Ok, first I would like to offer my sincere apologies that sometimes my posts are a little “Amsterdam-centric.” The thing is, I live in Amsterdam, so a lot of my information, photos, etc. are derived from my Amsterdam experience. Add to this the fact that the weather has been cold and snowy, which means I just don’t get out of town as much as I do during the rest of the year. But! There is a great big world outside of Amsterdam, and I have seen a lot of it. This country has a lot to offer!

A little about Amsterdam. One stereotype about people from Amsterdam is actually pretty similar to stereotypes about people living in most large cities. As the stereotype goes, Amsterdammers think the world ends if you go outside the ring of highway that closes in Amsterdam proper and they think that the world certainly must revolve around Amsterdam. Of course, this isn’t entirely true. And by “this” I mean that the world does not end outside the ring and it does not revolve around this city. As far as the stereotype is concerned…well…it is a stereotype, so take it with a grain of salt and a particle of truth.

That all being said, there is this great little website that offers 360 degree views of Amsterdam from all over the city. This might be a little out of date now, what with Google Street View, but it’s still pretty cool to see.  If you are interested in taking a tour of Amsterdam from the comfort and luxury of your own home, without fear of being run over by a tram or cyclist, have a look at:

http://www.panoramsterdam.com/ (Link opens in separate window)

A few places to have a peek at include Vondelpark, Prinsengracht, Herengracht, Amstel, Plantage Middenlaan and the Noordermarkt. Just to name a very very few spots.

Hopefully as the weather changes I’ll start venturing out of town again and have information that is just a little less Amsterdam-centric.  In the meantime, Google Street View does offer some great photos of many other cities in the Netherlands, including some of the smaller more tucked away places. I think it’s a great way to see a city in motion, since the photos aren’t the usual canned windmill/tulips/clogs/guy holding cheese type, they are from a random moment in real life.

Nevertheless, here is a picture of some orange tulips I took last year.