... And a 12 hours sleep it was.
I don't remember the last time that I slept for 12 hours! We woke to an overcast morning that was only going to burn off as the day progressed.
Hungry, for both adventure and food, we boarded the number 14 Tram bound for Dam Square. The plan being finding a Café (as opposed to a 'Coffee Shop' - big difference) and get some breakfast. Nearly at Dam Square we cut our tram journey short at an amazing looking art market at Rembrandt Plein.
We finally found our breakfast a short while towards Dam Square in the form of a Gouda Sesame Bagle, Nutella & Pistachio Croissant, and an Esspresso. This was hungrily gobbled up as we sat canal side, legs dangling over the water.
Today was a day of walking. And a day of getting a lay of the land, and finding our bearings. That meant we saw a lot.
First stop was Dam Square and the Royal Palace, which Laura informed me was once the largest secular building in the world.
Next was a slow wander up to the Central Station and the information centre to enquirer about bike hire. Once the one of three mandatory quotes was made, Laura led us off through the lazy canal sidled streets toward Anne Frank's House.
Amsterdam, my preconceptions said was just bikes and canals. Well, let me tell you fine reader, my preconceptions were correct. What a beautiful, picturesque city.
Small brown cafés (that's a pub) adjacent to canals filled with boats filled with smiling locals and wide eyed tourists. Flowers in bloom in pots attached to bridge railing.
Everything screams 'take a photo of me!'
We eventually made it to Anne Frank's House, but purely based on the line, and the weather (by this time we were sweating buckets and in need of a coke) we decided to push on for refreshments and eventually home.
Between us and home, was the city centre. So naturally we headed that way, past the Royal Palace and on to somewhere where, by way of the twisting, turning canals, we had no idea where we were.
So we headed for a tall landmark the we could see through the buildings and ended up at Neiuw Markt. We only briefly looked at the stalls before carrying on home (we knew we had a bit of a walk and a supermarket stop to make).
Continuing on the streets began to close in around us, and the windows started to take on a slight red tint. Then suddenly we were greeted by the propositions of half naked women in red curtained windows. Definitely the Red Light District then...
Needless to say we weren't in the market for those particular weirs, so we carried on.
We ended our long and sight filled day with a swim before meeting Jamie, fresh from London, who joined us at the campsite for a BBQ and trip planning session, which was only interrupted when the mess area was beckoned over to watch a van across the road as it burst into flames. An eventful end to an eventful day.
Labels: Amsterdam 2016
