Amsterdam is a city synonymous with bicycles.

There are about 800,000 people who live here — and there are an estimated 880,000 bicycles, four times the number of cars. One-third of all trips taken within the city — you can walk, drive, catch the bus or tram — are taken via bicycle.

To call this place a bike-friendly place would be a gross understatement.

Everyone, it seems, rides a bike. You actually have to dodge them if you bravely decide to walk the streets along the canals. There are gray-haired women, long-legged fräulein in high heels, men in suits, teens in cut-off jeans — all riding around the city atop bicycles outfitted with three important things: lights (you can get a ticket for not turning on your lights at night), baskets or saddlebags to carry around groceries, and heavy chain locks (theft here is ridiculously common).

So since I’m in the City of Bicycles, I had to get on board, too.

When in Amsterdam, bike.

Here’s what my first full day in this bustling metropolitan looked like:

Walking the dogs

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This is a very dog-friendly city. You can take your dogs pretty much anywhere, including most restaurants and on public transpiration.