Bikes. Bikes and more bikes. 600,000 or so and that's no lie. 
It has been 19 years since 
I last stepped foot in the Netherlands. 
And back then I was with a group of tennis players, several coaches and team leaders. 
A bit different going there for business, but I did get a chance to walk the streets for a good part of a Saturday.
The
weather was in the mid-40's and foggy. 
Pretty much that way for the 5 days I was there.
Not
speaking Dutch was pretty much not a problem. For the most part everyone at least speaks English and signs are translated. As for the train system, that was the only thing that was a bit of guessing game. I took a 20 min. train ride from the airport to Central Station, Amsterdam, but could have easily taken another train to some other part of the country. All in all a very good trip and only really got moderately lost for about a half hour in the city. Once I figured out the canals were the best way to navigate the city as landmarks, the touring became much more enjoyable.I would say for a city this size, it was pretty safe and would be a great place to visit in late Spring or early Summer. I hope to visit again sometime soon (Kerry adds - with the whole family!!!).
A few things strikingly different from the states: small strong coffees, thin people everywhere, small cars, lots of one speed beater bikes, not much recycling, canals, the Euro, tulips, not much littering, storks, large double decker beefy trains, Heineken that does smells like skunks but tastes better, much better balance of work and family, great design and friendly people.
Photos from Top to Bottom are as follows:
1) Amsterdam Train Station (Covered but Open)
2) Outside of the Train Station
3) Rusty Bikes
4) Exterior of Train Station
5) Boat Taxi Service in the Canal
6) Canal
7) Vegetables & Fruits
8) Teeny Tiny Yellow Car (I'll take that one please!)
9) Try parallel parking with a canal on one side!
10) A real Mini!
11) Looking at the Rijks Museum (didn't go in there)
12) Van Gogh Museum (didn't go in!!! - what???)
13) Man on a Bike
14) Flowers for Kerry
15) Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (didn't go in there either)
16) Family on a Bike (there's really 3 on that bike! - look no helmets! or seatbelts!)
