As
soon as you leave Centraal Station and start walking toward the city,
you see the spires of a wonderful old church. St. Nicholaaskerk was
built in honor of the patron saint of sailors.
Walking down the Damrak (main street) toward where the original Amstel Dam was built, you pass large touristy areas that lead onto Dam Square, the center of town. Dam Square is a large plaza surrounded by the Koninklijk Palace (royal palace, below, left), the Nieuwe Kerk (now a museum and culture center, photo left), large grand old buildings (including the old stock exchange and, ugh, Madame Tussaud's), and the National Monument .
Above, the Koninklijk Palace
Right, Tom watching actors in Dam Square
Amsterdam is a city that is great for walking. However, if the watch-word for London is "Look right," for Amsterdam it's "Look out for bikes." People bike with force in Amsterdam. I was surprised by the lack of cars; that made sense given the narrow roads and small bridges over canals. But bicyclists more than make up for the missing traffic jams. This bike lot was the ground floor of a multi-story parking lot by the train station, strictly for bikes.
Just south of Dam Square is the very enjoyable Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum). It provided a view of Amsterdam's history up through the travails of the 20th Century. Don't forget to visit the Bejinhof (almshouses with stupendous gardens) nearby.