Amsterdam, Netherlands

On our way up the Rhine River to Amsterdam, we saw a few of the traditional windmills that were once used to pump the water from the reclaimed land. Rather than raising the land up, the Dutch build dikes and then pumped out the water. Nowadays the pumping is done by modern equipment and only a few of the old windmills remain. Some are unused reminders of the past (and probably left there for the tourists) while others have been converted to new uses like grinding grain.
The Amsterdam canal system is obviously a result of deliberate city planning. It is laid out on four concentric half cirles, with both ends terminating in the IJ Bay. An elaborate system flushes water in the canals twice a week to keep it fresh. You can anchor your boat along the canal for about 5,000 euros per year (more or less, depending on the lenght), if you can find a space. Many of the boats are permanent living quarters, moored to the canal walls, with piped in water, electricity and sewer connections (a requirement for all houseboats.)

The bridges are low, which the above boat could never navigate, so many of the taller boats have been designed with removable or collapsable second stories.

With much of the land of Amsterdam reclaimed from the sea, the buildings are constructed on soft, muddy soil. Consequently, buildings sag and tip over time, as can be seen by the center building below.

Bicyles are the main means of transportation in Amsterdam. This impressive multi-story bicycle garage is located near the ferry terminal. Supposedly there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam.

The van Gogh Museum is a treasure of works by Vincent van Gogh. It houses the largest collection of his work in the world. The museum offers an incredible audio tour that gives insight into the artist and his work, from the perspective of many art historians and via excerpts of the many letters van Gogh wrote (especially to his brother) during his career. Exhibits also include many of his original sketches on which many of the works are based.