It started off innocently enough walking around Amsterdam one morning. We passed a clothing shops shops here. A few cathedrals there. Anne Frank's house and the like. And then we were in the red light district. There's no boundaries or signs. During the day it doesn't even look that different, as the glowing red lights aren't too visible upon a cursory glance. But the girls in the windows are definitely there, as well as the prevailing aroma of a certain herb...

After our tour of the red light district (all informational, no worries), it honestly sounds like the rest of the world could really learn a thing or two about how prostitution, or sex working as it's properly called here. It's really a very well-run machine and I was (dare I say this in a blog my grandparents read) quite impressed. I think the best part is that the oldest church in the city is also in the red light district. The Catholic sailors would go and pay to have a slip of paper saying that they had confessed and repented their sins. Then they could go home to their wives and family without a care in the world.

The beauty of Amsterdam is that, along with scantily clad girls in windows, it also houses some of the worlds greatest art. We went to the Van Gogh museum where we saw all of his greats along with some of his not so greats. I was willing to brave yet another museum for Van Gogh.

Dutch people are very trendy indeed. You can always pick out a tourist because they're not wearing skinny jeans, a scarf, and some adorable jacket and boots. Yes, one can wear jackets here because it's actually pretty cold. It was raining this miserable, drizzly, grey rain yesterday that made me oh so homesick for Oregon (not). But how the fashionable people make me want to go shopping!!! I loathe every single article of clothing in my backback right now. Every single one. Also, when I say they bike a lot, I really mean that they bike a lot. Corvallis is put to shame. I've been nearly run over by a bicycle numerous times, and may just be put in the hospital before I make it to Brussels.