I attended the annual Celtic Christmas party a couple of days ago, and I got to catch up with several good friends. I ended up in a conversation with Hank, who said he'd like to visit Amsterdam sometime in the next year or two. I strongly advised him not to put the trip off, because Amsterdam is changing in ways great and small, and has been for several years now.

If you want a glimpse into the future of cities like Amsterdam check out recent posts and debates at Pajamas Media, especially this one, which was cleverly riposted here.

My advise on visiting Holland? Go ahead and visit Amsterdam for a day or two; it really is a pretty city. Then move on to places like Delft and Enkhuizen, where you'll get a real feel for Holland and Dutchness, whatever that means anymore...