Koln to Amsterdam

Onward to Amsterdam.

We’re staying at the Amstel Botel  It’s an old cruise ship moored on the River IJ a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown Amsterdam. The rooms are cruise ship small but super clean and our “porthole” opens to a view of the river traffic. What a great idea!

We leave the car in a designated parking lot near the wharf, drop our luggage at the Botel and catch the ferry.

People sit in swings on the roof of this building and swing out over the water. No thank you!

We attempt to navigate our way to Anna’s recommended fish place and end up taking a cab. We wait in line and quickly grab a place at the counter when it comes open. So delicious. The fish is incredible and worth the navigational challenge.

We wander our way to a canal cruise and enjoy seeing the city from the water and hearing the stories our guide has to tell. The homes on the canals are historic and unique and narrow. Many have hooks near the roofline used to hoist goods up and in through a window. We learn that once a year a canal clean-up is undertaken and around 12,000 submerged bikes are hauled out of the water.

We walk towards the “red light” district stopping for a cold drink at a sidewalk café, (heat wave continues). Walking in this city is challenging because of the many, many bikers. They have the right of way, and they take it. There’s no speed limit and they are fast moving. We see bikers riding hands free and texting, one with a dog in the basket, one carrying a baguette under his arm, one balancing two completely full laundry baskets (one stacked atop the other), one carrying two plants with the roots in plastic bags of dirt and one carrying a headless mannequin. Who needs a car??

The red light district, sadly, is a tourist attraction. Scantily dressed women stand in windows  attempting to entice customers inside while gawkers gawk. We hurry by.

The ferry takes us back to our boat hotel and it rocks us gently to sleep.