I've seen the future, and it's green....

....trams and bikes everywhere...bliss. Edinburgh can be too one day if we let it.

Anyway, politics aside, another super day in the Netherlands. The weather was distinctly stormy, but that meant we went for a trip around the Van Gogh Gallery followed by a nice long stroll along the western canals as the weather improved over lunchtime, and then into the city centre for some Sunday afternoon shopping.

Throughout my visit I've been struck by the lofty height of your average Amsterdammer; most men are over 6 foot. Prof J.W. Drukker at Groningen Uni has concluded that the Dutch have gone from one of the shortest European races to the tallest in 4 generations through the introduction of liberal democracy. Wealth and good diet has improved across all levels of society. As the average income went up, so did the height. The gap between the rich and poor in Netherlands has remained relatively narrow, and the country now has some of the best pre and postnatal care in the world.....mmmm.....maybe something else we can learn from our Dutch cousins.

The Netherlands is brilliant, but lacks something I love dearly and couldn't live without (no, not haggis)......mountains! Not a bloody dimple in sight, and man all that flatness would leave me feeling flat too. Super short break, but as always I'm glad to be home.

Adventure starts here.