third circles touches grass
Of the 30 or so parks in Amsterdam, Nelson Mandelapark is one of our favourites. Its ponds, flora and statues provide a lovely setting for a quiet stroll. If you're looking for more activity, it has a skate park and several sports fields. And, of course, it is home to the annual Kwaku Festival. But, if you find yourself in the more well known Vondelpark, take a moment to visit the Mama Baranka statue. Curaçao-born artist Nelson Carrilho created the statute to honour the 1983 racist murder of 15 year old Antillean Kerwin Lucas -- and it is the first anti-racist sculpture in a public space in Amsterdam. Notably, Mama Baranka (which translates to Mother Rock) stands with both feet on the soil not a pedestal.