If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much.

I really knew very little about Amsterdam when I hopped a flight last Thursday morning.  I knew that there were a few canals floating around (punny, I know), I knew that Van Gogh spent a fair bit of time there, and I knew that it had an unfortunate reputation for government-supported debauchery.  I had also heard that it was one of the most uniquely beautiful cities in Europe.   So I went.

During those days we (me and five girls… no comments please) strolled along canals, spent time in Anne Frank’s home and Van Gogh’s museum, took a boat ride and a ton of pictures, ate stroopwaffles in Haarlem, and trekked to the Keukenhof Festival… home to such masculine focal points as tulips and windmills.  I know it sounds like I caved in a group vote or something, but the festival was actually pretty amazing.  Miles and miles of nothing but tulips (imagine driving through the middle of Ohio in the fall and all of the corn is colored bright red, blue, and yellow) and parks taken straight from a painting.  

I don’t have much to say beyond the fact that it was a great way to spend the 5-day Easter weekend.  I have promised a few of you a detailed description of the unusual Czech Easter traditions… but you’ll have to wait a few more days.  Sorry about that.

In honor of Amsterdam, I recommend the following tunes:
Amsterdam – Coldplay
Roxanne (from All This Time) – Sting
Amsterdam – Griffin House