First of all, to all my Canadian and honourary-Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow. Amsterdam was fantastic. I had a really, really good weekend, despite learning that overnight long-distance bus rides are most decidedly not my preferred form of travel (I have had few life experiences more unpleasant). I'm in the middle of another massive photo upload, which includes all the Amsterdam pictures, plus another few in the Our Neighbourhood gallery. This means that Amsterdam details will be waiting for tomorrow, especially because I have to run to our group's Thanksgiving dinner in 15 minutes. I will give you a few impressions, though.

Amsterdam is a wonderful city to get yourself lost in. The downtown area is small and easily walkable, there's always a pretty canal to wander along (with hundreds of great, unique cafes), and the canal pattern is regular so you always pretty much know where you're going. If you ever go to Amsterdam, my advice is to take a cruise around the canals to orient yourself, and then go get lost. Find a cafe, have a Dutch coffee (my new addiction), admire the houses, and wish for a houseboat. I walked my feet off all weekend, and I didn't even see half of what I wanted to.

Dutch food is amazing. I had a broodje (like a Danish, sort of... it's a flaky pastry with cheese, meat, or cheese and meat and veg inside) every day for breakfast, multiple cups of koffie verkeerd (basically a latte), sandwiches stuffed with aged Gouda... okay, I need to stop because I'm making myself hungry. It seems like all I did all weekend was eat and walk, and I never went to the same cafe twice. I'd go back, just for the food.

Amsterdam is full of all the pets London lacks... every other person was walking a dog, and I saw lots of cats sunning themselves, greeting passersby on sidewalks, and of course, in the Poezenboot. Unfortunately, there is no law about doggie pickup, meaning you have to watch where you step.

Accomodation can be on a boat, if you'd like, which is where we stayed. I've always had living-on-a-boat fantasies, and staying on one made me want one even more. It's like going to sleep on a giant waterbed, but one that doesn't slosh and wake you up every time you roll over.

More tomorrow...