Amsterdam

[This is post 1 in a series of 3 about our trip to Europe:
Amsterdam -> Antwerp -> Paris]

Anya's employer was nice enough to send her to the preeminent conference in her field this year, which happened to be in Amsterdam. I joined her there once the conference was over, as did the rest of her family (by coincidence her brother & sister-in-law - who live in Japan - were in Europe also). As an added bonus, Anya's cousin Natasha and her husband Hans Peter flew in from their home in Switzerland. It was a big family reunion, and it was truly a lot of fun to see everyone from around the world (and to get to meet Hans Peter & Natasha, who graciously invited us to visit them in Zurich - a great plan for our next trip to Europe).

For people who are embarking on their first trip to the Continent I think Amsterdam would be a good place to start. It's relatively small and it's easy get around, either by walking or taking the excellent tram system. The people are friendly and laid-back, and almost everyone is able and willing to speak fluent English (it's said that Amsterdam has a higher English literacy rate than most cities in the U.S.)

That having been said, there is definitely a right way and a wrong way for the casual tourist to see Amsterdam. If you don't do a bit of research and plan ahead, Amsterdam will live up to its reputation as being the Las Vegas of Europe: at times tacky, scruffy, and unpleasant. The very oldest part of the city (near the train station and the city's main square) is given over to touristy stores selling kitschy souvenirs and overpriced restaurants with bad food. The streets are filled with boisterous and disrespectful American and British tourists there to take advantage of the legalized marijuana and prostitution. These people apparently have no desire to see the real Amsterdam or to learn anything about Dutch culture or history - something that works to your advantage.

Avoid these crowds by staying further out in the neighborhoods where actual Amsterdammers live, work, and play. There, you'll find a cute, cozy, welcoming city that seems like a genuinely nice place to live. The 8 of us spent two pleasant days strolling through these neighborhoods, enjoying the museums, nice shops, comfortable pubs with tasty beer, and authentic Dutch food. A'dam is just as cosmopolitan and culturally rich as any of the European capitols, but is more relaxed, open, and welcoming than some of those other cities.

Of course everyone has their own tastes and preferences for travel, but I think we did Amsterdam the "right" way - and had a great time doing it.

I've embedded comments into our pictures, so that's the best way to read about what we did.