alking through Amsterdam is easy. The main portion of the city is small and almost all of the interesting sites are an easy walk away. Also it is a good way to stay awake.

But Amsterdam is also about canals. So we figure the best thing to do is start with a canal tour. We walk up to the main canal near the train station. There we find several tour boats. All appear pretty much the same, so we buy tickets and settle in for our first exploration.

The tour has a running comment played on a tape in German, French and English. The tour guide breaks in from time to time to add highlights and humor. The tour provided a good familiarization with the city and a helpful guide for the rest of our day. The only problem is it is warm on the boat and our lack of sleep sends us into fits of drowsiness.

Bicycles, bicycles! After we leave the tour we start walking. The weather is brisk with some occasional rain. Bicycles are everywhere. Are you used to stepping into the street after looking for traffic? Don't do it in Amsterdam without looking both ways. The bicycles are silent and pay no heed to the direction of automobile traffic. I almost collided with several.

The AMSTERDAM

Pictured to the right
is the Rembrandt House.

Lunch is in a small cafe. Everybody smokes. We grab a place near the door where the cold draft from the frequent opening and closing bring in some fresh air.

After lunch we just wander. There is much to see. The houses are interesting and show the effect of building on poor foundations. Most are tilted one way or another from centuries of settling. (Yes, the building in the picture to the left is really leaning. It is not a camera angle.)

Doris is anxious to visit the Anne Frank House as she has read Ann Frank's Diary and has always had a keen interest in the events surrounding the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam.

In the photo to the right is the Anne Frank House. There was a significant queue from the door set in the glass wall up to and around the corner. It took about 15 minutes to work our way to the entrance. Then Jerry went to coffee house with the red and white awning while Doris did the museum tour. I met a Scottish dairy farmer in the coffee shop and we chatted why his wife went through the museum. Doris returned from the experience visibly moved. Everyone should visit this museum.

There are many sites to see. We wandered all about the city and tried to get some grasp of the flavor. We were disappointed in the lack of flowers. The Flower Market was just across the canal from our hotel and only about a block long. That was all we saw in this country famous for its flowers.

We stopped in a liquor store. It had a good selection and good prices compared to Washington State. Our souvenir purchase was a bottle of Ould Jenever. It tastes nothing like gin and is drunk ice cold as a late afternoon aperitif. See more about jenever.

By this time we have wandered through the red light district and all over town. It is nearing 6 PM and we are hungry. We search for several restaurants we have read about but can't find them. A couple are out of business. So, back to the liquor store for advice. It was a smart move and Doris' idea. They refer us to a nice neighborhood cafe and we have a great dinner at a reasonable price among the locals. (La Strada Culinair, Nieuwe Zijds Voorburgwal 93, Tel. +31 20 625 02 76-- two three-course dinners, two ould jenever and wine for €32.80.)

After dinner we wander back to the hotel and manage to stay awake until about 10 PM. We leave for France in the early AM.

Seedy Amsterdam.

<-Back | Next ->
Previous Page | Home