Walking through Amsterdam

This morning I had a 30 minute walk through the city to get to some meetings at the University.  I was captivated by the cityscape and by the sights of the local people going about their morning business.  MANY people on their way to school or work on their bicycles.  It's not unusual to see a father or mother chugging away on a cargo bike with two small children in the front box seat and one older child riding on the back.  The parent pumping away while gabbing with the kids, on their way to child care or school. (I need to post a photo of this!) Of course this is a city of very old buildings, canals, and bridges, which makes it even more enchanting.  I found myself catching my breath at every turn, gawking at something I have never seen before.  An example:  As I walked around the city hall and Muziektheater (opera/ballet hall), I saw a huge ship/barge chugging up to one of the old drawbridges on the Amstel River.  I watched in amazement as the pilot maneuvered the ship through the narrow passage of the raised bridge and onward toward the city hall, where there was a fixed bridge across the river.  Where would this huge boat go now?  As he approached the fixed bridge, the pilot deftly slowed and hung a right turn into a smaller canal next to the music hall.  Whew!  Now you don't see anything like that when walking through Indianapolis!