My Thoughts on Holland

Or, more accurately, my thoughts on Amsterdam ...

It's a superb place.

Sorry - You want a little more detail?

Well ... I love the atmosphere, the bikes, the trams, the bars, the beer (natch), the coffee shops, the lack of cars, even the Dutch themselves ... just about everything in fact ...

Arrived on Saturday night, and suddenly realised that I had to catch a train to a station whose name I didn't know, in a country in which I know not one word of the language. Fortunately, the Tickets counter is called "Tickets", and the staff say, "Good Evening. Would you like a ticket to Amsterdam?"

		A double-decker train ... (we don't have those in the UK)
		The view of the City as you leave the train station.

Having arrived at the bar nominated as the meeting place (albeit mis-spelled), I ordered a Grolsch (as you do). I was a little surprised to see them pour a half-pint and then walk away from it, but not half as much as when they returned, poured half of it down the sink, replaced it with froth and served it up to me ... (apparently the law states that beer must have two fingers of head, to prove that it is fresh).

Without wishing to harp on about the beer (I'm going to anyway) ... I did find that I was able to drink copious amounts regardless of its colour or strength, without obvious ill-effect - either during the evening or (more importantly) the next day ...

Apparently a survey was undertaken of which European countries enjoy themselves the most, and which feel most guilty about such enjoyment. It is perhaps no surprise that Germans seem to enjoy themselves little and feel most guilty, while the Dutch enjoy themselves the most with the least associated guilt. Whether it is true or not, it is very plausible.

The traffic system is great, and tends to make you forget you are in a major city (albeit one of the smaller ones). For a country where the number of bicycles apparently out-number the population (I think), it is odd that so few of the bicycles appear to be less than 10 years old. Some of the populace are said to be regular cyclists without ever owning their own cycle, judging themselves to merely redistribute bikes around the city (no doubt where the term "recycle" comes from ... er, maybe).

		A brief, tasty glimpse of an Amsterdam tram ...
One of the (very) many huge racks of bicycles found throughout Amsterdam.

There are a whole host of tourist attractions, most notably art galleries, museums and the odd zoo, not to mention Anne Frank's house, but sadly I managed to avoid every one, but I guess you have to leave something to do "next time" ...

Just some of the attractions I managed to avoid ...

I would mention that the business part of the trip was a significant success as far as I was concerned, but of course no-one would ever believe me ...