Travels

We have enjoyed our three first days in Amsterdam, one to go before we board the National Geographic Explorer and sail to the Baltic.  We arrived on a gray, drizzly, Wednesday morning and went for a long, three hour walk after checking into our hotel.  The hotel is situated in an ideal location in central Amsterdam and is in an historic building.  Our room is large and airy with huge, wood encased windows overlooking a canal (of course, everything in Amsterdam overlooks a canal).  After our initial foray we returned to the hotel for coffee and tea to warm up.  The coffee progressed to wine and beer and before you know it, it was time for a nap.  We awoke to clear blue skies and bright sunshine about 6:00 pm.  A cold breeze blowing in from the canal was floating the curtains and we decided to continue our exploration of the neighborhood on foot.  Amsterdam is a beautiful city and a great walking city but, beware, bicycles rule.  Cyclist are the top of the food chain on the Dutch streets and everyone and everything yields to them.  We saw two collisions our first day between cyclist and tourists.  For the most part, the Dutch are polite, sweet people until they mount a bicycle.  They are fearless and do not back down or yield to buses, trucks, cars, and least of all, hapless tourists. We walked for several hours before choosing a small cafe for dinner.  The sun doesn't set until well after 9:30 so we had plenty of time to wander and explore.

We slept in and woke to gray overcast skies dripping thin rain.  Our plan was to learn the train and bus system and make our way to Kuekenhof Garden.  Based on our experience from the day before, we were experts on the May weather patterns for Amsterdam and the surrounding areas - gray and drizzly in the morning with bright sunshine in the afternoon.  With this in mind, we set off for the train station in 45 degree drizzle.  An hour later, we arrived at the gardens in 48 degree rain.  Our first souvenir - rain ponchos from the gift shop.  The gardens are spectacular even in a cold rain.

We returned to Amsterdam in a strong rain, dodging trams and, more importantly, the kamikaze cyclist as we dashed several blocks from the train station to the warm, dry comfort of our hotel bar.  The third day started out as the second day ended but colder.  Rain with a strong cold breeze.  We had learned our lesson and unpacked rain gear before leaving for a day touring the city on foot.  We walked for miles and hours and had a great time.  We stood in line to see the canal house where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis, the Nieuwe Kerk where all the Dutch Kings and Queens have been inaugurated (the last only three weeks ago), and finally to the Van Gogh museum.  It rained all day but this time we were prepared.  We walked close to ten miles along winding canals and brick paved streets.  At times the streets narrowed down to little more than sidewalks and then, surprisingly, open into large squares teeming with people and street performers.

Tomorrow we hope to visit the Rijks museum take a canal tour - the forecast is partly cloudy but we will have our rain gear handy.  The next post will be from aboard the National Geographic Explorer.  We depart Amsterdam for the Baltic tomorrow evening.