Amsterdam!

Tuesday I arrived in Amsterdam around 10:30am. I met Mer just outside the train station and we headed to the hostel. The stair cases here in Amsterdam are soooo steep and the stairs themselves are so narrow and small - it was fun carrying your backpack up them - nevermind coming back down them! haha!

It was another beautiful day, so we walked around for quite some time, along the main street, through the main square, and along the canals. It was similar to Venice, but also quite different. Here the canals were very wide, and there are streets on either side, as well as bridges over them. In Venice, it was all so narrow, and no cars allowed... We had some lunch - which turned out to be a very large meal - I had this ridiculously large baked potatoe with mozzarella, avocado and tomatoe and cucumber.. hard to explain! It was soooo good though! We then got to the Heineken brewery museum! It was actually a very interesting and well done museum! The three free half pints weren't so bad either... but it really was a fun experience, and i would suggest it to anyone. We walked back towards our hostel (i suppose, looking back, we could have taken trams or trains or even the metro - yes, amsterdam has a metro! underneath all the canals!) but we walked everywhere. oh yah, we hit this street market, but then came across this amazing photograph display. The photos were blown up huge and placed all along this street - photos from around the world, colourful, all portraying a message about global warming in one way or another. I was disapointed that there were no photos from Canada, but they were beautiful shots nonetheless!

only one or two times we found ourselves down this narrow alley

We then went around the red light district - interesting I must admit. It didn't feel sleezy or dirty, it was just a way of life here. There were so many people around, and only one or two times we found ourselves down this narrow alley, and realized we were the only girls in a row of men walking... but the girls in the "windows" were polite. I mean, they are used to "us tourists" gawking at them. They understand they are somewhat of a tourist attraction, as well as working girls. A lot of them were quite a bit older than I thought, and all sizes, etc. They have these cubicles, each with their own door, curtains (drawn when occupied) and in the back would be the little room with the bed... black lights so inside would glow... and when a man makes eye contact, you can bet she's going to give him the come here finger and wink and smile, etc... But it was really much more relaxed than I thought, a lot of them were just sitting in their chair, some filing their nails, others talking to each other over a drink... and then others right at the window ready to work. anyways, that was the red light district. And then on the main streets (as opposed to down the little alleys) were also the cafes. yes, the infamous cafes. where anything can happen. I am sure I don't need to paint a picture, as maybe I didn't have to do with the red light district either, but you would sit and have some hot chocolate and right next to you, they would be partaking of what amsterdam is famous for. We ate a lot in Amsterdam too, partially because it was cold out, and because food was just everywhere!

The next day we headed over to see the Anne Frank Haus. This was an interesting piece of history - I vaguely remember reading the book, or watching the movie, but to see it was cool. It was incredible to me, how they could have hidden in this house for two years, without anyone knowing. The living space was much larger than I had expected, and yes, there were about eight people and they could never go outside, I was surprised by the size. High ceilings and an actual house, with two stories that they used... all hidden behind the front canal house which was used as office and warehouse space. A must see for anyone going to Amsterdam.

That afternoon, I met up with Hannemieke and Dan, a couple from one of my tours this past summer! They lived here, and would show me around the next day! Mer had a flight back to London! We went out for dinner, and they were so kind as to have arranged to stay at a friends so I could stay at their apartment! We had a wonderful visit too, and the next day they took me to the Van Gogh Museum. I loved this museum, again, glad to be finished with the religious art of the many churches I have seen, this was a nice change. We then headed to this tower - above a mall, with a restaurant, and amazing views of the city! It is the highest point one can go in the city! It was neat to see how the fronts of the canal houses were often fake facades - with the impressions of wide attic stories, but really, they were regular pointy roofs, with a fake front to make them appear wider... We then went to another museum, an original canal house with what is called "the hidden church in the attic". An entire church was hidden in the top two levels of two canal houses!! Completely not visible from the street, and incredible at the sheer size of it, including the altar! Like the Anne Frank Haus, this just gives an idea of how floor plans can be manipulated...

Again, we went out for a great dinner, and visited. What a great couple. They  had so much information for me. The next morning they offered to drive me to the airport for my flight home! My last night in Amsterdam, in Europe actually, but it didn't feel like I was leaving. I guess I knew I would be back someday...