Das Amsterdam is lekker

Lekker means alluring, attractive, enticing, nice, tasty or tempting in Dutch. Amsterdam is all of those things.

Amsterdam is also guzellik, a Dutch word that has no direct English translation. (You're pronouncing it wrong in your head. Use more throat.)

I've been there before. After graduating college I went on a trip to Ireland and Holland roundabout the time of the 2002 World Cup Finals. After some fantastic times in Belfast, Derry and Ballycastle, my friend Brad Miller and I went to Holland. We stayed with his former host family. His host father is the mayor of a town called Aalsmeer, which is just next to Amsterdam and home to the world's biggest flower auction. I wrecked Brad's host father's bike, which was a gift to him by his mother.

They really love bikes in Holland. There are more bikes than people. Really old, trashy bikes (so that no one steals yours -- but there are still so many bikes stolen that if someone steals yours you steal someone else's and then they probably end up stealing yours back).

The people of Holland are very kind and generous and tall. I was winked at several times when giving handshakes, so I think that may be a custom. We were also offered buttermilk and regular milk in several meetings, so Dutch people are a great source of calcium.

Overall, a great trip. Amsterdam sometimes gets a bad rep because of the legality of certain drugs and prostitution, but even the drug dealers and prostitutes are very polite. And tall.