLD). After souvenir shopping we made our way over to grab a bite to eat and see what this RLD was all about. WOW. If you haven't ever been it is definitely something everyone should experience. It's the closet thing to Babylon I can imagine. But the funny thing is once the initial shock is over it's no big deal. From the coffee shops to the women standing in the windows it became background noise to really finding things of interest.
I would say one of the best things to see was the Vincent Van Gogh museum. It was inspiring, historical and a reminder that even in his short life of 37 years he was able to change the world through his work. His paintings as well as those that influenced him were absolutely amazing. To see the work of someone with so much vision, focus, and discipline calls into question what we do in our daily work lives and if we are putting forth the effort to leave the world with such a lasting impression. My curiosity actually wandered to the people that supported him during his painting years, particularly his brother Theo who (in my opinion) bankrolled him and allowed him to create in such a way, with the freedom needed to fully express himself the way he did. Of all the paintings in the gallery there was only one of his brother. The brothers looked so similar it was mistaken to be a self portrait of Vincent originally.
Our day took a turn from art of painting to the art of brewing at the Heineken Experience. - I'll sum it up in 1 word: Marketing. It was great to see the converted working brewery into a walking brewery tour. It was worth seeing but my beer snobbery didn't appreciate it like most would.
The last day in Amsterdam we headed over to the Anne Frank Huis. There aren't words to describe the feeling knowing you are walking through the same space that an entire family lived for 2 years in fear of being discovered. Not being able to go outside and to live in silence everyday during the day because a business operated below you sounds like a living hell.
To lighten our afternoon we took a stroll over to a cafe and began day drinking and coffee shop hopping. High quality beers and meeting Americans/Brits/South Africans/Californians we made the most of our last day and night in Amsterdam.
More to come.
Click here for pics!
Ciao Ciao
1 comment:
Love it! I can't believe I missed out!
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