Amsterdam

On Sunday the 24th of August, I left for Amsterdam. Normally, a flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam would not be very exciting. However, since my mom was working on the flight, I definitely enjoyed myself ;) After Kung Fu Panda, Made of Honor, and some Anna Karenina, we landed at Schiphol. My mom and I wasted no time and we quickly took off to explore the city on bikes.
I had visited Amsterdam last July and, honestly, I wasn't that impressed. I'm just not a huge fan of the damrak, the red light district, the garbage, and the smells. This bike trip, however, went a long way towards changing my opinion of the city. Biking allowed us to get away from the congested tourist parts (though we did visit Anne Frank's house and the flower district- stock market enthusiasts may be interested to know that the Tulip Bulb Craze was the first major example of extraordinary speculation and, of course, a major crash in a modern exchange market). Passing by the elegant canals, it was easy to relax. We visited one of my favorite "plein"s in Amsterdam, Rembrandtplein, and biked around the city. Amsterdam may be known for it's seedier side (it's symbol is "XXX" afterall), but you don't have to sell your soul to enjoy most of the city.

Ironically, I spent only 24 hours in Amsterdam. The same amount of time I spent in Amsterdam last year. Maybe I just like to keep things "short and sweet"?

Next Stop: Stavanger, Norway