Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

On my last day in Amsterdam, I traveled its miles of canals via water-taxi searching for an answer to the following question: "What lasting impression will this place have on me?" Was it the wonderous architecture that defines this gothic city, or could it be the VanGogh Museum with its collection of priceless art? Fine qualities of Amsterdam, yes, but not quite the definitive answer I had been searching for. As the taxi motored on and I peered through my camera's viewfinder, I snapped this photograph. The bright colors. The tree-lined canals that weave through the city like a serpent. The endless parade of boats competing for limited dock space. The throngs of bike riders navigating narrow city streets. The distinctive canal houses that sit like dominos ready to collapse. Finally, I had found my lasting impression of Amsterdam, captured on film and never to be forgotten.