Last weekend, I met up with my friend Brian in
Amsterdam. He had thought that it would be interesting if we hung out there before he arrived in the Czech Republic the following week for work. Having heard so much about the
Dutch capital from just about everyone but never having gotten beyond
Schiphol Airport, I jumped at this chance to satisfy my curiosity.
From the
canals to the bridges to the
architecture to the
bikes to the
Red Light District, visiting Amsterdam was an enchanting experience. This was due in large part
Lee, a young Dutch-Canadian woman and tour guide extraordinaire from the
SANDEMANs New Europe company. She gave a
free tour of the city to the gathering of people that Brian and I had joined at the
National Monument, taking us to several remarkable sites before we arrived at our destination, near the
Anne Frank House. It was a three-hour period very well spent. In fact, we had enjoyed it so much that we decided without hesitating to accompany Lee on the
Red Light District tour that she was leading that evening. That was just as fun. In all, we learned a lot and we saw a lot. My own eyes were opened wider than usual, over and over again.
The icing on the cake was the weather. It was gorgeous! Just what one would hope for from spring. Sunshine, a cool breeze, lively cafe terraces, and no rain. Things got a little chilly in the evening though, but nothing dangerous.
The following are a few souvenirs from the trip.
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| Near Grimburgwal + Oudezijds Voorburgwal |
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| At Grimburgwal + Oudezijds Voorburgwal |
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| It's rouge all right, but where's the moulin? |
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| Look! They serve top-notch coffee and offer free Wi-Fi! |
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| At Herenstraat + Keizersgracht |
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| At Rozengracht/Westermarkt + Prinsengracht |
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| Stamppot ‒ mashed potatoes mixed with green cabbage, meatball, sausage, bacon |
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