I have an uncle who is one of my favorite people on the planet. He gets me — he always has. I rarely have the chance to see him because he lives in Amsterdam, but this weekend was one of those rarities — and on his turf. Even better.
I have to go to a meeting in London this week and I was really glad that P did not blink at my idea to take advantage of the proximity and jump on up to Holland, even though it meant leaving him and the kids behind for a full week. (I’m fairly certain he’s planning a secret revenge golf trip or something, but that’s OK. Huge points for encouraging me to tack on the Dutch mini-vacation.)
My uncle moved to Amsterdam 26 years ago to live with his Dutch partner, so he’s practically a native at this point. I’ve been here to visit probably about five times and, every time, I love it more. It’s an amazing city — the food (more on that soon), the history, the people, the architecture, the weather (just kidding — it’s usually raining Biblically when I’m here — ditto yesterday). I could live here. I love it.
So you combine a favorite place with a favorite person and it makes for the most lovely of weekends. And, there’s more…
My dear friend Grace, who recently moved from New York to Switzerland, met me for the weekend. How lucky am I?
My uncle and his partner, Gene, live here — the uber-charming, uber-narrow grey house in the middle. It’s like a postcard, but better, because I get to go inside and stay there. The house was built in 1732 and is to die for. The details and decor deserve an entire blog. I cannot do it justice here, but suffice it to say that they have flawless taste, coupled with backgrounds in art and antique dealing.
Every time I come, I take this same photo. I love this view, right at the end of their street. Can you imagine walking out to get a newspaper and seeing this every day?
A few other shots of their immediate neighborhood.
It’s hard for me to describe the feeling I have when I am here. This city feels so familiar, inviting and comfortable to me, and yet is still a distinctly foreign place. This ain’t New Jersey (no offense to my fellow Garden State dwellers).
Another reason to love Holland: Some of the best cheese and chocolate on the planet. There are no other words to accompany this photo — let’s just give it the moment of respect it deserves.
Speaking of food…Last night, we had an epic dinner prepared by my uncle. Great conversation, great family, great friends — old and new. It was one of those evenings when everything just worked out beautifully.
Today, we walked the city, with no particular destination. We chatted, we ate, we drank. We window shopped and took cover under awnings when it rained horizontally, and then hailed. Twice. And it was just about a perfect day.
(Oh, and if my photos aren’t appearing or other formatting stuff is off, it’s because I’m trying to figure out Windows commands in Dutch. I can repair any damage when I get back on an English computer.)
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