A beautiful day in Amsterdam
Actually, it's a freezing cold day in Amsterdam, but I'm really enjoying myself nonetheless! The sun did come out briefly earlier this afternoon, which makes the canals and all the beautiful buildings look even more charming. Poor Kirk will hardly get to see the city during this visit, as he has meetings all week (including tonight). I, on the other hand, have lots of time to explore. We spent a weekend here last fall as well, but I always feel like it's fun to come back to a city a second time when you already have a feel for the city.
I was really hoping to take a tour of the red light district, (I'm totally fascinated by the legalization and regulation of prostitution here), so we stopped by the Prostitution Information Center yesterday after checking into the hotel to ask about the tours offered by former sexworkers. I learned that, because this is the slow tourist season in Amsterdam (maybe because it's so cold?!), they don't offer regular tours right now. Instead, I picked up a couple brochures and asked a few of my burning questions about the prostitutes (are they unionized? where are they from? what's their average age?). I truly can't imagine or understand this lifestyle, but yet I find it so intriguing and curious.
So far today I've spent some time wandering around a couple of the main shopping areas, including Kalverstraat and De Negen Straatjes (the nine streets). I find people here to be so friendly, and as we've noticed before, everyone speaks excellent English (and they don't seem to mind using it with me). You can find a cosy cafe everywhere you look, so long as you don't mind suffering through lots of smoke. I think the biggest danger in Amsterdam is getting run over by a bike. Everyone rides a bike, and everyone rides them aggressively! So look out! Or "let op", as they say here (is that right, you Dutch-speaking blog readers?).
Tomorrow I plan to take the train to Haarlem. We stayed out there during our last visit (although I choose to not remember that dump of a hotel) and I found this really fun shop that sells the coolest bead necklaces ever. I bought a few last fall, and am dying to go back and buy more.
I was really hoping to take a tour of the red light district, (I'm totally fascinated by the legalization and regulation of prostitution here), so we stopped by the Prostitution Information Center yesterday after checking into the hotel to ask about the tours offered by former sexworkers. I learned that, because this is the slow tourist season in Amsterdam (maybe because it's so cold?!), they don't offer regular tours right now. Instead, I picked up a couple brochures and asked a few of my burning questions about the prostitutes (are they unionized? where are they from? what's their average age?). I truly can't imagine or understand this lifestyle, but yet I find it so intriguing and curious.
So far today I've spent some time wandering around a couple of the main shopping areas, including Kalverstraat and De Negen Straatjes (the nine streets). I find people here to be so friendly, and as we've noticed before, everyone speaks excellent English (and they don't seem to mind using it with me). You can find a cosy cafe everywhere you look, so long as you don't mind suffering through lots of smoke. I think the biggest danger in Amsterdam is getting run over by a bike. Everyone rides a bike, and everyone rides them aggressively! So look out! Or "let op", as they say here (is that right, you Dutch-speaking blog readers?).
Tomorrow I plan to take the train to Haarlem. We stayed out there during our last visit (although I choose to not remember that dump of a hotel) and I found this really fun shop that sells the coolest bead necklaces ever. I bought a few last fall, and am dying to go back and buy more.
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