As you can guess by now, because I’ve praised everything about Europe so far, I also like the Netherlands. Paris and Bruges are beautiful, but Amsterdam is a place to live in. Familiar food, reasonable prices (except for housing), a compact downtown, and nice locals. It’s a shame that everyone thinks of easy drugs and working girls, because if you aren’t looking for them you won’t see them. Amsterdam is comfortable from day one. All pictures are August 2012.
If You Go
Amsterdam has American-style malls and lots of street shops, and it was the best place for shopping on our trip (France, Belgium, Netherlands). I liked the streets that spike off the downtown Markt the best. A lot of people head for the Anne Frank museum, but every time we walked past it there was a long line. If time is limited there are maybe better things to see. Go to Moeder’s for supper if you have any doubts that the Dutch can cook. |
