Bill making use of the convenient outdoor restroom
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Same restroom, vacant - there are four sides and it can be used simultaneously by four men.
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Also in the same area, but not restricted to the Red Light District, are many "coffeeshops." This is the name for places that sell marijuana for consumption on the premises. There is a menu of a wide variety of types and prices and you can get it mixed with tobacco in a cigarette rolled to your specifications, or you can get it unadulterated. Usually coffeeshops don't sell alcohol or food, so people tend to go in, do what they are there for and leave. There are lots of pizza places and bakeries full of goodies in the same locality that seem to be doing a booming business for those who are in the neighborhood and become hungry. We visited a newly famous coffeeshop, De Dampkring, that appeared in the movie Ocean's Twelve. It was dark and denlike and had a distinctly groovy 70's-ish feel to it. We also enjoyed a sign at a nearby café that said "Only Food and Drink Served Here" - anywhere else you'd think it was a stupid sign, but not in Amsterdam:
Die Dampkring, the famous coffeeshop shown in "Ocean's Twelve"
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"Smart Store" window painted with their offerings
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A typical canal in Amsterdam, lined with houses and boats.
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One of the five-story homes, we loved the ivy turning to its autumn colors.
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A good example of the skinniness of the houses and the variety of tops on them.
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More great architecture - this is an upscale shopping mall.
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This shows how the ground floor is halfway underground. You step down to go in. Also a good view of the hoisting contraptions on the top.
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Me at the little door leading into our hotel
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Canal cruise boat. This thing can take a 90 degree turn into the archway you see on its left.
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Click HERE to see a short video of us at the Heinekin brewery.