Merry Tummy: Amsterdam Through My Lens

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Do you love travelling??-we do. We love to explore different places, cities and countries sometimes as locals and sometimes as tourists. Check Paris through my lens and some bits about Iberian experience .Last month we went to Amsterdam- the city of canals, cycles and windmills. The city that is vibrant and fresh; a city that is alive and cool; a city where tulips are born; a city that I truly love.

Why it is unique:

Measured by square kilometers, Amsterdam has the highest number of museums of all cities in the world. Amsterdam's city administration counts 51 museums.
By some estimates, Amsterdam has more bikes (1 million) than people (about 750,000). There are twice as many bikes as cars in the country.
Amsterdam has no less than 165 canals and 1,281 bridges and 2,500 house boats (boats with a fixed place in one of the canals that are used as permanent houses).
The Dutch are the tallest people in the world. The average Dutchman is just over 6 feet, while Dutch women average 5-foot-7.

Why it is liberal:

Amsterdam has one of the most famous Red Light Districts in the world with window prostitution. There are almost 500 such windows in Amsterdam, next to brothels etc. Daily, about 1,000 prostitutes are working in Amsterdam and in a given year, the city sees about 8,000 different prostitutes.
There are over 200 'coffee shops' in Amsterdam where you are allowed to buy up to 5 grams of cannabis (marihuana or hash). Since the 1970s, buying of cannabis has been decriminalized. Five grams, by the way, is enough to stay sky high for several days. Most other drugs are banned, however.
In 2008, a tobacco smoking ban was introduced in Dutch cafes and restaurants, but you are still allowed to smoke marihuana and hash in Dutch coffee shops.
Amsterdam was the first capital to allow gay marriage (the Netherlands allow this since 2001). Regular marriages, with all rights and obligations, are now possible for gay and lesbian couples as well.

So just slip in your shoes and explore the city on cycle or foot. You will see how lively people are, how exciting the city is, how remarkable the canals are and above all the feeling of being free.

So here is Amsterdam through my lens.