I had a day off yesterday and a sudden epiphany: instead of inviting a friend for a usual socialising, why not treating myself with a relaxed day completely on my own, enjoying long walks and museum (cinema?) without waiting , entertaining, listening or someone draining the energy from me. In the normal circumstances it is a pleasure and joy to hang out with people, but yesterday was one of those days when I thought why not just being in my own company and treating myself with some quality time. Even though it was cloudy and windy, I felt it would be great idea to take a walk to place that I have found locked already twice and it still invites me so strongly.
"Huis te Vraag" (House of question) is a prettiest little forgotten park right in the middle of elegant Amsterdam's south - apparently it all started when Austrian emperor was here on his way to pilgrimage and he asked the directions for Amsterdam. That would have been in the 15th century and later there was a mansion built on this spot - centuries later it became a protestant cemetery. The cemetery itself closed at certain point but the park is still here and locals passionately refused any meddling by big moneyed companies who would love to erase the place and build apartments here (after all, it is a particularly attractive spot now - it used to be out of town but now its completely surrounded with the buildings everywhere). For many years the park was being taken care of by painter Leon van der Heijden and his wife, who had restored the neglected place and after Leon passed away (sadly, in 2020) it seems that volunteers take care of it.
I walked there twice and twice found locked door - because it is not open all the time but from Tuesday to Friday. However, it looked spectacularly magical and beautiful from outside and I loved how secretive it is, so yesterday I went there for the third time. Hallelujah, I found it open! It is a beautiful little park with a lot of old tombstones (some of them relatively new, I saw burial date in the late 1960s?) and its been kept impeccably - it could have been a jungle but its actually extremely well clean, neat and organised, all the foliage trimmed nicely and paths are easy to follow, it actually looks much better than some much bigger and better known cemeteries. You can tell this is a place that people love. Yes it is a cemetery but it is not a sad place, I would say it is more meditative. There was a lady at the entrance who greeted me with a friendly smile and I felt that the place had a beautiful energy. I am not the one for protests and demonstrations but if this place is ever endangered, I would go on the barricades to fight for it. It is really a beautiful little corner. Still have not decided will I tell everyone about it or keep it for myself only.
"There is not much else to say about the Mood, it is a complete abstraction and yet a physical reality that can be experienced to the extent that whoever takes even one step inside the gate here, immediately realizes within himself that he is entering a special place. He literally steps into a Mood, which lifts him up and carries him further deeper into the Garden." (from its official web site)
Later I was walking trough Vondel park and in the quiet corner, not far from where I actually work, saw a cute little Tea house - I passed it, than returned back, thinking why not having a cup of tea and resting before I continue to a museum. This turned out another beautiful surprise of the day, because not only the place itself attract interesting clientele but it has a very pretty interior, glass dome and a spiritual bookshop. And apparently there are all sorts of healers and Tarot readers around. I was so thrilled to discover such a nice place in a quiet corner of Vondel park, seriously its like 5 minutes away from my work and I have never ever walked there before. Not only that i love the building (real 19th century villa) but the whole idea of special clientele, its like weirdos of Amsterdam united - obviously all kinds of people are attracted to this spot. All sorts of classes, from yoga to tantra. I really felt as I was meant to come here, to this particular spot and to discover it exactly at this moment, right after I have visited little secret cemetery, its like right time has come.
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