Amsterdam (Jan. 26-27)

Amsterdamstraat at night, sic canals, bridges, canal bus, and me. Also, St. Nicolaaskerk.

It was overcast and slightly drizzly the whole time I was in Amsterdam. As long as the wind wasn't blowing it wasn't bad at all. Other wise it is absolutely beautiful: buildings, canals, the hoists built at the top of every house so that furniture can be moved (staircases are too narrow!), as well as the fact that every house is built to lean forward slightly (corner houses look like they're from a Dali painting).

The first day, after getting hopelessly lost on bad directions to my single hotel, I went to the Anne Frank House, Rijkmuseum, and the Van Gogh museum. Turns out Fridays are museum nights so there was live music at the Van Gogh museum. I saw 4 paintings by Vermeer (not Girl with the Pearl Earrings, though). After the museums finally closed at 10pm I headed off and found a garishly foreign square where I hid in a side street and ate Thai food.

There was a stand-up comedy performance called Boom Chicago Late Night that I went in to see at 11:30pm. Lucky for me they had a policy of giving away free Heineken to people who shouted out good ideas for the next skit. Mine was "the splits" and landed one of the guys about six inches off the floor before he fell over.

Saturday was much more relaxing. I rode on a Canal Bus for a bit before heading off to FOAM (photography museum) where they had a disturbing exhibit of Amsterdam police crime scene photos. After wandering around the town a bit, I'd given up on actually trying to find anything on purpose, I came across the Flower Market. One house seemed to be having an arguement on the top floor and someone through something out the window, shattering glass onto the street right next to me. The Old Dutch Pancake House is amazing. But be warned, most places need reservations to get in because it seems like people like to eat there. :-)