Ik houd van Mokum

Thanks to Chandira for alerting me to this widget:

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

And what a coincidence; when I toured Europe for a month by train in 2002, Amsterdam was indeed my favorite city of all the places I visited, even including Paris and Venice. I loved the quaint feel of the cobblestone streets and canals, the beautiful Vondelpark (right), the museums and outdoor sidewalk cafes. The city also has some fabulous night life, which is where I acquired a taste for the form of electronic dance music known as "trance", which I still have today. I spent the better part of a week in Mokum (as the locals call it) and didn't want to leave.

The coffeeshops and red light district had nothing to do with it, I swear.