Layers of Amsterdam

I have recurring dreams of Amsterdam, which makes sense as it's my second-favorite city in the world. More accurately, I have several dream-Amsterdams. Each of them contains something that doesn't exist in the real city, but a place from one dream can be a dream itself in another. That is, I'll have a dream where I'm in Amsterdam and think, "Oh, this is where that place I dream about would be if it were real."

My dream-places that do not exist in the real city include a fascinating arcade of little multinational shops and food stalls (I know about Albert Cuypmarkt, but this is indoors and different), a large university campus that resembles UNC-Chapel Hill more than it does the stealthy little University of Amsterdam, a section that looks a lot like downtown Athens, Georgia, a terrifying freeway, an evil parking garage, and several fictitious coffeeshops. I'm often trying to get to an actual coffeeshop, The Grey Area, which is seriously and for real one of the three best coffeeshops in the city. (Cool website, too.) It's usually unattainable. Last night I got as far as the statue of Multatuli in the plaza at Singel and Molsteeg -- almost there, dammit! -- but then something changed, or I woke up, or a cat walked over my face, or God knows what.

Writing this down, I see I've managed to incorporate big parts of the other two places I've lived, but very little if any of New Orleans. New Orleans is itself, and cannot be blended into any other city.