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| Cookies from Delta, our new favorite airline |
When we flew here, we tried something new – Delta Comfort+.
For an extra fee, we got much more legroom, early boarding, and guaranteed bin
space. May not sound that impressive, but it really improved our travel
experience, so it was well worth it. Such a treat to sit way up front and be
able to stretch out our legs! BTW it took us only six hours to fly from JFK to
Amsterdam. The pilot said it was the fastest he’s ever done that route.
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| Monique gives Anne directions on a map of Amsterdam. |
We arrived at our houseboat in the very early hours, but our
lively host Monique was there to greet us at the waterfront. She is a real
sweetheart, and the houseboat is so interesting. What a treat to stay right on
the canal with ducks as our loudest neighbors.
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| Our houseboat home in Amsterdam |
After a shower, a little unpacking, and a nap, we set out to
explore this wonderful city. Anne is thrilled to be back in Europe. No matter
how many places we visit in the world, Europe will always be her favorite.
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| Stunning architecture with bicycles! (Bikes are a major form of transportation here in Amsterdam) |
The
architecture here is stunning, lots of Nordic-style red brick and the
distinctive Dutch houses with their steepled roofs. Plus, the charming canals
that crisscross the city!
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| Pretty expensive fine for failure to use the proper bathroom! |
Amsterdam is also known for its nightlife, and our houseboat
is on the edge of the Red Light District. Perfectly safe at any hour (so we are
told!), but we did see banners (with instructive graphics) strung across
streets warning of a new regulation: “Don’t pee in the street. 140€
fine.” Seems like they must have had a real pisser of a problem lol
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| Monument in the Dam Square |
The Dam
Our goal was to reach the Dam, the historic center of the
city of Amsterdam where a dam was first built on the Amstel River. This large
plaza has been the site of many historical events, including the tragic events
of May 7, 1945 when the Dutch people flocked to the square to celebrate the
German surrender and the end of WWII. Some angry, and possibly drunk, German
soldiers opened fire on the square with a machine gun, killing over 20 and
seriously wounding over 100. A monument
now stands in their honor, commemorating this horrific event.
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| Street performers blowing big bubbles for the crowd |
Today the square is filled with happy tourists and some
enterprising street performers who create giant soap bubbles, thrilling the
children as the colorful bubbles float above their heads and across the square. Of course, the kids jump high into the air
trying to break as many passing bubbles as they can. It was enchanting to watch, so we grabbed an
outdoor café table to take in the action. We ordered some excellent Holland
Bavarian beer and hot Dutch Pea Soup, a rich pea soup thick with ham. We also
ate an Amsterdam specialty called Bitterballen, fried golf-ball-sized balls
made from eggs, flour, and sirloin steak served with spicy mustard. A perfect
complement to the beer!
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| Inside our boudoir in the houseboat |
Rembrandtplein, Willet-Holthuysen Museum, and Begijnhof
We woke up to a gorgeous sunny day here on the houseboat.
Our wonderful hostess Monique leaves us fresh-squeezed orange juice every
morning along with enough cheese, meats, and treats to cover breakfast and a
light supper. She even gave us champagne and two bottles of Heineken!
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| Rembrandtplein with Rembrandt and his soldiers |
Today, we explored further into the city center, taking a
tram to Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt square). Not only is this lovely square lined with lively cafes
surrounding a statue of the great painter himself, but the area in front of his
statue is filled with sculptures of figures from his most famous painting “The
Night Watch.” Anne was in artsy heaven!
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| Formal garden at the Willet-Holthuysen Museum |
We strolled along the scenic Herengracht Canal to the
Willet-Holthuysen Museum for a glimpse of opulent life in an 19th c.
canal house. Beautiful five-story home with a formal garden and gorgeous rooms
filled with paintings. Anne’s favorite room was the tea room, a gazebo-like
second story room overlooking the garden. An idyllic place to read a book and
drink a cup of tea.
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| Sherpa Noodle Soup |
Always looking to tickle our taste buds with a new cuisine,
we ate lunch at Bhatti Pasal, an authentic Nepalese eatery. The Sherpa noodle
soup was fantastic, loaded with veggies and tender meats, and made us feel like
we could take on Mt. Everest!
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| Statue of a Beguine in Begijnhof |
Instead of mountain climbing, we continued on to the hidden
courtyard called the Begijnhof. Since the middle ages, this place was home to
the beguines who were similar to nuns but with more independence. It would have
been a tranquil hideaway if not for the mob of tourists.
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| Hidden Chapel in the Begijnhof |
However, it was still
fascinating, especially the hidden chapel where the Catholic women worshiped in
secret during the days when Amsterdam was vehemently protestant only. Single
women still live here, continuing the tradition.
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| Ding, ding, ding! It's the Cannabis Ice Cream Truck! |
Another Amsterdam tradition we haven’t talked about is
smoking weed. Lots of cafes advertising drinking and smoking, and the occasional
group of guys lighting up on the corner. But our favorite sight was the
Cannabis Ice Cream truck! Of course, Frank took a pic so you would know we
weren’t making this up!
We caught a tram back to the Central Station and hit a
supermarket for some supplies, like wine to carry-on our cruise ship, and ended
the day relaxing on the houseboat. Life is good here on the water!
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| Wall with plea for the starving people of Amsterdam |
WWII Resistance Museum
The memories of the second world war are never far from our
thoughts when we visit Europe, and here in Amsterdam that is exceptionally
true. Even the Willet-Holthuysen house we visited yesterday was used by the
Resistance to hide Jews from the Nazis. So fittingly, today we visited the WWII
Resistance Museum.
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| The Resistance hid guns even in baby carriages! |
This excellent museum gave us a glimpse of what it would
have been like living here during the Nazi occupation. Lots of terrific
exhibits of tricks used by the Resistance like a baby carriage with a hidden compartment
for a pistol and a watch with a teeny tiny scroll of paper with secret codes hidden
inside it. The central theme of the museum focused on what choice would you
have made: Adjust? Collaborate? Or resist?
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| Propaganda poster promising plenty of food if you come work in Germany |
One of the biggest decisions was whether to accept
deportation to “work camps” or hide. Statistics tell a clear story. Of the
107,000 who were deported, only 5,500 (less than 10% survived). 25,000 chose to
hide and 2/3 of them lived. Quite a testament to the good and clever Dutch
people.
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| Wine goes well with Turkish shoukshaka |
Monique, our houseboat hostess, had recommended a lunch spot
at the entrance to the Amsterdam Zoo. The de Plantage restaurant has an elegant
location inside a former greenhouse, very airy with views of part of the zoo’s
aviary. We ate Turkish shoukshaka, a mix of tomato sauce and peppers topped with an egg
and a choice of beans or sausage. Very tasty, especially with an Amstel beer on
draft.
That wraps up our time in Amsterdam. We’ve had so much fun
here, we have to remind ourselves that the main event is still to come.
Tomorrow we board the MS Rotterdam!
More pics:
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| Fabulous canals of Amsterdam |
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| Anne kisses up to one of Rembrandt's soldiers of The Night Watch |
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| Frank just loves these economical cars |
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| Frank alongside one of the canals |
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| On Rembrandtplein |
