Seen in Amsterdam

One of the great pleasures of traveling alone is no one to distract you.

Instead of chatting with a travel companion while strolling the streets or sitting in a cafe, the focus shifts to observation. I was reminded of this recently during a winter trip to Amsterdam, when I found myself with two, cold, January days to fill however I pleased. I walked a lot. Drank too much coffee. Read newspapers from cover to final page. And opened my eyes. I watched how people interacted, what they did, where they went, what they ate. The result was a firm impression of local daily life.

These are things I saw in Amsterdam.

A mother riding a bike with a baby in front and a toddler in the back — wearing heels.

A couple riding bikes along a quiet canal at the same pace, and holding hands.

The canals almost frozen solid, almost ready for ice skaters.

Unplowed streets where people simply stomped down a couple inches of fluffy snow.

Cafes with tables full of newspapers and magazines — not a person fiddling with a device in sight.

Locals taking off their gloves to eat a hot bag of french fries.

Lone man at a bar with a small glass of jenever and a book.

People eating cheese for breakfast.

A grandmother feeding a toddler tiny bites of steaming croquette.

A couple having breakfast, comfortable enough to eat quietly while reading the paper.

Students stopping for a quick, cheap bite of stroopwafel, or two thin waffles stuffed with a cinnamon syrup.