It’s time for some serious catch up on the blog entries as September and the first part of October were filled with great adventures. Look for several entries in the next few days that cover parts of Germany, the Netherlands, and finally Norway. We'll begin with the Netherlands, and more specifically, Amsterdam. We hosted our good friends from the states in early September and instead of the conventional "we'll meet pick you up at the airport", we opted instead for "we'll meet you in Amsterdam".
I have to admit the architecture throughout the city was fun to look at. There were the traditional crowded “pedestrian only” streets……
Lost in Amsterdam and not really concerned.......
While walking around we found this really neat store completely dedicated to soccer. Inside were several different team jerseys, an assortment of soccer balls made of different materials (including animal skin with the fur still attached), and of course, a place where you can pray for your favorite team or players.
Amsterdam can be a great location for a party as well….as can be seen by this bachelor party in progress.
Taking a boat tour is almost a must when you visit Amsterdam. It is a great way to see most of the city while at the same time marveling at how the captains navigate these huge boats through the narrow channels. Example A......
With a very large rain cloud fast approaching, we hoped on the first tour boat we could find that offered a glass cover to protect us from the rain. Our timing was perfect as a MASSIVE rain storm let loose a bucket or two of rain. The views during the tour were great and we ventured through some of the most narrow channels I have ever seen. More than once I thought our boat was too big to fit....but somehow the captain navigated through without touching the sides. Sorry for the lack of pictures......the rain-covered windows were not ideal to take pictures through. One shot did turn out though......
With the boat tour finished, we set out to explore more of the city. I can see the attraction for the millions of visitors each year. The city offers a variety of things to do and see and caters to almost anything you can think of doing. If we were to go again, I would love to rent a bike and spend a day "getting lost" and riding further out to the edges of the city.....preferably on a non-rain filled day.
The next morning we set out for the return trip back to Germany where the plan included a few days filled with seeing the local sights before we headed out on the Big Adventure. Stay tuned……
Getting to Amsterdam is an easy task from our place: a simple 45 minute drive up the Autobahn to the southern border of the Netherlands and you can catch a non-stop train from Maastricht all the way to Amsterdam airport. Unfortunately the adventures began pretty early during our non-stop train ride. About half-way there there was an announcement over the intercom and when we arrived at the next station everyone departed the train. What was the announcement? Not a clue…..I speak less Dutch than I do French….. So there we are, walking around the platform looking for information and more importantly, a ride to the airport to meet our friends. With no cell phones a change in plans can become very “interesting”. I’m happy to say it all worked out and we met our friends....we found someone who spoke a version of English and jumped on the next train heading to the airport.
After heading out to the hotel in Haarlem and dropping off the bags, we caught the short train ride to Amsterdam Central. Our first sight out of the station confirmed this city was crazy committed to bicycles. Wow…..they were everywhere.
Amsterdam is well known for several reasons. It is the largest city and capital of the Netherlands and is also a city filled with waterways and canals……making travel by bicycle a lot more convenient than by car. The several canals were originally built for transport and defense purposes (along with water management) during the development of the city. The thought was to create four concentric half-circles of canals with their ends emerging in one bay. So when you walk around the city you will notice how each block and canal are spaced out evenly….making it very easy to get around (and lost).
As you walk around Amsterdam you see boats everywhere. Some are showing off the sights to tourists, others are taking goods to or from a business, and others moor there permanently and serve as homes.
I have to admit the architecture throughout the city was fun to look at. There were the traditional crowded “pedestrian only” streets……
….but the buildings that were “leaning” were quite something and simply fun to look at.
Of course when you find yourself in Amsterdam you should visit the Anne Frank house and museum.
In the distance is the bell tower that Anne refers to in her book.
Lost in Amsterdam and not really concerned.......
While walking around we found this really neat store completely dedicated to soccer. Inside were several different team jerseys, an assortment of soccer balls made of different materials (including animal skin with the fur still attached), and of course, a place where you can pray for your favorite team or players.
One of the highlights for our stay in Amsterdam was the visit to the Van Gogh museum. Honestly it was a tough choice to visit this museum over the Rijksmuseum that holds a good amount of work from Rembrandt. I wish we had more time to visit both…… No matter, walking around the streets of Amsterdam and taking in the sights and enjoying the culture was well worth missing out on the Rijksmuseum.
More random pictures from walking around……
Taking a boat tour is almost a must when you visit Amsterdam. It is a great way to see most of the city while at the same time marveling at how the captains navigate these huge boats through the narrow channels. Example A......
With a very large rain cloud fast approaching, we hoped on the first tour boat we could find that offered a glass cover to protect us from the rain. Our timing was perfect as a MASSIVE rain storm let loose a bucket or two of rain. The views during the tour were great and we ventured through some of the most narrow channels I have ever seen. More than once I thought our boat was too big to fit....but somehow the captain navigated through without touching the sides. Sorry for the lack of pictures......the rain-covered windows were not ideal to take pictures through. One shot did turn out though......
With the boat tour finished, we set out to explore more of the city. I can see the attraction for the millions of visitors each year. The city offers a variety of things to do and see and caters to almost anything you can think of doing. If we were to go again, I would love to rent a bike and spend a day "getting lost" and riding further out to the edges of the city.....preferably on a non-rain filled day.
Our final stop was the Old Sailor bar made famous by Zane Lamprey in 2009. The place is located right on the edge of the famous Red Light district and offered some great people watching from the street-side tables. No mother....we did not walk through the Red Light district.......
The next morning we set out for the return trip back to Germany where the plan included a few days filled with seeing the local sights before we headed out on the Big Adventure. Stay tuned……
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