I got so frustrated with the continuous rain last May and June that I swore that I would make plans to get away during Nova Scotia's rainy season this year. As I investigated places to go, The Netherlands became more and more appealing with lots to see and do not only in Amsterdam but in other areas of the country. In short, I booked an 8 day Highlights of Holland bike and barge tour along with 4 days in Amsterdam.
We flew to Amsterdam via Reykjavik and so got to see Iceland from the air and from the airport. The tourism information about Iceland makes it sound like a great place to visit....someday.
We took a shuttle from the airport in Amsterdam to our hotel. Our room is very small but oh so cool. For example, there are quotes on the walls, and the electricity only works when you are in the room. Everything in the room seems new, including the shower.
It was so tempting to just take a nap since we had been traveling for 10 overnight hours on very little sleep, but we needed to stay awake as long as possible to help adjust to crossing 5 hours worth of time zones. We went for a long walk, ate a good meal and walked some more.
Bikes are everywhere in this city. Apparently there are four times as many bikes on the streets as there are cars. There are lanes designated for bikes but pedestrians have to keep a watchful eye on both car and bike traffic as the cyclists ride along at a good clip.
Our walk took us past several places we plan to visit over the next few days, including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and Vondelpark. We strolled along a canal, stopped to admire some artwork on display on the Museum Plein sat on a bench and people watch and then walked back to our funky hotel.
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