Amsterdam, Day 1

The last time I was in Amsterdam was the fall of 1981.  It was my junior year abroad and I was going to school in London.  My friend and I took the boat over on a miserable stormy evening and stayed for four days.  It was a memorable trip.  After a full day of walking around, it is not that different from what I remember.  Beautiful canals, homes that look as if they are tilting because of the uneven foundations, lots of smoke shops, sex shops and a bit of an edge. 

We started off our morning at the Foam, a photography museum.  Great place.  Three exhibits that are intimate.  I particularly enjoyed the Ron Galella exhibit which is years of paparazzi photos he took.  Classic stuff.  The one above of John Lennon and Mick Jagger was my fave.

We jumped on the tram and went over to the Van Gogh museum.  Good thing that I purchased tickets in advance because the line was insane and it was raining outside.  Architecturally a really great space to show art in.  Van Gogh only lived to be 37 years old as he killed himself.  What is more amazing is that he only painted for 10 years of his life.  No photos.

Back on the tram over to a sweet coffee shop called Latei. Everything there is for sale even the chairs we were sitting on. 

We had a few sandwiches and a carrot cardoman soup.

The best thing there is definitely the sweets.  Apple pie, chocolate cake and lemon cheesecake. 

Stopped in a few places on the walk back to the hotel.  This cheese shop is one of them. 

United Nude, a shoe store.

Back to the hotel for some rest and relaxation before dins.