Clamped in Amsterdam

My adventures as an "Innocent Abroad" continued (M. Twain would be proud of me.) Next the wonderful country of Holland or the Netherlands. I think I prefer the Netherlands.

I thought that was where you went if you were "bad" like purgatory or hades. In this case I went up to the Nether regions.

The Netherlands is a beautiful country of windmills, dikes, flowers, great artists and museums, and wonderful Amsterdam. I only had a day to see all of Amsterdam. I wanted to visit the Reijksmuseum, see the Van Gough museum. and walk the canals (I love to walk on water) and experience the bikes of Amsterdam.

I was in Northern Germany on a deal and I decided to drive in for the day, knowing that the next day I had to drive down early to Munich to catch my plane.

So I drive into Amsterdam early-about 6 a.m. Well there are plenty places to park so I find a place by the canal and park. No one is there, and there are no parking meters of anything and no signs that say "Do not Park." It is one of the advantages of being there early, I conclude.

It is a beautiful day and so I am off for a day of fun and frolic in Amsterdam. I walk all over the City. I am amazed at its beauty. I love the canals. The souvenirs and postcards are unbelievable. I decide that I better not take them back to the family as souvenirs, however. So I select some blue and white porcelain and a few postcards with tulips on them. Then it is off for the museums and to experience great art. And I do see great art. I am amazed at the "Night Watch." Down the street I see all the great Van Gogh's and even learn that Van Gogh, like me, collected Japanese ukioye. His whole collection of Japanese prints are there. Of course, Van Gogh was crazy, but perhaps all of us who are geniuses are a little crazy.

About 9 P.M. I return to my auto. Behold it is clamped with a large yellow clamp on the front tire. This is great. I have a notice on my car in Dutch and a clamp on my front tire. It seems that the area that I parked in one did have to pay and that there was a machine down the way that one put money into and then it spit out a piece of paper that you had to put in your window. My window had no ticket in it. So now I had a police ticket and clamp for my omission.

What to do, now?

First I conclude that this is probably not an isolated occurance. I see a hotel nearby and figure that in a large hotel, the staff can speak English. I head for the hotel. They translate. I have to go to a local police station in order to pay. They fortunately know where the local police station is. With their instructions, off I go to the Amsterdam station of local friendly police. Unfortunately no one speaks English there (they speak English in every other place in Amsterdam, however). I finally make myself know through gestures. They take all my money. Then it's back to the car to wait until the unclamper comes along. Eventually the car is unclamped and I am on my way back back to Germany. My stay in Amsterdam has been memorable. It is now midnight and looks like tomorrow will be a long day.

When I think of Amsterdam, I always remember the bright yellow wheel clamper. It is now the symbol of Amsterdam and the Netherlands instead of windmills and tulips.