Do as the Romans do...or at least try to: Jammin in the Dam

What to say about Amsterdam? Well it was absolutely beautiful and clean...surprisingly. I had all these preconceived ideas about Amsterdam. I thought it's a huge party city with streets lined up with red lights for the ladies standing in the windows. I was right. But somehow it's all done in a somewhat classy way. After 10 weeks of separation Joe and I met up for my spring break. It was time for something crazy. We arrived in Amsterdam gawking over our new surroundings; the architecture, the canals, the "coffeeshops", the Red Light District, the food. (Ironically "Roxanne" by The Police was playing in the Red Light District as we witnessed a man purchase the services of a lady of the night.) The first night we strolled the city in circles trying to get our bearings around the labyrinth of a city. The following day we woke up, got lost some more, and finally made it to the Van Gogh museum. We had a great time, stopping and trying delicious treats along the way including Dutch fries (French fries but way better), waffles, pancakes, and pastries. That night we went to the Jam in the Dam music festival where we saw one of our favorite bands Lotus up close in personal. We even had the opportunity to talk to them after the show. The next day was packed with activities. We rented bikes from our lovely host and explored. We ended up at the IJ Brewery along the Amstel River. We were too late for the brewery tour, but that didn't stop us from sampling all of the house brews. Then we cautiously rode our bikes back to our apartment. The beer there is a little stronger than back at home. After resting for a bit, we meandered over the the Anne Frank house for a more educational experience, not that learning about beer isn't educational. Then it was time for the night's festivities; a St. Patrick's Day pub crawl sponsored by Jameson Whiskey. No need to say more about that.