Russian around the Baltic with some spice to finish off!

[Pushka]

Photos of the queue to Anne Frankenhuis. Day and Night.






Next. Canal boat ride. It's completely exposed but we were lucky today.

 

[Pushka]

Amsterdam's narrowest house. The tax paid original was based on street frontage and windows.






Another Tulip Warehouse.

 

[Pushka]

Entering the red Light District. Created when sailors returned to Amsterdam. Now the ladies etc rent their window space from a landlord as this prevents the pimping. Red light for girls. Blue light for others. They all have a panic button and police attend within the minute. There are also peek shows and live sex performances.



Very much like Venice


Out towards the port where we were yesterday on the ship

 

[Pushka]

Consumption of beer is allowed in the library. It is left to the individual to behave properly if they do.


The science museum


And the cool cafe on top



The aquarium.

 

[Pushka]

A boat.

This is actually a house on water that is rented from the Govt. Approx 750 here and they want to reduce numbers to 700 so there are more boat spaces.


This is a house on land

The rear of the zoo

 

[Pushka]

The Botannical Gardens. The > was painted on when they realised the number of years was wrong. Pragmatic and clever solution


The bridge system


Lotsa boats and the big ones are bullies.


I totally get this.


The 7 bridges.

 

[Pushka]

Attractive. Not.


And finished. Time for a snack.

 

[Pushka]

We started off at the main canal overlooking Anne Frankenhuis for dinner but no service for a while caused us to move elsewhere. We ventured down a quieter lane and ended up at the pub we'd been to earlier.
A burger for me and schnitzel for sir.


Then I ordered apple pie, but MrP declined. Yet whose spoon was poised first I wonder.


The meal was pleasant with just one smoker. We moved on for a quick stroll - the heat has lost a little intensity now and cooler tomorrow.

The houses have serious issues with structure.


I dunno


Cute sign next door.

 

[Pushka]

Even the street signs don't work.


Love_the_life will confirm I am rubbish at navigation. MrP is the one (as is l_t_l) who leads the way. Weirdly here though, because of the way the streets are structured I am the one doing the directions and know exactly where we are. It's doing MrP's head in a little.

 

[rogerkambah]

Great TR Pushka - really bringing back memories of places I have been (except SPB). The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are excellent if you have the time and like art.

 

[Pushka]

Great TR Pushka - really bringing back memories of places I have been (except SPB). The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are excellent if you have the time and like art.

Yes. We'd planned on going to those but SPB really wiped us out. And it's been so hot in Amsterdam and with no cooling at night I'm struggling to sleep. Last night slept with a wet towel I'd put on my face to get some relief. So just a bit weary to face up to another museum. I think it's cooler today and we are walking to Albert Cuyp market. That's about 40 minutes walk. Currently almost 8am but think I hear rain outside.

We leave by train at 11am tomorrow to get to Brussels by Thalys then Eurostar to London.

Apparently 16 people drown in the canals each year. Usually British males on funky weekends.

 

[rogerkambah]

Yes. We'd planned on going to those but SPB really wiped us out. And it's been so hot in Amsterdam and with no cooling at night I'm struggling to sleep. Last night slept with a wet towel I'd put on my face to get some relief. So just a bit weary to face up to another museum. I think it's cooler today and we are walking to Albert Cuyp market. That's about 40 minutes walk. Currently almost 8am but think I hear rain outside.

We leave by train at 11am tomorrow to get to Brussels by Thalys then Eurostar to London.

Apparently 16 people drown in the canals each year. Usually British males on funky weekends.

From reading your itinerary and TR I have been thinking 'wow you guys are really on the go'. I know the feeling of being 'museumed' or 'churched out'. We have, in recent years, had to have relax days just to catch up, but that must be hard to do on a cruise with a different port each day or so. Feel a bit guilty too, as we don't want to miss places. We once had 4 nights in Santorini just to recover in the middle of a long European trip. Difficult too, if one has to manage a medical condition.

Last year after 3 weeks in Ireland and Spain I really needed a break by the time we got back to BKK. Spent 8 days in the hotel hardly moving outside as my medical condition was becoming more difficult.

 

[Pushka]

I remember that trip RK.

 

[Pushka]

Our last day in Amsterdam before heading off on the train to London tomorrow.

We were told by SIL we needed to visit the Albert Cuyp market. It is apparently the largest market in Europe. It's about a 40 minute walk but being much cooler today we set off with umbrellas in tow. The markets are just past Heineken experience that we decided not to - well, experience I guess and at 10 am already large queues. Curious that people will pay to get a free beer.

A pleasant walk along the canals.








To arrive at the markets. It's a place where locals also buy their supplies.

 

[Pushka]

It's a place where locals fill up their shopping totes with - well, washing machines along with the meat and veg.

 

[Pushka]

The fish looked fresh with nice clear eyes. They use these little fan thingies to keep the flies at bay. Maybe they would be worse if they didn't have them?











I bought some cherries. Love cherries. They looked fabulous but promised much and delivered little. I reckon our produce in Australia is pretty awesome.

 

[Pushka]

The market also sold gadgets, fabrics and clothing. To be honest I wasn't all that excited. It kind of reminded me of Ladies Market in Hong Kong.

We then decided to get a drink just as the heavens opened up. Good timing.
Biggest ever bee at the cafe.




Once the rain cleared we decided we would walk through the Red Light District on our way home. We passed into the city to see the worlds ugliest building.



We found the red Light District and observed families having a day out. All things pot.


It wasn't peak time for the ladies although there were a few waiting. I didn't take photos and just felt a bit dirty. We just walked through and decided we had plans elsewhere.

By now the heavens were opening again so we ducked into a large shopping store that had very little to look at except for a nice chandelier.

 

[Pushka]

We also visited the Tulip museum near our hotel. Would love to bring some bulbs home. I settled on a fridge magnet







And just nearby the cheese museum. Yum.

 

[Pushka]

Once again the Anne Frankenhuis has a huge line.

So our time in Amsterdam is drawing to a close. We haven't done anything wonderfully cultural during our stay and have enjoyed it nonetheless.

Tomorrow London via Brussels on Thalys and Eurostar trains. Fingers crossed.

 

[Pushka]

Waiting at Amsterdam Centraal. Quite a nice terminal but busy. Bathrooms cost 70 cents but are very clean.

So this was our room.




The shelf above the safe is the only wardrobe/storage. Consequently we lived out of suitcases for 3 nights and which had to stay under the bed. But they have these huge stools under the vanity that don't fit anywhere else in the room other than under this shelf and I had to ditch them in the corridor in order to close my case. What am I missing here?