We arrive in Amsterdam and get right down to business

Ron found this sweatshirt with 5 minutes of our first venture out of the hotel. Total sweatshirt count as of now: 3.

We had a nice talk with the sales clerk in the store above. She had the same reaction that everyone else has when we report that we are staying in a hotel on Dam Square for King’s Day – WOW, that should be interesting. And she didn’t say it in a sociological or partying kind of way – she meant it to indicate that few people would be as stupid as we are, but we didn’t take it personally. We just forked over 70 Euros for a sweatshirt and hat for a university we’ve never seen and/or attended and were on our way.

Amsterdam is gorgeous! It was not bombed during the war and so the city maintains all of its original charm. Many of the houses are from the 17th century and as I appreciate their architecture, I am reminded of my previous visit here as I (re)discover the terror of the Amsterdam stairwells. Here’s a few (not my photos – I won’t be photographing the stairwells – I’ll be trying not to fall down them)

The reward for those steep stairways, though, are these beautiful buildings:

All right – that’s it for now. We’re headed out to explore.