Exploration at Dawn

Mornings in Amsterdam are incredibly peaceful. In Seattle, walking within the downtown core and residential streets at 6am is something that I truly enjoy. The quietude of a sleeping city- and the impending wakefulness; the feeling of walking between lives unobserved. In Amsterdam, the sense of treading calmly before the storm of alarm clocks and tedium does not exist. Commuters rush with purpose, yet appear relaxed and peaceful. And on those quiet streets the sun slowly ascends, creating shadows and warmth. Bakeries open their doors, small groups wait cheerfully outside of shops, old men sit smoking on benches facing the canals. 

From the ferry, I explored the western neighborhood - walking south. Middag, I returned to the central streets and discovered the bulb market: an entire canal-side market of greenhouses. (Mother, what would you like?)

Thereafter, I discovered a host of bookshops with charming architecture. 

Finding myself in the residential areas of the central canals, I decided to walk to the oulde kerk for lunch.