I was passing through, a ship in the night. In the rain and drizzle I wandered the canals and pleasing pedestrian cobbled streets.

It’s nearly unchanged since the last time I was here. The window girls now have mobile phones. But they are just as disingenuously pleased to see you ogle as they were in 1976.

Lonely Planet:

… this beautiful city has found its old self – quirky, creative and open-minded. ….

Not long ago the Netherlands swung towards the right, with crackdowns on immigration, religious freedom and red-light districts. Even in freewheeling Amsterdam, people were asking themselves: is too much tolerance a bad thing?

You can breathe easy: the soul-searching is over. The core values of Dutch society that we knew and loved have emerged intact. Newcomers who integrate are welcome; practising a faith is OK, as is the right to turn away from it. …

What’s the result of all this permissiveness?

The Dutch, so far as I can see, are the nicest, most relaxed, nationality in Europe. I’ve never had a bad experience with anyone from the Netherlands.

Though I enjoy the local cuisine (Stropwafle McFlurry and Donairs) this climate sucks. It makes Vancouver seem a fun sun destination. Yet all the hostels are full. What are these dopey backpackers doing here?

I booked a flight to sunny Portugal.

Travel tip: In Amsterdam don’t enter a “coffee shop” for coffee.

Did I sample?

… I’m pleading Ribliatti.

And don’t enter a Starbucks for coffee. The Pikes that costs $2.10 in Canada will drain your fannypack by over $4 in Europe.