I had some of the surprisingly good free breakfast in the morning. The Americans I met (Connor, Mark and Kevin) yesterday and I went out exploring the city. We explored around the national monument and palace and passed by the Anne Frank house. The line was at least a mile and we did not want to wait so we stopped for some food instead. The restaurant was close to the Heineken brewery which was perfect because I bought a ticket for later in the day. There was a festival in the park nearby with music and vendors. It looked like something done by the art and museum community. Also The Dew Tour had a skateboarding competition in progress on the other side of the park (Free Mtn Dew!). The Van Gogh museum is on the edge of the park, but it had a very long line and we passed on it. Besides it was almost time for the brewery tour!
The brewery tour was fun. They showed all about the culture in the Netherlands and why it contributes to Heineken being a favorite here. There was also a 4-D movie/ride about the brewing process. It was the kind where seats shake and fans blow water at you. It was very similar to the DNA explanation from the movie Jurassic Park. After the ride was a small tasting of the beer and a self guided last few levels of the facility. The last few rooms were large bars. You had the option of drinking two beers or learning how to pour one beer properly. Three of us went for the two beers. Kevin was instructed how to pour his own. The bar maids were quite entertaining during his lesson. Now he is a certified Heineken bar professional. Lastly, we had to retrieve our free gift! The brewery owns a canal boat (decked out in Heineken theme) that brought us from the south side all the way downtown to their merchandise store. They gave us all half pint glasses on the docks. Instead of returning on the canal boat we decided to walk to our hostel where we stayed for the rest of the night.
