Oct 10, 2011

Following a very windy night with heavy rain we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and headed off for Amsterdam where we booked into our hotel and while Norm and Ken returned the car to the airport Sharen and I checked out some shops but our purchases weren’t particularly riveting stuff…a folding umbrella for Sharen and a warm jacket for me.



A canal view on our shopping trek

The weather has been much milder than yesterday with an occasional light shower and a bit of wind but quite comfortable overall so we have all enjoyed wandering some of the streets of Amsterdam and cannot believe the quirky angles so many of the buildings are pointing.



Check out the angles of the buildings and this is real…definitely NOT distorted by the camera.

I had been interested in visiting the house Anne Frank had hidden in during WW II before she and her family were captured but when we finally found it there was a massive line leading up to the museum door and we could see it continuing through the museum before anyone even got into the house so I wasn’t prepared to do that. Instead we crossed the canal and had a hot chocolate and pancake and talked about how fortunate we are not to have experienced such horror.



A small memorial to Anne Frank around the corner from her house

The number of bicycles here is truly staggering! They are parked up and leaning against buildings everywhere as you will also see on some of the pictures here. There are a disturbing number which have dinged up wheels and bits missing and we pondered just how many are incapable of transporting anyone anywhere so wonder if there is ever a council clean-up of ratty / unusable ones or not. Some seem to border more in the realms of litter than bicycles.



Bicycles are parked up everywhere on the footpath…and not just bicycles!

Bits and Bobs:

We saw lots of funny sights which were a testament to how the uses of building has changed over time but this cracked me up



Watch that first step!

Last nights’ accommodation:

Bridges House Hotel
Oude Delft 74
2611 CD Delft Holland

We were intrigued to hear on our canal tour that the artist Vermeer lived in the hotel so I bet he was fit because the stairs are very steep! This was a delightful little hotel, very comfortable and charming outlook. Rooms comfortable, bathroom roomy well equipped including beautiful thick towels, comfortable beds though two singles which we don’t particularly enjoy but is the usual European thing. We also enjoyed the breakfast and the young host has excellent English and is very helpful. A good choice.



Bridges House Hotel