Lower North Sea
The future...what does it hold in store for each of us? Peace… happiness… success... security? Of course, we all hope for these things and more. In fact, the future, uncertain and alluring, often dominates our thoughts. The road ahead gives us hope and captures the imagination with all the enticements our hearts desire, but at some point in everyone’s life, the past reasserts itself as the key to understanding and capitalizing on all those promises of the future. Today while many of us spent our time at sea relaxing, recovering from jet lag, and acquainting ourselves with both the ship and our fellow travelers, inevitably discussion broke out regarding our future days here on board. However, our historian, Tim Baughman, wisely redirected our thoughts, if only for the day, on what we have left behind…Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
Amsterdam, a former port city of the Hanseatic League remains a thriving and prosperous hub of culture and trade today in the new European Union. One of the city’s secrets to success: history; or rather the ability to learn from it. The Dutch have forever been pragmatic and resourceful in their approach to life. Where there once stood only marshland and river delta, they have drained the water to build one of the busiest ports in the world. After being persecuted by the Catholic Church, they learned and practiced tolerance for other religions. Such tolerance attracted refugees from far flung corners of both Europe and the globe. These immigrants brought with them their own history, culture, and trade. In a city of merchants, this influx of ideas and knowledge made the city more and more successful even as the Catholics tried to tighten their grip on the usurping populace by exerting pressure through the Spanish monarchy. But while kingdoms come and go, trade remains. And so while the Spanish exhausted their limited resources in a campaign against a rising nation with access to goods from almost every known port, Amsterdam not only survived, but continued growing at an astounding rate.
Due to such prosperity, Amsterdam remains a coveted address for many people; so much so that there are five year waiting lists for homes in and around the city. Still, they have not forgotten their roots, and recently paid homage to the merchant ships that made the city, and nation, possible by sponsoring an unemployment project to replicate 10 of the vessels, like the one seen here. So, while we eagerly anticipate the sights that await our arrival in the coming days, we should not forget those ports that we’ve left behind, or the histories they keep.
The future...what does it hold in store for each of us? Peace… happiness… success... security? Of course, we all hope for these things and more. In fact, the future, uncertain and alluring, often dominates our thoughts. The road ahead gives us hope and captures the imagination with all the enticements our hearts desire, but at some point in everyone’s life, the past reasserts itself as the key to understanding and capitalizing on all those promises of the future. Today while many of us spent our time at sea relaxing, recovering from jet lag, and acquainting ourselves with both the ship and our fellow travelers, inevitably discussion broke out regarding our future days here on board. However, our historian, Tim Baughman, wisely redirected our thoughts, if only for the day, on what we have left behind…Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
Amsterdam, a former port city of the Hanseatic League remains a thriving and prosperous hub of culture and trade today in the new European Union. One of the city’s secrets to success: history; or rather the ability to learn from it. The Dutch have forever been pragmatic and resourceful in their approach to life. Where there once stood only marshland and river delta, they have drained the water to build one of the busiest ports in the world. After being persecuted by the Catholic Church, they learned and practiced tolerance for other religions. Such tolerance attracted refugees from far flung corners of both Europe and the globe. These immigrants brought with them their own history, culture, and trade. In a city of merchants, this influx of ideas and knowledge made the city more and more successful even as the Catholics tried to tighten their grip on the usurping populace by exerting pressure through the Spanish monarchy. But while kingdoms come and go, trade remains. And so while the Spanish exhausted their limited resources in a campaign against a rising nation with access to goods from almost every known port, Amsterdam not only survived, but continued growing at an astounding rate.
Due to such prosperity, Amsterdam remains a coveted address for many people; so much so that there are five year waiting lists for homes in and around the city. Still, they have not forgotten their roots, and recently paid homage to the merchant ships that made the city, and nation, possible by sponsoring an unemployment project to replicate 10 of the vessels, like the one seen here. So, while we eagerly anticipate the sights that await our arrival in the coming days, we should not forget those ports that we’ve left behind, or the histories they keep.
