The Living in Gratitude Issue
THE NATIONAL TREASURES OF THE NETHERLANDS Words and Photos by Major Rogers
USE O H L A N CA
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msterdam. My favorite city in the world. Since I discovered the place in 2002, I’ve returned eight times in 20 years. When
I tell people this, I’m often met with varied responses. Typically, people who have never been and sometimes the Dutch who live outside the grand European city feel it’s a dirty city, filled with litter and pickpockets. Unknowing Americans believe the entire place is red-lit and stoned. Both sentiments have a little truth, the latter being more exaggerated. For me, it’s like something from a fairytale. Centuries-old brick canal homes built in the Dutch Baroque style 400 years ago. Churches with towering steeples that ring hourly throughout the night. Streetlamp-lit canals that grow misty in the early mornings and again at twilight. The amber glow of pub windows, trilling bike bells, and inviting cafes surround me, as secure as a warm blanket.
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