The Amsterdam Experience

Today involved a lot of walking and exploring.  We slept in a bit this morning, but that turned out all right.  Our hostel served breakfast, but it looked a little blah so I just went for the coffee.  Once we were both up and going and had a general game plan for the day, we took off.

First we decided to see the Red Light District.  But we wandered some different streets than before and got off on our blocks.  This led to finding the coolest block ever with giant saxophones, pianos, and dancing men hanging from the buildings in 3-D.  We meandered the different blocks some more and boom, there was the flower market!  Not only was this beautiful and colorful, but the postcards in the stores opposite were easily some of the raunchiest I have ever seen.  We couldn't even think of anyone we could send one to in humor without the horror of "what if someone else sees it" kicking in.  I know I wouldn't want my anyone, even my mailman, to see me getting a card like those.

After getting a shocked laugh out of us we found the canal to take us into the Red Light District.  We came in by way of their Chinatown, and then quickly cut over.  I couldn't believe how young some of the kids were walking down the street with their parents here, like it was nothing.  To be honest though, it was just a kind of sad.  I can't imagine just sitting in a window like that all day, much less than to be sitting there selling yourself.  What a life...  Jen had similar thoughts to me, so after a quick lap through, we aimed to happier parts of town.  We walked past all the big monuments and slowly made out way towards Amsterdam Centraal.  I was trying to go in every Starbucks to find cards for my Starbucks friends.  Unfortunately Amsterdam keeps them out of reach and requires $5 be put on them.  So sorry Kristin and Chris, nothing from Amsterdam for you!  I'll try the next city.

We grabbed a couple sandwiches, and (you may want to skip this part mom) headed south again, looking for Abraxas.  Of course you have to go to a coffeeshop while in Amsterdam.  The guy who worked there was very nice and helpful in making our selection.  It was off to the side in a well-kept alley in the main part of town, and we enjoyed a little time there before we decided there were things to be done still!  So out we went again, exploring new routes and deciding on postcards.

Near our hostel was the diamond museum, which said free, so we wandered in.  A museum that is actually free in Amsterdam!?  Turns out it was a teaser taste of the diamonds, and not the real exhibit that was free.  Should have known.  We did get to see people cutting diamonds though, which was interesting and intense work.  They are litterally sanded down on a grinder with diamond dust one facet at a time.  Talk about focus!  We got to see replicas of some famous diamonds too, and then they funneled us through the selling area of the stores.  Of course they did.  After being shuffled past things I could only dream of affording, we went through the CZ cases, many of which looked very familiar to what we carry at FK.  Then  finally to the museum, where they wanted 10 euro to get in.  Still too much for this stingy gal!

After getting back to our hostel, we checked on the address to the restaurant we wanted and set back out again.  Hap Hmm was amazing.  Just to the east of Vondelpark, it serves traditional Dutch food, which is apparently just up my alley in all ways. My meal consisted of perfectly cooked beef in a gravy, with fried potatos and fried (carmelized) onion with a stroganoff sauce.  So good!  Jen just laughed at how fast I consumed it, though se said her "grandmothers meatball" was also fantastic.  And it was cheaper than almost everywhere else we have seen in the city!  If we had more time we also wanted to try De Keuken van 1870 which looked equally as good, just further from the hostel.

All in all it was quite a delightul day!  Tomorrow we go in search of windmills, and then on to Belgium!