Amsterdam is a merchant town and it always has been. Filled with remarkably expressive people and at the same time a quaintly polite atmosphere. The central area of the town is clearly aimed at tourists, and the kind of tourists you see here may be the most amazing thing about Amsterdam.
You know that place with the word “amsterdam” written in big metal letters? It’s right next to the Van Gogh museum. It has a lot of his old school stuff. You can clearly see how he was influenced by Japan. It’s also pretty convenient that two other museums are literally next door, namely the modern art museum and a Rembrandt museum. There’s also a Van Gogh’s house, which is actually a regular hotel.
It’s been raining over here for some time now. At first it was just scattered drizzles, but instead of getting better it got quite a bit worse. Frankly I am not prepared for this weather. I packed primarily for the warmer climates that are coming up next week. “Oh you don’t need an umbrella! Why would you need an umbrella if your shirt already has a hood?” Note to self: Bring an umbrella to Amsterdam.