I love the pre-dawn stillness of the basketball court on the Krugerplein. It's one of my favorite places in Amsterdam for solitude, reflection, and exercise.

Bus 37 bumbles past every five to ten minutes.

Little old Muslim men in long robes and tight skullcaps stroll along the edges of the court, chatting as they presumably return to their homes following morning prayers at the neighborhood mosque.

I run back and forth, from hoop to hoop, pushing myself to overcome an invisible foe. And when I pause to catch my breath and shoot free-throws, the calm of the Krugerplein Court is delicious.