Amsterdam & Zaanse Schans, Netherlands 2009

We arrived at Central Train station and pulled our luggage the short distance across the street to the A Train Hotel where we stayed for 2 nights in the Old Dutch Suite. Interesting room with a small flight of stairs leading down to it and a hallway with a private patio off of it and then the bath and bedroom were at the end. It was a short walk from the train station so it wasn’t hard to pull our luggage. Breakfast was meager at this hotel (toast and a couple of choices of meats and cheeses) Wouldn’t stay here again, room was OK, though bed and pillows were lumpy and the breakfast was seriously just toast. After the lovely spread in Bruges it was a stark contrast. It was close to the train station and served its’ purpose.

Our “Old Dutch Suite”

our courtyard

After we checked in we went back to the train station to pick up our I Amsterdam Card which was a great value for admissions and transportation. We did a self-walking tour of Amsterdam starting at the train station seeing Dam Square, Royal Palace, New Church, National Monument, Kalverstraat shopping district, the Hidden Catholic Church, flower market, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and doing a canal ride which was awesome seeing the houseboats and sites.

train station

Damrack Street

National Monument in Dam Square

Royal Palace

New Church (Nieuwe Kerk)

living statues Dam Square

Dam Square

De Papegaai Hidden Catholic Church (Petrus en Paulus Kerk)

Mint Tower (Munttoren)

Flower market on canal

grabbed a strawberry tart

I'm on the left waiting for the canal ride

waiting to board the boat

many houseboats along the canal

life on a house boat

Rijksmuseum (Dutch Masters)

courtyard at Rijksmuseum

Rembrandt The Syndics of the Amsterdam Drapers' Guild (1662)

Rembrandt Isaac and Rebecca (The Jewish Bride, 1667)

Rembrandt The Company of Frans Banning Cocq (The Night Watch, 1642)

Rembrandt Self Portrait at an Early Age (age 22)

Rembrandt Maria Trip (1639)

Van Gogh Museum

Wheatfield with crows (1889)

Sunflowers (1889)

Irises (1880)

Self-Portrait with Gray Felt Hat (1887-1888)

snack of waffles and chocolate

Later our walk led us to the Red Light District where we found an Argentine Steak house for dinner. Very good! Then we wandered the red light district seeing the Ladies in windows and doors and the numerous “coffee shops.” Figuring we only live once we tried a Space Cake Brownie at the Bulldog Café. Had a blast at the Damrack Sex Museum

walk to Red Light District

Dinner

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Bulldog Café. where we had our Space Cake Brownies

window near red light district

vibrator window

The Red Light District (no pictures allowed and some very large men enforced it)

Damrack Sex Museum

Our second day in Amsterdam we took the train to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills and the open air museum. Very nice and I’m glad we went. Beautiful windmills and many open to tour. We had fantastic savory pancakes for lunch at the cafeteria there. (and a sweet one for desert)

boat ride

Clock Museum

Chocolate Factory

Wooden Shoe Museum

Paint Mill

inside the paint mill

Greg on the ladder to the top - I'm right behind him

views from the top

walk to the ferry

ferry back to town to train station

waiting for train back to Amsterdam

That afternoon we finished seeing the sites we missed the first day. We walked around the Jordan neighborhood and went to the Anne Frank House which we had reserved in advance so we didn’t have to wait in line.

Jordan neighborhood

Anne Frank House

in front of Anne Frank House

Anne's room (temporarily furnished)

Anne Frank's diary

walk to find dinner

raw herring stand - (thank goodness it was closed....)

We found a great place to eat in the Spui area where we dined with the resident cat at Café Spui. The theme here is the Rat Pack era and dishes are named after them. Had a couple of appetizer platters to try lots of different local cuisine items. Very good!