Celebrating in Amsterdam

In a few days it will be our second anniversary. This weekend we dropped Tim of at my parents and we went of to Amsterdam. We were tourists in our own country and it was awesome.

It is all true what you heard about Amsterdam: prostitution is legal (the 'ladies' pay tax and can join a union) and VERY visible in Amsterdam's famous Red Light District. Where women take place behind red lighted windows and present their... ehm products. We WENT there! For the very first time. It was like walking in a surreal Dali painting. Mostly there were just tourists, like us, but there were also ehm.. potential customers for ehm.. the products. Even-though I am really tolerating and open about things, but I felt uncomfortable walking in this ehm.. shopping street. I do have to say I expected the women to be ugly ass crack junkies, but they were not. Au contraire: they were beautiful and I don't understand why the choose this ehm.. profession.

I didn't dare making a picture of the actual windows with the ladies. I mean, even though they're standing there in their lingerie, I must respect their privacy...

Also true about Amsterdam: the coffee shops, which don't primarily sell coffee but marihuana. Amsterdam is invested by these grass bars. And we almost accidently ended up in one looking for a normal bar. Smoking and selling marihuana is not legal in The Netherlands but it's tolerated (my country is too afraid to make a decision about the issue). Making marihuana illegal will put the use of it in the criminal scene, which would lead to more criminality. Yet legalizing it, would be like saying it's OK to do it. Anyway, I think 75% of all Dutch coffee shops are located in Amterdam. So don't think that everyone in my country is a pothead, because most of the shops are located in Amsterdam.

We actually found a bar that wasn't a coffee shop and where we could sit outside and enjoy the warm night.

True: Amsterdam is where you can find the most and funny stand up comedy acts in this country. Before that picture of the bar that wasn't a coffee shop was taken, we enjoyed dinner and improvisation stand up comedy at the Boom Chicago Theatre! Awesome show, bad food. I got my well - done - because - I - am - pregnant - burger RAW three times. It was still MOOOOOING I swear.

Also true about Amsterdam: the many beautiful CANALS and many many MANY BIKES.

Another fact: those with interests in being all cultural: Amsterdam has to offer it all. A gazillion museums, (art but also history museums like the famous Anne Frank museum, a royal palace, amazing architecture and gorgeous houses. )

The Royal Palace

Also true: Amsterdam is a big tourist attraction. Where many tourists are, you can find many hotels. Our hotel was pretty, though I would not go back mainly because it was too noisy. We could hear the people above us walk around. Crazy! I did get to enjoy the sun from our window.

This was the FIRST time we actually went out with just the two of us and spend a night in a hotel since Tim was born. Though we missed him, we really enjoyed this mini anniversary break.

Warning: for all non Dutch men out there: taking your wife on your anniversary break and see the red light district in Amsterdam might be a fun, touristy and acceptable thing to do.. I wouldn't advise you to do the same in any other place of the world. Unless you don't really care about having another anniversary. Seeing whores is not considered romantic.