Birthday in Amsterdam

I had a great birthday, walked all around Amsterdam today with Julie (about 6 miles worth) with frequent stops at sidewalk cafes for Heineken replenishments.  The architecture and canals are really beautiful and the people are so friendly and as Julie noted the waitress at dinner sang Happy Birthday to me in Dutch.  Stopped at the pub across the street from the boat we are renting and the bartender bought me a shot of Jameson's and Julie and I a round of Heinekens. She remembered us from yesterday when we had dinner there and waved to us as we walked by- so of course we had to be polite and stop in.
There are so many bicycles in Amsterdam it is truly mind boggling, they have so many that it is a problem with parking.  They have special bike parking barges and underground bicycle parking garages along with just streets filled with parked bicycles.  They ride them year round- during rain and snow as for most people it is their only mode of transportation other than the excellent buses and trolleys.

View with morning coffee from the fantail of the boat on the canal

The central train station

Homes along one of the canals

Homes along one of the canals

Commemorating the original Santa Clause who was a cardinal here 

The royal residence

The flower shops are on the left and a bike barge on the right

No vehicle traffic, only bikes and trolleys

Boats along one of the canals

The architecture is beautiful

Houseboats lining the left side of this canal

Sunset at 9:30pm, does not get fully dark until about 10:30pm