Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a land of canals, bicycles, great museums, skinny houses, very tall people, delicious Gouda,  and a red light district and soft drug industry that is legal and/or tolerated.  It is a beautiful city because it was not bombed during the war but it does have its dark history.  80,000 Jews lived in Amsterdam when Hitler and his cronies arrived.  75,000 never returned home!  We visited the home of Ann Frank where she and her family plus 4 other friends hide for two years before being turned in by an unknown person or persons.  

The canals were built in the 17th century.  The merchant based oligarchy that ruled the city built mansions and homes along the canals.  Amsterdam was a rich city because it was the home of the West India Company and controlled the spice trade.  Later they created the East India Company and they controlled the slave trade.  They also owned a small colony called New Amsterdam.  Any idea what is called today????  Hint, the Hudson River runs through it.

Original West India Company building, now University of Amsterdam.

The canals are laced with house boats 

Of course they have Gouda cheese and bicycles!  There are 800,000 citizens in Amsterdam and over 840,000 bicycles.   We were told that  they dredge the canals yearly and retrieve 15,000 bikes!  Bikes have their own lanes on the road but that doesn't stop them from driving on sidewalks.  In addition, motor bikes and scooters can use the bike lanes!!  I think a local sport is aiming for the tourist and scaring the hell out of them.  They go everywhere on their bikes! 

Houses are skinny because taxes are levied on the front width of a house not the size.

Amsterdam has many great museums but we were only able to visit the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.  Although Don wanted to go badly we didn't get to the Museum of Bags and Purses.  The Amsterdam public library is probably the best I have ever seen.  It was brand new, all high tech, great cafeteria, good beer on tap, books  and magazines in English, views of the city from their 7th floor cafeteria deck.

The Rijksmuseum

Rembrandt 's Night Watch

A couple from the Van Gogh Museum