We were in Amsterdam for a Conference and very much enjoyed getting away from the 'official hotel' to Joost's houseboat which was a short 15 minute walk away. We didn't meet Joost, but his son popped by to say hello and to see if we needed anything. We were extremely lucky with the weather as it was around 23 C (73 F) and sunny which meant we spent most of our downtime on the deck watching the world go by and waving to the boaters. You really feel as if you're part of the community. Even though there are bars on each side of the canal, it wasn't that noisy and the accommodation is quite cosy. It was a unique experience and we very much enjoyed it.