Well, if day one in Amsterdam was something of a bust, day two certainly made up for it. Sunny skies and pleasant temperatures made today a perfect day for an outing, and we took full advantage, both on foot and by canal boat.
We began with the canal boat tour, and it was great. If it’s your first time in Amsterdam I would strongly recommend that you do this as early in your stay as possible. You’ll see plenty of classic Dutch architecture and many of the city highlights you may want to visit later, plus get a really good feel for how the city is laid out. Whether it’s the Science Museum, St. Nicholas Church, or the Anne Frank House, you’ll see them and know where to find them after a canal tour. Plus, the canals are pretty and the tour is fun. Check out my photos and you’ll see what I mean.
After the canal boat tour we walked back to Damrak Street, which I’d call one of the city’s main shopping streets, where we split up. Michele wanted to visit the Rijks Museum to see its many great works of art, while I preferred to walk around town and see the sights, and we both had a good time.
I always try to sample whatever food or drink is identified with the city or country we’re visiting, and in the Netherlands it was their iconic stroopwafel. A stroopwafel is basically two flat, very thin waffles with a rich caramel syrup inside to hold them together like a sandwich. Stroopwafels can come in any size, and for an extra euro or two you can add almost anything, from Nutella to chocolate to strawberries or even M&Ms, depending on the shop you visit.
I went into a shop called Strooperie, “voted no. 1” by somebody, according to the sign on the window, and it turned out to be a good choice. For seven euros ($7.76 US) I ordered a basic stroopwafel and watched as my waffles were freshly made and the warm, sticky caramel syrup was added. The stroopwafel was then slid into a paper pouch, giving me a way to hold it while I ate it, and it was fabulous. If I had to pick between the waffle I had in Belgium and the stroopwafel I had in the Netherlands, I think I’d go with the Belgian waffle, but it’s a really close call.
After more sightseeing and some shopping I hiked back to the ship, slightly footsore but well pleased with my day in Amsterdam. Michele rolled in a couple hours later, and was equally happy with her visit to the museum, so a great day all around.
We cast off a little before 4:30 and made our way back down the canal to the North Sea, this time with no interference from environmental radicals. I guess they were just happy to see us go. Tomorrow and Wednesday are sea days, and Thursday will find us all the way north and west to Iceland.
We’re now on the final leg of our nine month journey, with barely three weeks left before we return to our starting port of Miami. Between now and then we’ll stop in Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, New York City, Bermuda, and finally Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas), where a big farewell party is planned. Of course all of that is dependent on the weather, as we’re now well into hurricane season. However it goes I’ll continue to post these reports, so stay tuned.
The science museum is designed to look like a ship.
Gorgeous reproduction of an old galleon used by the Dutch East India Company.
You will see a lot of wonderful old buildings on a canal tour.
No idea what this building is.
St. Nicholas Church.
The peaks of Dutch buildings are unique.
One of my favorite photos.
Another pretty view from the canal boat.
Even the bridges are interesting.
The Anne Frank House.
Amsterdam has to be the bicycling capital of Europe. There are bicycle garages here that hold thousands of bikes.
Some of the buildings have exterior decorations. I’m sure this had significance back in the day. Note all the bikes.
The canals are very busy.
You can’t really tell from this photo, but there are something like six identical bridges in a row crossing this canal.
Another pretty view.
This tower goes back to 1616.
Our tour boat looked a lot like these.
There are three rings of canals around the city, with smaller canals connecting them. It’s all very logical. Amsterdam really is the Venice of the North.
This is the Central Train Station, something of a landmark. If you see it you know where you are and how to get to wherever you’re going.
The Royal Palace.
The Nieuwe Kerk is a 15th century church adjacent to the Royal Palace.
Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum is nearby.
As is the War Memorial.
I was still a couple blocks from the red light district (this is as close as I got), when I came across a place to get nude hamburgers next to a weed “museum.” Amsterdam does have something of a reputation.
I tried them on, but decided that Dutch clogs just aren’t my style.
But this on the other hand…
An authentic stroopwafel, made while I waited. It was fantastic.
We had a great day in Amsterdam.
Come and visit Amsterdam. It’s one of a kind.
Sailing in and out takes about three hours from the lock, which is out near the North Sea. I took this photo as we were sailing away from the city, making our way to the lock.
Another shot as we sailed away. Interesting building.
And one final shot. Now it’s on to Iceland.
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