One night in Amsterdam

Entering The Netherlands was so curiously fast, we felt like we must have missed something. No lines, one guy glanced at our passports, no questions, and we were in Amsterdam. Our hotel at the airport is a 5 minute walk from the gate, and all Ikea Euro-slick. Another 2 minute walk to the train station.

The Station was steps from our Hotel. We skipped the premium for high-speed rail and took the regular train to Amsterdam. Trains run every 15 minutes, and it takes about 20 minutes to Amsterdam Central. Smooth, very quiet, double deck train. Less than 4 Euro each.

Oh, and all you turnstiles-for-Skytrain types: It is run on the honour system here.

Amsterdam, for those who don't know is the world's coolest city. I don't mean temerature (although it was freaking cold out this evening), but cool in the Fonzie sense. Everyone is chilled out, and pretty much anything goes. There is a breezy attitude about drinking, eating smoking (whatever), and depraved carnal acts. It is also expensive.

Standing at the Central Station, one can see river ferries (Amsterdam is a City of navigable canals), lightrail/street cars, the occasional deisel bus, and thousands of bicycles. It is Saturday night, it is close to freezing, and people are travelling around the entertainm nent district on bicycles. There are a few cars about, but they crawl between the other modes. People "salmoning" on bikes on the sidewalks, people talking and texting while riding, people (mostly women) riding in coctail dresses. Bikes as an alternative to walking, not as an alternative to driving: that is what the tram is for.

With limted time, we walked about, enjoying the vibe, remarked on buildings (and the general lack of vertical walls; 300 year buildings in a swamp tend to lean), and had a cone of fries on the street. We had a few drinks at cute little pub (the smallest one in Amsterdam, but I rarely trust hyperbole in advertizing...) then cruized the red light district declining various offers, both charming and distubing, from the local entrepreneurs.

(note ketchup on fries, not mayo... clearly a tourist.)
We found ourselves in a coffee shop with a one-drink minimum, and I practiced my oragami skills, rusty since high school, only to watch my creation go up in smoke. And one thing led to another. Getting too old for this...

Needless to say we got a good nights sleep, as we were sleeping a ten-minute walk from our departure gate. Currently, we are 10,000m above the Mediterranean. Headed South. I can just see the Barbary Coast down there.