Amsterdam

We arrived in Amsterdam this morning, May 20th and the sun is shining and the weather is warm but a shower is in the forecast.

It was an easy disembarkation with no customs or immigration inspection, ah Europe and its open borders. A brief taxi to our hotel and we are in the heart of Amsterdam and many of the attractions are an easy walk. Not so easy is the climb to our hotel. Egads it is 37 steep and narrow steps to the reception desk and another 19 to our room which is adequate in size. The bed is comfortable, the shower roomy and the inclusive breakfast more than satisfying. We are greeted by the two resident kitty cats who have free roam of the place except during breakfast when they get locked away for health code reasons.

The stairs will be troublesome but the staff is more than helpful and carried our luggage, all six bags for us up the stairs and to our room. We were early for check in & left the hotel and headed for the canal boat excursions. I know, we just spent 2 weeks on a ship and 8 of those days at sea without seeing land and the first thing we do when we get off is get on another boat! Crazy but it is a good way to get an overview of this small but important city in the Netherlands.

So, for the next hour we wandered slowly through Amsterdam and the tour guide gave us an interesting talk on the sights and history of the city and we escaped the rain shower while inside the glass covered boat. Lunch was a shared sandwich at a canal side restaurant & a short walk to Westerkerk Church. A non-denominational yet Protestant house of worship (there are not many in Amsterdam) with ornate gold chandeliers and devotional candelabra but no altar. A beautiful organ with recorded play filled the building when we entered.

We returned to our room for a much-needed nap and to unpack and settle in before exploring later in the evening. Refreshed and ready to go we headed for the infamous "Red Light" district and The Old Church. Unfortunately, the church closed about 30 minutes before we arrived after a healthy 1.5 mile walk from the hotel. It was early, around 7 pm and many of the "ladies" had not yet arrived for work but there were a few and Laurie got a kick out of waving at them and their boldness. Most were dressed in what would be considered modest beach wear for some of the US or Caribbean beaches. The erotic shops catered to all types and tastes but the true entertainment were the people walking the streets.

It was Saturday night and the party was in full swing. Rolling beer kegs mounted on wagons powered by a dozen drunken young men and or women singing and hollering up and down the streets vied with the bikes, cars and trams and pedestrians for room on the streets. Roving wedding bachelor and bachelorette parties in the oddest of costumes, full drag to diapers and Tiaras sloshed their way around the district and into and out of various drinking establishments. The heady aroma of marijuana was everywhere since it is legal and sold in coffee houses on every block. It was more fun than NYE in Penn Station in the 80's!

We opted for Argentinian steak burgers at one of many restaurants situated all in one area on the edge of the District. We strolled back through a bustling Dam Square and a gelato to make up for the exercise. A long day was followed by a very restful night after the difficult climb up 56 steps to our room.

It's Sunday morning and we are running a bit slower today. A leisurely breakfast and then off to the museum district by tram and a huge outdoor craft fair surrounding a pond with some odd sculptures. A slow walk past the vendors and then a lite lunch al fresco before tackling the Van Gogh Museum. Amazing works by him and other artists. A huge collection of self-portraits and use of blue and yellow and on the verge of Impressionism. Four immense floors of art. We took the tram back after the visit since we couldn't also try and see the Rjksmuseum and the Dutch Masters as well. Dinner in a small restaurant of good Spaghetti Bolognese and a stop at a pastry shop for chocolate eclairs. A long climb up our stairs. Our feet are tired!

It's Monday morning and we are up early for a scheduled 10:15 am visit & tour of the Anne Franke house. They have done a great job in keeping as much of the original layout as possible while still providing access for the visitors. Lots of interactive multimedia. It is sad that this event had to happen and yet it was interesting to learn how creative the friends were in developing the various hiding techniques. A must see if you visit Amsterdam.

We moved on to the site of the Old Jewish Market which was a large area of stalls used mainly by the Jewish population to buy and sell fresh foods and clothing and other essentials before the war and before German occupation. It obviously fell in to disrepair and was resurrected in the 50-60's by the "Hippie" generation and now is a thriving flea market for used clothing, memorabilia, old coins and used German military uniforms. How ironic!

An Al Fresco lunch and then a visit to the Rembrandt house. A large home he purchased when his career was at its height and then caused him to go bankrupt due to the high costs associated with such a large home. Most, if not all of his belongings were sold off at auction but the meticulous Dutch keep records and with the detailed descriptions of his belongings, they have been able to recreate the home close to what it was like when he owned it.

The studios where he taught students are amazing and spacious and many of his art work is still there. An interesting and informative (especially for Laurie) demonstration on the history of making the various oil paint colors was fascinating. Another not to be missed attraction.

After our Tram ride back to the hotel, an early dinner and then another treat of Dutch pastry before heading up the stairs and a well-earned nights rest.

We had a slow start this morning and needed to get some laundry attended to as well as some packing as we leave somewhat early tomorrow. Off to the Rjksmuseum for an extraordinary collection of work by Rembrandt as well as Vermeer and other Dutch Masters. The Night Watch and the Jewish Bride (made more interesting after our lecture on colors yesterday) & dozens of fabulous works. Recently renovated, the museum does a great job of presenting the works in areas large enough to avoid crowding. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the Cafe before our "roaming" and were some of the last visitors to leave.

Alas, we were in rush hour crowds on the Trams heading home but I’ve ridden the NYC subways! A recommended Guide book restaurant turned out to be a disappointment. It was listed as Italian but was very modern with a small plate menu and mainly raw foods. The Filet was, in reality, raw beef slices. The oysters were only served raw. The short ribs were cooked but the veal tips were only partially cooked. A stop at a local pastry shop eased the pain! An unexpected disappointment from Frommers which is usually spot-on with its suggestions.

We were back in our hotel early to complete the packing process and a good night’s rest before flying off to Florence in the morning. We have really seen the major highlights of Amsterdam and it is doubtful that we will return for any extended time. At our ages, there are too many other places to see first before repeating a location. A sad reality.