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September 14, 2010
Awed by Amsterdam: My first visit to the Netherlands
I’ll never forget my first visit to Amsterdam. I had just graduated from college, and my girlfriends and I decided to celebrate by backpacking through Europe. Since I hadn’t done much traveling prior to this trip, I spent the entire summer in a period of perpetual amazement: I found it thrilling to be exploring countries and cultures so different from our own.
I found fun, free-wheeling Amsterdam particularly captivating—especially its famed Red Light District. Although I was born and raised in New England, a region known for its progressive thinking, I found the Dutch capital’s liberal social policies fascinating. Initially, I was shocked to see scantily clad prostitutes standing in doorways, beckoning brazenly to male passersby, and patrons in “brown bars” puffing away happily on joints and munching on pot-filled brownies. But after thinking about it a little more, I began to appreciate the fact that sex and drugs weren’t regarded as taboo subjects in Holland. In fact, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if America adopted similarly open policies (this was the ‘70s, after all!).
The Red Light District wasn’t the only thing I liked about Amsterdam, though. During our stay, my friends and I rented bikes and went riding along the city’s scenic canals … paid a sobering yet inspiring visit to the Anne Frank House … and marveled at the paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and other Dutch masters on display in the Rijksmuseum. We also ventured outside the capital, where we enjoyed a closer look at the country’s iconic windmills and learned about projects like the Delta Works; I remember being so impressed by Dutch ingenuity, by their ability to transform a watery, windy region into a land so livable—and lovely.
Do you have special memories of your own travels in the Netherlands? If so, I’d love to hear more about them. You can share your thoughts with others by posting your comments below this Journal entry, or you can email me directly at
In the coming weeks, we’ll be spotlighting our River Cruises along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers and our vacations in China and France. If you’ve explored any—or all!—of these fascinating destinations with Grand Circle, I hope you’ll send your stories and pictures to me at harriet@gct.com.
Harriet Lewis