Bike Tour through Amsterdam

My bike! "Big Tex" We started at the shop and went through the city, stopping to point out Amsterdam sites.


Out tour guide. He was an adorable Brit with great stories.


We traveled along the Amstel river and saw a lot of cool houseboats but this one had to take the cake!


400 year old windmill. People live in it and are probably annoyed at us tourists but how can you not get a cheesy photo?


We rode through the countryside until we came to a house where they make wooden shoes and cheese, the old fashioned way.

CHEEEESSSSEEE!!!


We went back through 2 city parks and only in Amsterdam would public art also be a Picasso.

For more Amsterdam photos, check out my slideshow

A walk through Amsterdam

On my first day in Amsterdam, after my train/tram adventure and after stumbling through the Van Gogh museum I decided to head out to find some food. I had no idea which way to go and was slightly paranoid that I wouldn't find my way back but decided to just start walking and see what I could see while looking for a restaurant. It literally took me 1.5 hours to find something. I loved the walk and the exploration but was literally ready to pass out by the time I found a little Indian restaurant that could have served rocks in curry and I would have eaten it at that point. Here is what I saw along the way.


I loved these trees in Museumplein


Heineken no longer brews here. Amstel does and you can find your nearest pub by the Amstel signs.


I think all of Amsterdam is a meditation center


Yes, that is the Hansel and Gretel Cafe. I tried to eat here but could only get drinks after 5. My quest for food continued...


Stop and smell the roses


The sun was going down and making beautiful shadows and reflections, I walked along the canal for a while and walked past several clouds of smoke engulfing some locals.

I amsterdam

All that Amsterdam is has been rumored about for years. You hear about the drugs and the sex and the bikes, the dikes, Venice of the North, the little boy with his finger stuck in the dike, the pickled herring, the art, the holocaust, the gay capitol of Europe. Yup, Amsterdam has it all. I was only there for about 48 hours and I never even made it to the Red Light District or one single "coffee" shop. I lucked out that the hotel I found on Hotels.com was right in the middle of it all. Just a few feet (meters) from the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the "I amsterdam" sign and a tram stop.

I didn't end up needing to venture very far and was frankly afraid to considering the first thing I did there was get lost. I decided to be cool and take the train and tram to my hotel. I asked someone at the airport what stop and tram I would need and headed off to grab the train in Central Amsterdam. Easy enough. Keep in mind that I am alone, jet lagged, and hauling 80 pound of luggage everywhere. After a few tries I found the right train and hauled my luggage up a small stairway to sit in 2nd class, with everyone else. I rode in a daze to central station and then drug my bags to try to find the tram. I found them but still needed a ticket, I found the ticket booth, up more stairs. Got my ticket now had to find tram. Got on, ticket stamped now I am on my way. Enjoying view of Amsterdam from tram and watching people, have sneaking suspicion I am on wrong tram, I will give it longer. Decide I am on wrong tram after about 15 minutes, am told by ticket taker that I need to get off, cross the tracks get back on going other direction to junction stop, get off, cross more tracks and get on correct tram. Ok, on the right line, much relieved, don't see my stop coming up but I know I am on the right tram going right direction so what could go wrong now? Enjoy tram ride again till I notice I am leaving the city and in weird looking suburb, this can't be right. Am told to get off tram, cross the tracks, go back to correct stop. Turn out I apparently still don't know what correct stop is so look at map and take a guess as to which stop is closest to my hotel. Ok I am off tram, I can find where I am on map but have no sense of direction to tell me where to go now. Start wondering streets along with luggage hoping something will make sense. Trying to look confident and in control I find street but can't find hotel. Go around block twice an turn around to see it right behind me. Go in. Check in. Haul luggage into lift, can't get door to close because it is quaint European elevator smaller. Whew, up one floor, find room, but it hasn't been made. Old, smelly, yet nice dutch man apologizes and tries to clean it for me with me standing there with my luggage. I squeeze into my room not much bigger than the lift but grateful to be able to dump stuff and take shower.

Quick nap and out to explore. Realize Van Gogh museum is within a block so go in and take audio tour.

Tune in next time for more adventures in Amsterdam!