Back in March, I travelled to the Dutch city of Amsterdam to witness the christening of Viking River Cruises’ brand-new Viking Longships. And while my schedule was fairly intensive during this short two-day trip to Europe, I still managed to find time to spend an enjoyable Wednesday morning exploring this beautiful, forward-thinking city.

Amsterdam is home to many things, including the impressive Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank’s house, and more beautiful canals and stone buildings than you can shake a stick at. Amsterdam is also famous for its tolerant way of life, with a “red light” district that spans several blocks. Rather than being the seedy den of debauchery that most North Americans might perceive it to be, Amsterdam’s red light district is a vibrant area that attracts both tourists and locals alike, and simply has to be seen.

Although I was there on official river cruise business, Amsterdam is also an increasingly popular port of call and turnaround port for deep-ocean cruise ships. A look at the Port of Amsterdam’s cruise ship schedule for this year shows things are looking very good indeed for the capital of the Netherlands.

Here is a look at how I spent a glorious springtime Wednesday Morning in Amsterdam; we’re headed back there in December for another short stay before continuing on to Budapest and the magnificent Danube.

If only every Wednesday could be spent this way!