Amsterdam, Netherlands (10/24&25/14)

Amsterdam, Netherlands

October 24 & 25,  2014

We arrived in Amsterdam and it was cold and rainy.  First stop the Tourist Office for maps and bus tickets. Then we decided to do the "Hop On-Hop Off" bus tour to check out the town. After the tour, we walked to the Flower Market, but because of the season there were not many flowers. Too cold.  They were mostly selling bulbs and seeds for next year. When flowers are in season, they ship flowers all over the world.mWould love to see the tulips. 

One note about Amsterdam, they have more bikes than people.  The bikers are so fast it is unbelievable. So factor in, buses, trams, bikes, motor cycles the rain, and traffic is absolutely crazy. I almost caused several accidents with me being the victim. More than once I had that frozen, scared deer look on my face. 

Then we checked out the "Red Light" district. It appears that the scene is a lot different from the last time Lee was here. Also, the coffee shops do not sell coffee, they sell marajuana? No Starbucks... If course. 

Tickets for Anne Franks House were sold out on line and the wait was two hours. It was still raining, so we decided to get up early and stand in line tomorrow. 

We were getting hungry and wanted some pasta. We found this great Italian restaurant where they make homemade noodles. The spaghetti was great and the salad even better. Also, they were making hot mint tea with real mint leaves and honey. Both fragrant and delicious. Must try this when I get home! Now we are full and happy. Time to head home for some much needed shut-eye!

We wake up early and have a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, then headed out to see Anne Franks House. We still had to wait one and a half hours, but no rain and the sun was shinning. It was well worth the wait! Wanted to buy a book, but no more room in my backpack. I downloaded the book so I could read again on the long train rides. Also, we were going to Austvich in the next day or two. This is were Anne and her family was taken when the Germans removed them from the home where they were hiding. 

Then we decided, we would take an earlier train and head to Brussels. We are getting good at logistics for traveling. For instance, we could not find an affordable hotel in Bruges, so we will just head to Brussels. Nice to have this freedom. Will try to catch Bruges later on a day trip.