Amsterdam

Marisa had to return to her schoolwork and job following our stay in London and at this point I was all on my own until my parents came a week later. We were to meet up in Paris and I went there by way of Amsterdam. For a lot of travelers, Amsterdam is considered a party destination. In my opinion, it should be considered a destination for art, city biking, and city boating.

Below is the most characteristic picture I was able to take of Amsterdam. It's a tree lined canal being crossed by a bunch of bike-littered bridges. Amsterdam has got to be one of the most bike friendly cities in the world. Almost every street has a dedicated bike lane and it makes sense: at least in the city center, space is precious, and bike lanes take up much less space than car lanes. It looked to me like biking was a far faster way to get around than driving, especially for the people who didn't slow down for pedestrians and just rang their bells.

Aside from walking down tree lined streets and canals, I really enjoyed the Van Gogh museum. The collection is extensive and walks you through his development as an artist, from beginning to tragic end. While I'm sure some have pulled it off, it's hard not to be a Van Gogh fan after visiting the museum.

This was an innovation I hadn't seen before: a fast food vending machine. No human interaction required. I'm not sure why this hasn't taken off in America. It seems like it would qualify as an industry best practice.