The breakfast this B&B supplied was amazing. Fresh bread, cheese and a selection of cold meat, boiled eggs, toast (with pineapple jam – like Thailand!), coffee, tea, fresh orange juice, yoghurt and snelle jelle (these fruit bread/muesli bar type thingees). We couldn’t finish it all so the snelle jelle joined the pizza and fruit in our bag for the day. There was also a friendly cat at the B&B who let us love him and talked away like Jack our cat in NZ.
The info site lady yesterday in Volendam had given us some advice about how to get to Amsterdam but the B&B guys had a better option so we went with that!
Park + ride for a total of 8Euro. Awesome. We drove to the location they said, parked up, received our tram tickets and rode into Amsterdam. Very exciting! The tram went past the bike rental place Jeanine had found on the net so we knew where to head. Walked around there – in the blazing sunlight...another day of great weather! We got our bikes, received instruction in how to lock them and off we went. We both took some time to adjust to the bikes as they have back brakes and really different handlebars to NZ bikes!
Amsterdam is a city of bikes. Mind blowing and really not something we can explain in words – some photos will try and help you understand but they definitely outstrip Viet Nam in the bikes vs any other form of transport stakes.
We basically did a ‘lap’ of Amsterdam. Headed past Nieuw Markt, the palace, over canals, took pics of the Hotel Amstel (most expensive hotel in town) and many historic buildings on our way to Waterloo Plein which is the most famous antique market in Amsterdam. It has a really cool feel too and we both liked it. Found some funky pants for Roni and Indian Rose jeans for Jeanine – at 15E each instead of retail 120E! Then on through the market where we managed to find a replacement hoodie of joy for Bray (after his last one walked at Camping le Beau Village). This new one is VERY stylish!
Back on the road we continued doing our lap....through more sights until we reached Albert Cuyp Markt area. We had fresh stroopwafels (yum!), found a shaver so we can trim Bray’s hair and beard and relaxed in the sun watching people while we ate our stroopwafel. We then took our packed lunch (leftover pizza etc) to Sarphatipark where we joined the many locals lazing in the sun. Relaxing there was fun and so many people to see with so much variety!
Back on the bikes we got took a roundabout route to Museumplein – seeing Concert Gebouw (hall), Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, fountains and open green spaces. On the way there a WC stop at a Dominican cafe bar gave us a chance to drink coffee and people watch some more. At Museumplein we paddled our hot feet in the pool out front of Rijkmuseum for a while then headed back toward the heart of the city.
We returned our bikes after 6pm then went on foot through some to the main square – where the National Monument, Orange palace, Nieuwe Kerk and Madame Tussaud’s are. HORDES of bikes. Crazy like. Even Jeanine was awed with how many were in the square – eventually working out that this was one of the 3 days that the biggest department store in Amsterdam has crazy sales...thus the increased number of bikes!
We kept on past the square to reach Westerkerk and Anne Frank’s house. After photos and a good look we headed back toward Centraal Station – grabbing a bite to eat on the way.
On arrive we realised that none of us remembered the number of the tram we caught into town – oops. We asked at information, just missed a tram then chatted to a really nice lady who helped us work out where and what we needed to know. Caught the tram, retrieved the car then hit the road (over 2 hours drive to get home and it was now after 10!). A pit stop for WC and a coffee (where Jeanine and Bray saw big rats!) then driving until we got home, cup of tea then all fell into bed.
We love Amsterdam! Sounds like a t-shirt slogan but it is true.
