We had been to Amsterdam on our first trip to Europe, so this
was a chance to repeat some things and add some new. The ship docked about a
fifteen minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal, the main train station and a good
place to explore the city from.
At the station we scouted a place to store luggage on our way
through after the cruise. There is a place, but we didn't find it. We did,
however, buy our train tickets to the airport for that day.
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| Usual Transportation |
From Centraal, we walked to Dam Square, the central city square.
Around the square the buildings, in addition to stores, include the Royal
Palace and the New Church, which is no longer a church but a concert hall. We
caught a tram from Dam Square to Albert Cuypmarkt, a several blocks long
outdoor market. Here one could buy almost anything imaginable from small
venders, including bicycles. Many seemed to have set out things from the shops
along the street.
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| Albert Cuypmarkt |
After walking the entire length of the market and back part way,
we headed to Weteringplantsoen, a large open square along one of the canals.
The original Heiniken brewery, now a museum and tour center, is here. We did
not tour and taste.
We caught a tram from there back to Dam Square. And walked the
rest of the day.
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| Heiniken Beer Wagon |
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| View from Westerkkerk Tower |
Just west of Dam Square is the Westermarkt and Westerkerk.
Westerkerk is still an active church, the largest in Amsterdam. The organist
there is also the concert organist at the Bavokerk in Haarlem. Fortunately, he
was practicing, so we got to here the organ.
Dick bought a ticket for a later tour climb of the church tower,
the tallest in the city. It was lunch time, so we walked around the
neighborhood a little to a small local bar. Since it is close to the church and
on the square, we were not the only tourists in the place, but there seemed to
be more locals than tourists.
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| Lunch |
After lunch, Dick joined his five companions for the church
tower climb. It's restricted to a small group because of the crowded space in
the tower, and to get narration along the way from the guide. In the tower is
the old carillon keyboard and some of the original bells. Dick used a mallet to
play a little "tune." Of course, the views of the city from the tower
were spectacular. And while this was happening, Karen took a stroll around the
neighborhood and along the canal. The area has many restaurants and small
shops.
It was then time to start heading back to the ship. We returned
to Amsterdam Centraal for a coffee at the Starbucks there, also hoping for
internet. Unfortunately it is a franchise store, and they have no wifi. The barista
told us there is a brand new store, the largest in Europe, in an area we had
been in this morning, but not close enough to go back to on the way to the
ship. Maybe when we come back through.
However, we did find a DoubleTree hotel on the way, and there
was wifi in the lobby, so we caught up with email and other necessary internet
checks. From there it was about a ten minute walk back to the pier.
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| In the lock back to the North Sea |
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| Sailing out of Amsterdam |
Sailing out of Amsterdam is its own adventure. Amsterdam is a
little below sea level, so getting back out to the North Sea required passing
through a lock to raise the ship a few feet. (We had been through the lock the
night before on the way in to Amsterdam.) The ship fit in the lock with only a
little room to spare, and it seems to have been local entertainment, as several
people were there to watch the operation.
Off into the North Sea for the trip to Copenhagen.
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