Holland

A couple of pals from Williams were visiting last week, so we went to Amsterdam to check out Museum Night (Museumnacht). One ticket bought you entry into over forty museums, each hosting their own parties. We made it to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh, where a DJ was spinning tracks by a group called 'Balkan Beats' that lasted anywhere from fifteen minutes to what seemed like hours. Europeans love their house music.

Earlier in the day, we'd been to a classy affair at the Reypenaer Cheese Shop, where we sampled the finest Dutch goat and cow milk cheeses, paired expertly with wine and port. An older Dutch man had brought his whole family to the tasting, and though he spoke little English (and my Dutch is a bit rusty), we were fast friends when he heard I grew up in 'New Amsterdam.'

Newly minted certified cheese tasters, we headed to the Anne Frank Huis for a tour. I had read The Diary of a Young Girl years ago, but what stuck with me now were smaller details, like how Anne called her diary 'Kitty.' We stepped out of this haunting museum and right into the bustle of a crisp, sunny day. By Sunday it turned colder, so we fortified with some local grub - strong, strong coffee and pancakes infused with apples and bacon - before setting out on a canal cruise.