Goedemorgen!
There is a small balcony outside of my room on Dam square in Amsterdam, and I woke early and stood in the dark of the morning, enjoying a break in the rain and an orange Fanta. (I rarely drink soda, but orange Fanta was a rare treat when I was a kid living in Europe, and there’s a nostalgia for me in drinking it again.) While I enjoy the brightness of the stars after a night of showers, a pair of all-night revelers cross the Dam, weaving and talking loudly enough to wake Rembrandt. Suddenly, a cacophony of keys and coins banging against windows by the rudely awoken erupts up and down the hotel. The rebuke, of course, only emboldens the pair on the square below, who immediately break into song. The lack of melody and increased barrage of window tapping send me smiling back into the room.
It takes pretty inclement weather to drive a Dutchmen inside for his morning coffee or tea. Like throughout Europe, the tradition of the outdoor cafe runs strong in Holland, but unlike other countries that use heaters and temporary plastic shelters to extend the outdoor experience into the winter, the hearty Dutch are content with a warm cap, possibly a small umbrella, as they sit in the drizzle sipping a hot drink, often leaving the cosy and dry indoor seating empty. But it is inside where I go.
After a late dinner of Dutch Rijstafel, that local variation of spicy Indonesian cuisine, I’m not particularly hungry, but when the proprietor tells me he’s just made fresh quiche Lorraine, I can’t resist. The quiche goes great with a strong cup of coffee, and I even find myself enjoying the colorful side of pickled vegetables. Are Americans the only country to completely eschew vegetables or legumes for breakfast? Thinking that this might be another key to the secret of the health and longevity of other cultures, I resolve to start eating mashed potatoes with gravy for breakfast when I return home.
berowne.com 
Leave a comment