Amsterdam 101...

Amsterdam musings…
• I’m sure no one actually lives there, it’s all tourists… with maps… not watching out for bicycles
• I was NOT a map person ! I got out of the train station by myself and that was feat on its own. I managed to find the tourism center, on my own, and the canal tour on my own. After that, I wandered, and managed to NOT get lost. ( I did have a map for back up though) – I’m fairly sure I could do the Amazing Race now... no really ...
• I didn’t have time to walk or take a tram to the Heinekien Tour… I’m sad about that… but it’d be better with Rob around anyway.
• Speaking of… there’s a difference between a train, a tram and a metro. Who knew ?
• The homes/buildings are amazing. However, apparently the ground is too soft to put a foundation in, so they are all built on pilings. Brilliant… that explains the tilt to some of them. Not sure I’m comfortable with that.
• Everyone walking around between the ages of 20-30 appeared to have a hang-over, this explains why David likes this place.
• In my travels today I saw:
• a bike garage that was 4 stories- and packed with bikes
• two french bulldogs
• a guy trying to escape from chains and a straight jacket
• a bag piper
• the Anne Frank house - I didn't tour it, just took a picture
• crooked (I’ll say sinking) houses
• houseboats made from bricks... hhhmmm....
• people eating french fries in paper cones with mayonnaise (ew)
• lots o paraphernalia - I also walked by the Hash, Hemp and Marihuana Museum.
• amazing architecture
• churches
• I’d call him a bum, shabby dressed playing a guitar randomly bursting into terrible renditions of Elvis with a Dutch accent… the whole mix was comical.
• a sex museum and a "amsterdam dungeon" tour - I didn't do either, but they both kinda scared me !
• swans that I’m fairly sure are as large as dogs
• sheep that either need to lose some weight or get longer legs
• cool little café’s in tiny little alleys (with no insane substance smells emitting from them)
• two people on bicycles actually wearing helmets
• two huge soccer stadiums (PSV Eindhoven 35,000 people and AFC Ajax 50,200 people)
• a vodka museum – an nope, I didn’t explore… I had a train to catch !
• two H & M stores within one block of each other.

I did a ton of walking, kinda proud of myself that I didn't get lost.... and just really didn't have time to do lots of stuff. I did take an hour and half canal tour that was pretty amazing. It was a good way to get to see the stuff I knew I wouldn't be able to walk or tram to.
And then it started raining, so I put my stocking cap on and headed back to Centraal Station to hop my train back to good ol' Eindhoven.
Overally, it was a fun city to walk around. I'm sure if you had more days it could reveal some pretty cool stuff... I'd go back...