Americans have a genuine affection for Holland. We like to study her history, we sympathize with her struggle for independence, and we compare her national hero — the great Stadthouder William the First of Orange — with our own hero, George Washington.
There are two distinct faces to Amsterdam: one, the quiet graceful old town of endless canals, narrow houses and tiny winding streets; the other, the harsh reality of twentieth-century capitalist consumerism: fast food, fast sex, loud music and drug pushing. The two sides live incongruously together and have made Amsterdammers famed for their tolerance of different standards and others’ opinions. There are so many things to experience in this city that it is pretty well essential to see it during any comprehensive European tour. The best time to visit Amsterdam is early June, for the Festival of Fools; you can also buy bulbs and herrings.
