Amsterdam

We loved Amsterdam. Of all the places we visited it was the one that reminded me most of home.

Three things struck me about Amsterdam:

1. The bikes

They are everywhere and dangerous and will mow you over in an instant. Everyone who had been to Amsterdam before us warned us of them, so we were well prepared for their tyranny of the roads when we finally witnessed it ourselves.

I was fascinated by the quirks that come with such a bike culture. The bike locks, for example, are heavy iron chains covered in some cutely-patterned fabric and appear absolutely impenetrable. The make up of the canals is apparently 1/3 ancient waste, 1/3 water and a middle layer of 1/3 bicycles. All canals are cleaned out annually by a crane with a big claw at the end which digs deep and comes out unfailingly with dozens of bikes attached. We heard of a game the locals play to see who can make the largest splash when an unlocked bike is thrown into the canals.

2. The utter lack of impressive buildings.

Our tour guide with the Free Europe tours explained that the frugal Dutch could never justify the construction of elaborate buildings if they did not suit an economic purpose. Indeed, the Royal Palace, (the name an indication, perhaps, that no other need ever be built) was covered entirely in green construction plastic and scaffolding. It lacked the decorative tarp that usually covers such buildings in Europe, showing an image on top of the building it is covering beneath. We never heard a single Amsterdamer complain about it.

3. The wonderful canals.

Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the North. At least half the places we visited had expansive canal systems running through the city, and claim a similar sort of reputation, but Amsterdam’s was the best developed. They even had a current, which meant no stink!

I suppose it would be near impossible to visit Amsterdam and not comment on the Red Light District or the weed industry. (Side note, did you know the Amsterdam coat of arms is a triple-X? Hmm, chicken or the egg?) Seeing it all was educational, I suppose, but I can’t say any of my opinions were changed by what I saw, I just saw it all legalized, which makes it cleaner and safer.