Amsterdam – open doors and hard skin on the butt I visited Amsterdam a lot of times in my life. The openness, the happiness and the liberal art of living in this city are fascinating – Amsterdam was for this case almost too easy. Some time ago, when I joined a workshop about the topic The Act of Blame, I got to know and appreciate Karl Giskes. What impressed me was on one hand his knowledge about the topic and on the other hand his lived hospitality owed to us. Without hesitating he invited us to his home, where he confronted his wife and family with the situation that we are going to stay in their home for some days. With a big smile on his face, Karl told us one of his worldly wisdom: “The ones who tarry in my house are part of the family and if I need to talk about this with my wife before I invite them, I did something wrong in my life.” He handed me the keys of the house and welcomed us in the empire of his family.
What I also already know – the most important thing in Amsterdam – is a bicycle. Without it you got footsore and with it you only got hard skin on your butt. Very well then! We started animated and unoriented our journey through the city to look for the perfect place to settle Helga and Olga.Of course, we couldn’t withstood the numerous temptations of the city therefore it took us a while to explore it.
Suddenly we found the spot – Singel Gracht.
The same spot where Masi and Rati posed a year before. So be it! Actually, no easy choice with all the bridges Amsterdam has. But it was clear it`s the perfect place. While we put the two girls on their long skinny legs a friendly “Hello guy´s! Nice to meet you again!” sounded from the background. It was Paul! A nice guy from the Island Guernsey, deployed in Amsterdam for work and living in a real authentic apartment in the middle of the city. Like the year before he opened his doors for meat and drinks. In the end, he gave us his keys to have the possibility to drink coffee whenever we need it through our photo session. Within two days I now got two keys to such nice homes. What a trust! In this way, it went on the next days. We got a tour in a gallery, were invited on a house boat, tarried with sparkling wine on a girl’s birthday bash and more. Amsterdam pulsates and lives in every street and every corner!
When we kept ourselves busy with shooting the girls on Single Gracht suddenly an old man, well dressed in a blue suit and with a hat, seems to appear from nowhere. He schmoozed with the GaGa´s, waved to them and disappeared as far as he appeared.
We baptised him “Adam from Amsterdam”. Thank you, Adam, you made me the gift of a brilliant photograph for the calendar 2017! Thanks to Karl and Paul for the accommodation, food and the implicitness of your hospitability and your trust in life!