Amsterdam

The first thing you notice about Amsterdam are the hoards of bicyclists zooming hither and yon. And believe me, you'd better notice them or they'll surely run you down! Landing at Schiphol airport at 8 am after being locked up in a vacuum tube for 10.5 hours was a bit disorienting, I must admit. But after stashing my bag in a handy, self-service travel locker (where did lockers go in America?) I caught the local train to the center of town. Using my trusty Google map - that I'd smartly printed out before flying - I wandered along coffee-colored canals and past crumbling churches in a dreary fog, both physically and mentally. Being a fan of the travel guru Rick Steves, I was determined to follow his advice and stay awake as long as possible before succumbing to some much-needed shut eye. Fortunately the bone-chilling cold and a late check-in policy at my hotel kept me on my feet moving, moving, moving. Below are some shots of my travels.

Pedestrians beware!

De Oude Kirk

One of the infamous 'coffee' shops

Home, leaning home...