Hakuna matata

Little things about a new country will delight you. Windows and doorways in the Netherlands beckon passersby ... and not just the famous red-light-district windows of Amsterdam.  I suspect the concept of portraitizing one's life by leaving the shades open and displaying one's favorite things is part of the Dutch personality.

I mentioned this to Astrid Meijer, whom we met with her husband, Paul, while having our first dinner in the sleepy Amsterdam suburb of Zwanenburg. She laughed and admitted that she loves peering in on people's shared lives.

In a moment of turning around to snap a photo of the swan-bedecked Zwaantje restaurant of Zwanenburg began an adventure.  We moved up to dine next to Astrid and Paul, who later admitted to having had a few too many, and ended up sharing many wines before the end of the meal, when we parted ways.

But first, Paul opened a window between our world and his. "If you would like," he offered, "I would be happy to take you both on a walking tour of the real Amsterdam tomorrow, when I am on holiday. Not the museums, not the tourist spots.  I would be your guide, showing you whatever you like. We would go with the flow all day. Hakuna matata, no worries, no problem."

How could we refuse such an invitation? The next morning we met at 10 and headed off to the local bus, from which we could see more than from a speeding train. As Paul would say later, it felt as if we had become immediately comfortable, had known each other for years, and were, in effect, new old friends.

Many times, Paul told us that he knew nothing of history, but he showed us what makes Amsterdam neighborhoods unique.

Each house and apartment has a pulley hook at its gutter, to haul furniture in and out when moving. This is necessary because of Holland's wildly tall, space-efficient buildings with winding, narrow stairways.

All along the way, he drew people on the street into conversation, seemingly knowing every one, and demonstrating how outgoing the Dutch can be. We spent time at many sidewalk cafés as well as on the only such cafe on a barge.