So, Amsterdam was fun

Boy did we enjoy Amsterdam, if only for the break in this summer heat as it was in the 60s there and lovely.  But that's not the only reason we enjoyed it. Amsterdam is an AMAZING city.  I encourage anyone to go.

At first I was afraid it was going to be pot city since it's legal there, but that wasn't the case.  The "coffee shops" as they call them, blended in with the cafes and shops along the canals and side streets.  I loved the Van Gogh Museum and totally geeked out and rented the headset so I could learn all about the paintings.  We also went to the Rijks Museum.  I have to give it to Rembrandt, that guy was so talented.  And the fact that he worked years on some of the pieces is unbelievable to me.
Let's talk about the real stuff now.  Those crazy Dutch love their bicycles. LOVE.  they are everywhere.  They also enjoy cafes.  Every corner had an adorable cafe with people sitting anywhere there was space just having a drink and enjoying conversation.  And this was going on at any time of day.  It makes me wonder when they work. 

There were almost no obese people there either.  And the ones I did see were tourists.  It seems the Dutch are healthier for a number of reasons:
1. Transportation - Few people even own cars so the force of physical activity is required just to get anywhere whether its walking or biking.
2. Portion Control - Restaurants serve actual human sized meals.  A Toasti which I indulged in many times, is a standard size piece of bread with one piece of cheese, maybe some ham or a tomato.  Not a 600 calorie piece of bread with 5 slabs of 1/2 inch Swiss, Gruyere, and Brie, like I've seen on some TV shows.  In addition, there are no free refills anywhere.  If you order a Coke, you are getting one 8 oz. glass of Coke for about $4 American dollars.  You better drink slowly.

Check out this guy!  I just thought it was funny. It made me think of that Will Ferrell doing Harry Carey bit on SNL when he says, "If you were a Hot Dog, would you eat yourself?"

3.  Fresh Food - Because of #1 (no cars) how can anyone make large weekly shipping trips to Costco?  They can't. So daily trips to the local makret allow them to buy fresh ingredients.  They love them some fresh squeezed OJ and juice.  I must have gotten fresh orange juice at least twice a day. 

More about the trip next...