Water, water everywhere! So many canals, and much of the area is below sea level. What I learned about Amsterdam is that these people are great engineers. They have universities devoted to water management; they know what they are doing.
Fortunately, our train was on schedule this time. The signs were much easier to figure out, and we felt comfortable in the city. So many of the buildings are tall.
Bicycles, bicycles everywhere. It was a bit dangerous being a pedestrian in Amsterdam. We had to pay attention to the color of the ground to see if we had the right of way or the bicycles did. Neither of us was run-over, fortunately.
An interesting observation about Amsterdam is that old churches, especially large ones, have been converted to shopping centers or performing arts centers. This makes sense when you realize that most of the dry “land” was reclaimed from the ocean or the many rivers that flow through the city, so buildings are precious.
Another thing to note is how open-minded the populous seems. The Embassy of the Free Mind was along a street we visited, and the condom store showed a colorful display. A cannabis-related store was next door. There are “coffee shops” in Amsterdam for marijuana products but we did not visit any.
Bunch of Geeks go Traveling 