The Netherlands May 2006

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Landing In Amsterdam

Links to our other travels:

Hawaii (Kauai) May 2025
Bahamas Cruise February 2024
Europe 2023
Alaska Cruise August 2023
Hawaii Maui May/June 2022
Europe 2021
Costa Rica January 2019
Boston Marathon & New York City April 2019
Romania & Bulgaria Sept. 2019
Copenhagen & Germany & Strasbourg France Nov./Dec. 2019./Dec. 2019
Hawaii (Maui & Oahu) July 2018
Germany, Austria, & Italy Oct. 2018
Germany, Italy, Switzerland May/June 2017
Christmas in Germany & Prague Nov. Dec 2017
UK & Germany May 2016
Germany, Austria, & Budapest Nov. Dec. 2016
Hawaii (Maui & Oahu) May 2015
Christmas in Germany Nov/Dec 2015 Along the Rhine River
Christmas in Germany Nov./Dec. 2014
Paris, Prague, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Munich, Oberammergau, Salzburg Nov. Dec. 2013
Italy, Germany & Austria April 2011
Hawaii (Kauai) October 2011
Germany, Vienna Austria & Switzerland Nov. 2011
Hawaii (Oahu & Maui) August 2010
Germany & Switzerland November 2010
Hawaii (Oahu & Kauai) September 2009
Spain March 2008
Singapore April 2008
Hawaii (Maui & Oahu) December 2008
Hawaii (Oahu & Kauai) June 2007
London November 2007
Beligum May 2006
France May 2006
Germany and Austria September 2006
Japan February 2005

Friday May 5, 2006
We arrived in Amsterdam at about 4:20 a.m. Seattle time it was around 11 a.m. here in Amsterdam. We checked into our hotel the Hilton Amsterdam. We were sooo tired but we knew we had to stay awake at least until a somewhat decent bed time. We walked over to the “Van Gough Museum” and the “Rijks Museum” there was a ton of people out in that area because there was a flea market going on. We cruised by that and headed to the Hard Rock Café for lunch over looking the canal

Our Hotel

Rijks Museum

Hard Rock Cafe'

Nice Taxi!!

After we ate we took a canal cruise. We were so tired by now we walked through “Vondel Park” on the way back to our hotel. Wow, what a mass of people most were young and hanging out drinking and making out! We went to bed at 7 p.m.

Street near our hotel

Saturday May 6, 2006

Woke up the first time at about 3 a.m. then went back to sleep until 8:30 a.m. we got up and headed back out. We walked down the street and picked up a tram ticket for all day. We walked around for a bit then went to McDonalds for breakfast. We walked over to “Dam square” which is the epicenter of Amsterdam. It’s the site of the original dam built across the “Amstel River” in the 13th century, hence the name! We saw in the square, the “National Monument”, a white column erected in 1956 as a tribute to Dutch citizens who died during the Nazi occupation during World War II. Also in the square is the “Nieuwe kerk” (Church). It was originally built in the 14th century as the city’s second Catholic Church.

We then went over to the “Oude Kerk” (Church) we went in and looked around. The world press photo’s are on tour and are in Amsterdam right now. This church is where Rembrandt’s wife is buried. We also saw the Royal Palace (“Koninklijk Paleis”.) This is still the official home of the reigning King and Queen of the Netherlands.

We walked across the street to the mall and went inside for a bit. We went over to the Red Light district. We also went back when it was darker. It’s pretty safe since most of the people are tourist. It is so unbelievable how the girls hang out inside their red lighted doorways and advertise! That and the Marijuana are all over the place. We saw plants in the windows of a few “Coffee shops” that were under hot lights and fans. We went into one T-shirt shop and quite a few souvenir shops and couldn’t believe the things written on some of the t-shirts. (There’s no way you’d see that in the US! REALLY) the sex shops, free sex and free drugs is truly a real thing here! Right out of the 60’s but not against the law! The city is really unique but very dirty there is trash ALL over the place and the canals are filthy. We actually saw a mother lean her little girl out the boat so she could pee in the water! It’s cool to be here to see the different things but a place you might want to see only once. When I think of Japan and what place is the polar opposite well, Amsterdam is it!

Coffee shop with Marijuana in the window

Just one of the very blunt signs!

We walked around another flea Market and got some drinks and fries. We walked over to “Anne Frank’s huis” (house) and took the tour there. The line was pretty long but it only took us only about 20 minutes. The house was the typical Amsterdam canal house that 13 year old Anne Frank kept her famous diary. For two years the family hid out in this house during World War II in near-silence in the rooms, before Nazi forces raided the house and deported the family to concentration camps. It was a beautiful day these last two days in the 70’s and sunny. We then walked over to the Jordaan area which is the most elegant neighborhood in all of Amsterdam. The canals are lined with houseboats and the streets are filled with boutiques and café’s.

Main street in Amsterdam

We walked for quite awhile then hit another flea market and finally sat at a café and ate lunch and rested. We walked down the “Brouwersgracht canal”. We ate dinner at the “Die Port Van Cleve” restaurant. It was pretty good. Mike’s steak was really good. I only had a Caesar salad which didn’t taste like there was any dressing on it let alone Caesar. We caught the tram back to our hotel and took showers and rested. We are going to get up somewhat early to rent our car to head out to Belgium in the morning.

Cafe' where we ate lunch

Across the street from the cafe'

Canal across from cafe'

Street in Amsterdam

Sunday May 7, 2006
We walked through “Vondel Park” to “Europcar” to pick up our rental. We got a Volvo S40 wagon. It’s a pretty nice car. We hooked up our GPS to make our way to Belgium. We are going to Brussels and Brugge. Brussels is the new capital of Europe and Brugge is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval cities.

We stopped on our way to Belgium at a huge flower garden, “Keukenfoh Gardens.” If you are going to be in Holland you have to see the tulips! We ate lunch there and walked all through the gardens it was beautiful! We drove past a ton of flower farms and took some pictures of all the tulips.

Our rental car

We continued our trip to Belgium after we left the Netherlands

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