The Red Light District and Harbor

For our first weekend, Apartment Mokum in the Jordaan had already been rented, so Kitty put us up in another apartment, Studio Acterhuis. It was right on the edge of the Red Light District, next door to Cannabis College and the Marijuana Museum (left picture, by yellow truck)!

During the weekend, we were quite amazed at what a tourist draw the Red Light District was—the busloads of gray-haired ladies and gents coming out of live sex shows...and the number of men who just stood, mouths opened, staring in the windows along the streets.

All roads may lead to Rome in the rest of Europe, but in Amsterdam, all roads lead back to the Red Light District. It was only two blocks from the Royal Palace, and was surrounded by nice areas, university areas, and Amsterdam's very enjoyable China Town.

A short walk away were some of the most fun areas of Amsterdam. Walking down Jodenbreestraat, past the Rembrandt House (above left) and Moses en Aaron Kerk (above, right), we visited the Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. It has large modern greenhouses (with various ecosystems and some very old rare plants) as well as a grand old palm house, butterfly house, orchid house, and lovely outside grounds. (If you like coffee, this is where it began, so to speak....)

A short walk away was the Natura Artis Magistra, or zoo, with a nice combination of very old (outdoor bird aviary) and very modern (African savannah) displays. The birds in the zoo were spectacular (especially the ibises).

From the zoo, it was a brief walk to the shipyard areas. We first visited the docks around the NEMO (science and technology museum), with a collection of antique but still functioning working boats (such as herring fishers).

Then we went to the
Scheepvaart Museum.