Amsterdam....watch out for bikes!

Our first day in Amsterdam turned out to be a recovery day. We did not leave the hotel until mid afternoon to walk up what appears to be one of the main thoroughfares in and out of the Old Town, Leidsestraat. It seemed to be organised bedlam, what with pedestrians, bike riders, motorbike/scooters, cars and trams all vieing for their position on the street. Our heads were turning in all directions to make sure we weren't walking in the path of all these moving vehicals. DH worked out most pedestrians walked to the right, so when walking along the Leidsestraat, one walked on the right handside of the street.  It seemed to help.

Our little adventure gave us a taste of Amsterdam. We took a suggestion to go to Cafe Luxembourg for an early tea. This is where we sat and watched the world go past while we drank a local beer and ate a local favourite, Croquettes. (a deep fried ball filled with cheese or ragout that is spread across a slice of bread).  This turned out to be a perfect spot to people watch. The people who rode past on their bikes were dressed in various forms. Black bow ties and suits, work suits and jackets, long pants, short pants, long dresses and only a few riders in trackpants. We saw adults with young children either sitting in seats positioned on the handlebars or seats behind on a rack over the rear wheel.  All riding past with little effort or noise.

Leidsestraat

Decorations in the beautiful dinning room of the Hamphire Hotel.

Rijksmuseum (Dutch Art History museum)

1st June 2016

Vondelpark for a walk and lunch. The park is very popular for locals to enjoy the outdoors. At the cafe we had lunch, there were several young mums meeting each other with their babies in stolers or prams. Of course we still needed to be on the lookout for the bikeriders when walking through the park.

A canal tour started our morning off. There is one tour company right on our doorstep! Very convenient and a discount from the hotel!

Later we walked to the various museums located in the Museumplein. Modern Art, Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum of Dutch Art History. We tried to visit the Coster Diamonds Museum but at that time a group of Asians were streaming past on a guided tour which made the quiet tour we would have like, impossible.

Salvage barge full of bicycles and even a motor scooter, all dredged from the canals.

Near the Van Gogh Museum.