I dream a world

Black Collegian, Oct 1996 by Chiles, Richard A

AMSTERDAM Europe has always been a destination for many American college students seeking an intimate study of art, or history, or simply a good time. Amsterdam in the Netherlands will disappoint none of these expectations. Founded as a sleepy port city, this Dutch trading capital has grown to become one of the unique cultural meccas of Europe. Built on a series of agricultural drainage locks and dams, the old city is a delightful architectural treasure. Foot bridges and bicycle lanes add to the distinctive charm of the dams which crisscross the city. The Van Gogh museum is a must visit item for the art lover: It houses the largest collection of the artist's works. Additionally, the Rijkstadt and the Vondelpark museums balance the 16th century works with impressive modernist and cubist collections. For the botanist and the flower lover, Amsterdam is the world's largest producer of daffodils, and its fields stretch for miles as a spectacular and free rainbowed delight to any of its visitors. But perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, Amsterdam is known for its own unique and relaxed nightlife. As the sun sets, tiny neon lighted streets come alive under the wafting cloud of cannabis and hashish. Though street trafficking of marijuana is illegal and frowned upon, the drug is served openly in wide varieties from menus at cafes.

Driving South. Because of the Netherlands' relaxed policies on drug use, travel across inter-national borders into neighboring countries is understandably stringent, and tourists can expect delays and thorough luggage investigations by French and Austrian authorities. Driving south through Luxembourg and Switzerland toward the Italian frontier, the winding freeways and autostrada pass magnificently through the Alps and treat the traveler with some of the world's most astounding views. This gracious string of castletopped mountains and rolling foothills runs from the northern tip of the continent to the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.

VENICE Sitting quaintly at the mouth of the Aegean sea, rests Venice, the marvel of ancient and modern worlds. As a city, Venice is incomparable, built on a series of canals which can only be traversed by "Vaparetto" or water taxi, and the famous long two-seater gondoliers. This honey-mooner's paradise whispers in the voices of lapping waters splashing gently at stone doorsteps. Unfortunately, the beautiful winding waterways, which give Venice its charm, are taking their toll on the city. The water levels have been slowly rising year after year, and scientists predict that Venice will soon be lost to the Aegean Sea. But for today, Venice is a center for the study of renaissance art and home to a large international student population. Among the large clusters of English speaking students at "Academe," I was welcomed by several African-Americans participating in exchange programs. In this cultural city-state is a wide variety of attractions for the young and old. The Guggenheim offers an enlightening Picasso exhibition, and several smaller galleries add to Venice's cultural significance. But Venice itself is its own most captivating canvas. The sun and blue sky and magical sea paint scenes with the gentle ripples of the ages.