Amsterdam with the Fam

After Christmas in London, our adventures headed over the channel and to The Netherlands.  Our journey to get there was a lovely one.  We sat in a train station for a while, then got on a train, then sat in another train station for a longer while, then boarded a ferry.  This was not your typical ferry, however, it was like a mini cruise ship.  Emily and I decided it counted as our cruise for 2013 and we have now been on a cruise every year we have been married (and yes, we are planning one for 2014, and maybe 2015 already).  We slept on the ferry/mini cruise ship and arrived in The Netherlands the next morning.

The city slogan

However, when we arrived we were still about 50 miles from Amsterdam so that meant taking the train through the Dutch countryside and seeing everything fly by the windows. 

When we arrived in the city, our host was not ready, as he runs a bar and is up very late each night.  We went to lunch, trying to find a cafe.  With our luck, Emily and her mother stumbled into a 'coffee shop,' which we learned very quickly is a term for a special store in Amsterdam where you can buy and smoke marijuana.  Needless to say, we moved on and ate at a cafe down the road, lesson learned.

The Royal Palace in Dam Square

We then had a wonderful guided tour thanks to our friend from university.  She used to be a bike tour guide in Amsterdam so she knew the city well and she make sure we stayed clear of the cycle paths, which when said quickly, sounds like psychopaths, quite scary in Amsterdam :) If you ever visit Amsterdam, one word of warning... watch out when walking.  There are half a million bikes riding around, cars, and an above ground tram network that goes right across the road.  Look twice each direction before walking, and you will inevitably still be in someone's way. 

So many bikes!

We woke up early the next morning to stand in line.  Every place had lines (unlike most in London) because you had to buy tickets and that took time.  We stood in line on a back road, next to a canal, by a building which would not have been noticed if it were not for the 300+ people standing out in front of it every day.  It was the Anne Frank house.  It was a great museum telling the story of Nazi occupation in Amsterdam and one man's attempt to tell this daughter's story.  Otto Frank (Anne's father) was the only member of the family to survive the war and was the one who published her diary.  It was very interesting and touching to see the actual spaces where they hid, and how prolific of a writer she was at her young age. We even got to see her real diary, along with many of her other journals that she filled with her thoughts and dreams.

The best way to see the city is by canal cruise because there are so many canals!!  It's amazing how those big boats go down some tiny little canals, but there are so many you get to see the whole city.  We took a glass topped boat tour while there and saw the Christmas lights (although it was after Christmas day but still the official "Christmas" season according to the church).

The top of our boat and Amsterdam Central Station

One of our final stops was at the Heineken Experience.  Here you saw lots of adds and information about the company and drank lots of beer (or soda, in my case).  It was interesting if you are into beer and such but it did feel like a big tourist trap type of place. 

Dave and Kathy (Emily's parents)

Our final day in Amsterdam was rather short as we boarded on train to head to Paris!  But until our Paris update gets posted, check out some more pics of beautiful Amsterdam!

Our flat, which was above a bar

Amsterdam Canals

The famous flower market

~Brandon