Amsterdam

1:43 PM August 16,2011 Thalys train to Paris

Amsterdam was interesting. Once we got to the city, it smells...differently. The city itself is interesting due to the fact that majority of the city is built on reclaimed land and make due with what little land you have, and canals! Ok, you can say it's like Venice, bit not really. Venice is built on a lagoon and is sinking, Amsterdam is built near a river (near the North Sea[?]) which water pumps working to keep the water out (those would be the windmills, actually). Buildings have cool gables with hooks on them. This is used to get furniture up the building through the widows because the door would be too narrow, and do you really want to haul furniture up stairs?

Dutch architecture is really cool (and continues to be cool, Rem Koolhaus and OMA, Coop Himmelblau anyone??). It's gothic, but instead of using marble, they use brick and the skinny houses with big windows and gables.

Did the Canal tour. It was very relaxing and it was pretty. I feel asleep for the last part of it, but Chelsea said I didn't really miss anything, so that good haha

Van Gogh Museum. That was awesome! My favorites were the Apple Blossoms, Iris, and The Bedroom. I had to stop myself from making Doctor Who references hahaha

Met up with Yolanda and Sebastian at night and did what young people (and not so young) do in Amsterdam.

I suppose I should talk about the Red Light District. It's pretty interesting at night. It's packed with people, mostly people who are curious and want to see women sitting in shop windows, barely clothed. There were a lot of neon lights advertising for sex shows, sex stores and brothels. It didn't seem seedy either. There were a lot of bars, coffee stores and fast food (not fast food chains). I'm guessing fries are the drunk food of choice in Amsterdam because there are fries shops and stalls everywhere! They're really good, really hot.

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