Exploring Amsterdam

Day 2 Amsterdam (August 31)

This morning Tina was up at 6:00 AM to shower while I slept in. After I got up and had my shower we met Denise and Shanda for breakfast in the ships dining room. By the time we finished breakfast the cloudy morning had turned to a light rain so we grabbed our umbrella and wind breakers, and went to the lounge to wait for our bus to arrive.

Around 8:30 AM we turned in our room key for a travel card and left the ship for our bus ride into town. We were blessed with a great tour guide by the name of Sabine who was a native of Amsterdam but spoke great English. On the drive into town we were treated to a history of the town from its roots through to its period as an economic powerhouse.

Eventually we arrived at the outer harbor where we boarded one of the many glass topped canal excursion boats. This one was a real beauty with freshly varnished bright work, polished brass fittings, about forty feet long and seating about 50 people. Once everyone was aboard the captain took us into the outer harbor for a look at a replica of one of the 16th century exploration/trading ships used by the Dutch. From there we headed into the system of ring canals that form a major portion of the Amsterdam transportation system.

Along the way Sabine continued her narrative pointing out how all the buildings are built on pilings - the older ones on wood, newer on cement piers. The older ones on wooden pilings, many dating back to the 1500s were fine as long as they remained under water, but once exposed to air, the wood starts to rot and many buildings now lean in one direction or another or they may be lower on one side requiring them to be torn down and rebuilt.

After seeing the city from the canals we got back on our bus for a ride to the Van Gogh Museum which has the largest single collection of his works. With ear phones and MP3 player we set out around the three floors of painting, sketches and works from several contemporaries. It was very crowded but we managed to see all the major pieces and listen to the audio descriptions. It was especially interesting to see scenes he painted in France that were familiar to us from our trip there several years ago such as the apartments viewed from his Mont Marte apartment.

By this time the rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was out, so we left the museum and walked back to the bus. Along the way there were several street vendors which allowed the girls to do a little shopping. Getting back to the ship, the captain released all the lines and we cast off down the main canal toward the Rhine River. After changing clothes we met in the dining room and had lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with a book and watching the action on the water as we passed under numerous bridges, went through a couple of locks, passed many other boat and barge traffic.

Later we all got dressed up for the Captains “Welcome Dinner” and watched a beautiful sunset from our window side table. New dining companions made for lively conversation and an enjoyable meal. After dinner we called it a night and retired to our respective rooms.