It was a rough year at work, and not having a summer trip planned was quite literally killing me. When I started looking for last-minute trips, my mother chimed in "You know, I'm retired now. I could go away!" We hadn't done a trip just the two of us in a long time, so it seemed kismet. We toyed with ideas of cruises or Sweden for a while before finally deciding to go somewhere neither of us had been- Amsterdam. What a great choice!
Everyone's first reaction to Amsterdam is usually pot and prostitution, but people, I was there with my mom. We did not imbibe. Our jaunt through the red-light district was brief and awkward. However the rest of the time in the city was simply lovely. What a bad reputation this place has!
We stayed at the Hotel Pulitzer, made of a series of old canal houses. Our room was small without much of a view, but the location couldn't be beat. We were only a block from the Anne Frank House on a beautiful canal. I never realized Amsterdam was so similar to Venice.
We filled our week with typical touristy things: art museums, canal boat tours, and day trips. One day we doubled-up, visiting the windmills and a wooden shoe factory in the morning and then Delft and the Hague in the afternoon. It was a long day with temperamental weather. The other day we crossed the border into Belgium to visit Bruges, because I wanted to see Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. It's now checked off my "see every Michelangelo" bucket list. I loved Bruges- the food! The medieval city feel! It was such a lovely day. 
Back in Amsterdam, we found that the central palace lacked any charm, and was quite dirty. We much preferred the quiet canal neighborhoods to the bustle of the city center, and spent many hours wandering between shops and cafes.
For a summer that didn't have a trip, Amsterdam turned into the perfect getaway. The short direct flight made it easy to get there, and having one hotel to use as a hub made it much calmer than most of my travels. By the time I headed home, I was ready to relax for the rest of the summer and gear up for the new school year.
