I AMsterdam

Adventuring Amsterdam has been a peculiar experience from the start. It began with an overnight ferry ride starting in the remarkably industrial Newcastle and crossing the North Sea due south.

Have you every ridden a ferry overnight? I haven't. In fact, I haven't even been on a cruise. Before this I always told "cruise people" that I was never much interested in going on a cruise (too claustrophobic, booooring, weird, etc). And after now having done the "poor man's cruise" or as Matt and I call it a "krooz", I can safely say that all of my reservations about doing it have been confirmed. It was one bizarre way of traveling I tell you - kinda like riding an aircraft carrier that has been taken over by Circus Circus. That said, it was not without it's absurd and disorienting charms...

So AMSTERDAM!

What a world! We just got finished exploring it today and it was singular. Not much Dutch charm to it. It is more like it's own country really. A country run by rich, bike riding, hipster young adults. Oh and when I say "bike riding", I mean it. This is a whole level of beach cruisers with front-end baskets than I have ever seen or even heard of! Check this bike parking lot:

The canal cruise recording reported that there are 25,000 bikes parked there with 9,000 overflowing into other areas central to the city. And the city is absolutely run by these beach cruising hipsters I tell you! Aside from trying to adjust to the whole looking for traffic on the right hand side of the street bit. It was terrifying crossing that bike lane! It doesn't help that they allow mo-peds and motorbikes in this lane too. The cyclists run this city.

What an interesting place it was to explore. The historic Rijksmuseum seems so out of place in a city that seems to have more cultural influence from American Apparel than the domestic goddesses of an 18th century Vermeer painting. And to be honest, there is something so irreverent about seeing the Ann Frank house somberly sitting on the banks of a canal that is 24/7 floating frat parties. Still, that is what this place is about and who am I to ask for a different experience?

Just so you believe me about the hipster and frat party bit, I give you the following photos...

Yep. That is a wooden shoe boat.

Still there were some nice wee bits to enjoy...

 

And would you believe us Northern folk got to buy some Dutch sunscreen today? I think I even got a wee bit sunburned and it felt marvelous.