Amsterdam

Here we are in Amsterdam. It is definitely the canal capital of the world amongst other things.  The canals are a vast system and eventually lead into a large port.  There are many houseboats on these fresh water canals (there is a dyke that keeps the seawater out) that people live on year round.  The city has some amazing museums (the Van Gogh musuem and both the Rembrandt house and the Rijks museum which has many of Rembrants (this is his first name) paintings and of course the Anne Frank house.  Also we did wander through the red light district.  This is an interesting area as the prostitutes display their "wares" in windows which are surrounded in red lights.  This is a legal profession in Amsterdam and there are all kinds of women of every shape, size and color.  Certain types of drugs are also legal here and when you walk by a cafe the smell of pot smoke drifts out.  Some places you are not allowed to smoke cigarettes in the smoking rooms of bars but joints only  It is an interesting place which I am sure some of you would find more interesting than others.