Amsterdam

So I'm finally getting around to posting Amsterdam.  I've been catching up on much needed sleep and have just been busy in general!  My friends and I had gone out the night before my birthday scavenger hunt, then we spent all of Saturday walking all around the city in the heat.  I was thinking I would be so tired I would effortlessly sleep on the night bus to Amsterdam.  Turns out, I was certainly mistaken.  I forgot how uncomfortable a bus can be, even though there was only about 6 of us on the bus so we were able to spread out.  We made a stop in Brussels around 3 am, and I raced to the back of the bus to get the random 3 seats together.  Somehow, I figured out a way to curl my body so that I could sleep an hour...maybe two.  It goes without saying that our day in Amsterdam was spent full of yawns and sleepy eyes!  

The weather wasn't that great either, which we were expecting, and since we are pros of rainy cold weather living in Paris...it wasn't much of a surprise.  We arrived in Amsterdam around 6 am?...I believe.  It was so early that the tram wasn't working and we had to hail a lone taxi from across the road to take us to Amsterdam Central train station.  Once at Central station we brushed our teeth, tried to look presentable for the day, and headed out to explore.  We popped in the first café that was open for a couple of coffees and some tea.  It wasn't the fanciest joint, and an early morning infomercial for a floor steamer was blaring on the television above us.  We left around 8:30, in hopes of making it to the Rijksmuseum by its opening time, 9.  We were one of the first ones there....and I'll tell you, an empty museum makes for a very enjoyable experience.  The Rijksmuseum is a history museum, filled with arts, crafts, and paintings from all centuries of Holland's history.  The museum is under a massive reconstruction, scheduled to be finished in 2013 and currently only 400 of the 1,000,000 pieces are on display.  Included are a couple of Van Gogh's, china pieces, Rembrandt's famous The Night Watch, and a couple of Andy Warhol paintings.  

Heineken Museum/Brewery

Rijksmuseum

Queen Beatrix by Andy Warhol

Doesn't look too happy, does he? 

Rembrandt's The Night Watch

Just a hop, skip, and a jump away was the famous "I Amsterdam" sign, which of course we couldn't pass without a few cheeky photos.  A little further on was the Van Gogh museum, which Isabel wasn't interested in seeing but I wasn't leaving Amsterdam without seeing!  At 14 euros a pop, she sat this one out and I wandered around the giant museum looking for paintings I recognized.  He painted more paintings of the streets of Paris/Montmartre than I realized.  Since spending time in the south of France I recognized all of his paintings from Arles and Saint-Remy.  Even if they were just a field of olive trees....I can transport back and picture it exactly in my mind as they sit in the vast fields below the mountains in Provence...ripe and practically dripping with round, juicy olives.  

Sunflowers

La Chambre, which I have seen in person!  

Olive Grove

Inside the Van Gogh Museum.  It was 4 stories high and lofty and airy....the windows shed wonderful natural light on the museum's 200 paintings, 400 drawings and 700 letters.  

Stroopwafel....a freshly pressed flat-like waffle filled with a caramel spread....SO GOOD.  Could've eaten like 10.  

Even though it was rainy, we decided to take a quick cruise around the canals.  It was one of my favorite things we did that day, as we were able to see a lot of the city that we normally wouldn't have had the chance to see.  As we ducked under bridges and through small canals with other boats, we made several stops for people getting on and off.  On the last 30 minutes of our tour though, we were the only ones on the boat, being driven by our personal captain through the canals of Amsterdam.  

It was pouring down rain on the laundry.  So much for hangin' things out to dry.  

The largest floating Chinese restaurant in Europe.  

Isabel and I

This amazing parking garage for bicycles.  

There seriously must have been thousands of them here...and there's no telling how many in the entire city!! 

Anne Frank House

Despite the rain it is a charming city!

We walked back up to the center of town towards the flower markets.  Bloemenmarket, as it is more locally called, is the world's only floating flower market and has been around since 1862.  I can't say that I was impressed as I was expecting just heaps and heaps of beautiful flowers.  It was more touristy items: things to take home as souvenirs, seed packets, bulbs, and wooden tulips.  

There were some beautiful flowers, but nothing as I had expected.   

Was thinking this would definitely not make it through customs going back to the United States.  

Venus fly trap.

The Dutch language is certainly a funny one.  We could figure some stuff out, but others....like this sign, remain a mystery.  Even with an illustration.  

Amsterdam Central Train Station

I was disappointed we weren't there long enough to eat more traditional dutch food since that's one of my favorite thing about traveling...and for dinner we chose Italian because we were just tired and it was easy.  I guess that's what happens when you are only there for a day!!  After dinner all the prostitutes came out of hiding and the Red Light District began to smell of pot and french fries.  It was so unreal and so bizarre....but really adds to the cities' unique factor.  

Amsterdam wasn't at all as I expected and its 90 canals and 1500 bridges only add to its beauty.  The people of Amsterdam were so friendly, and everyone was willing to help out a lost tourist.  We weren't able to fit everything in, but we got a good "taste" of the city.  I can now see why everyone who visits loves it so much.  The most surprising thing about Amsterdam?  The sheer number of bicycles found throughout the city, posted on every bridge, parking garage, and staircase imaginable.  Instead of pedestrians watching out for cars, we were constantly dodging bicycles!  It is one of the most bike friendly cities in the world and around 75% of the population is a bicycle owner.  

Certainly worth a visit if you're in Europe....although I'm pretty sure I would go just to have another Stroopwafel!