Tuesday, 21 April 2015


It Was Gouda for Me Amsterdam, The Netherlands http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/
Places You Have to See
The Red Light District legal sex shops and brothels.  No photos please.
The canals a must to go a canal cruises.
City Tour great way to see houses on canal and boat houses moored in canals
The Mint
Tulip Festival in the spring
Windmills outside city
Wind turbines off coast visible on flight into city
Things You Need to Know
Flemish/Dutch speaking but most speak some English
Very clean canals water is flushed several times per week
Very friendly and hospitable
Euro is the currency
Many hotel chains here
Dutch cheese is amazing.
The bicycles never before had I seen so many.  Just remember bicycles have way not pedestrians.
Just remember rules have changed and foreigners can no longer do drugs freely here.
Double salted licorice buy it here.
Blue and white pottery http://www.delftpottery.com/  is a great souvenir or gift.

On my escorted bus tour to Europe I met Tippy.  Tippy was travelling with her daughter and son-in-law from Arizona.  Everyone who meets Tippy loves her.  She’s wise, warm, caring, funny, and feisty and doesn’t act her age.  We had just arrived in Amsterdam and done a bit of a city tour.  We had time before our canal cruise and dinner to investigate the Red Light District.  Short time so we couldn’t get into too much trouble.  Prostitution is legal and regulated by the government.  Some drugs are legal although now not for tourists.  Tippy had already been taking pictures she shouldn’t at the border crossing in Calais so why should I be surprised.  You are not supposed to take pictures of the sex workers who sit in front in windows with the curtains open.  Tippy did.  She was yelled at and had them ducking for cover and curtains being closed but then she also had a 50ish lady pose for her.  Tippy was having a great time.  I was wondering why there weren’t men in the windows.  Fair is fair and since I’m going to hell anyways I thought I’d ask.  Then we went into some sex shops and if you have to ask you probably don’t want to know but it was far better than 50 shades of boring.  No need to inhale deeply walking by the bakeries.  Then the most fun we had was just outside the Red Light District in what our guide called the best candy shop in the city.  So we were the proverbial kids in a candy store.  The canal cruise was prefect.  Bicycles, hundred year old houses and house boats line the canals.  It is also customary in the Netherlands to leave your leaving room curtains open and have something like flowers or sculpture for people to look at.  The canals are pristine and several swans call it home.  Dinner was all you could expect from a Dutch host.  Cheese galore to start and ended with a Dutch pancake dessert.  Sweet memories.


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