Amsterdam

Known most famously among my generation for its relaxed policies on drugs and prostitution, Amsterdam was an obvious choice for a weekend visit. (Just kidding, Mr. and Mrs. K!) …But it’s true that “coffee shops” legally serving (although never advertising) cannabis and magic mushrooms are ever-present, and the red light district is home to some of the most beautiful entertainers that I have ever seen. I wish I could share some pictures of the latter, but there is an unwritten rule forbidding photography in the red light district that is sometimes violently enforced by Russian pimps who lack anything remotely resembling a sense of humor. Still, the atmosphere in the district is fun and largely unthreatening. It reminded me of a cross between Austin’s 6^th street and a zoo with exotic women prowling behind the glass instead of exotic animals. Is it demeaning? Definitely. Did that stop us from looking? Nope.

So, here is rundown of what Amsterdam has to offer besides drugs and prostitution:

Bars – Plentiful and pleasant. See Saturday’s post for details.

Cheese – It stinks! See CK’s post detailing the food of BeNeLux.

The Van Gogh Museum – This was an important visit for me because it helped me to realize that I don’t appreciate visual art for anything other than the technical skill required to paint a realistic-looking scene. No matter how hard I looked at the paintings, the intense sea of emotions that Van Gogh poured into his work seemed to flow right over my head. I could tell that CK was a little frustrated with my lack of appreciation, but he can’t say that I didn’t try! At least I learned how to properly pronounce Gogh, which rhymes with cough, not so.

Canals – Canals are everywhere in this low-lying city, but most notable are 5 concentric canals, known as the Grachtengordel, surrounding the historical center of Amsterdam. The decreasing radii of the canals make it a breeze to find your way to the center of old Amsterdam. Finding your way back, on the other hand, can be a little more troublesome – particularly, for the sobriety impaired…

Bicycles – I thought Copenhagen had a lot of these things, but Amsterdam definitely had Copenhagen beat in this department. The bike parking garage pictured below was 4 levels high, and did not seem to have a single vacant space. One thing that I noticed was that most of the bikes looked pretty crappy compared to the high dollar machines I’m accustomed to seeing in the states. The reason: 80,000 bikes are stolen in Amsterdam each year, and 25,000 end up in the canals. Riding a “beater” discourages theft, and minimizes the potential for economic loss by taking a wrong turn into a canal.