Amsterdamn.

Maybe we spoiled it for ourselves by going to Scotland first, but wow, what a disappointment.  We arrived yesterday morning, stayed last night and tonight and we're looking forward to leaving tomorrow.

It's dirty, the streets smell like urine and cheap shake, the water tastes like saline, the people generally don't smile here and couldn't be bothered by the hoards of tourists needing information about the city.  The only highlights are the nicer trains, nice weather, and the museums we visited today. 

We bought an all day pass today on the hop-on-hop-off canal cruise thing and did a museum tour. We didn't get a chance to go into Anne Frank House (the lineup was horrendous), but we did get to see the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum.  WOW, it was so amazing to see all that art in person.  The pictures and what you see on TV doesn't do it justice at all.  This was our first experience of having to go through a security check and metal detectors in order to get admittance into a museum--can understand why though.  The art is priceless.

The last tourist-y thing we did was take a stroll through the Red Light District tonight before heading home.  Interesting.  That's all we've got to say.

Perhaps if we were younger or like to party we might have liked it here better but that's just not our thing anymore.  We've been told other parts of the Netherlands are much nicer, but we'll have to take their word on it because we're off to Berlin in the morning! 

Amsterdam version of Chinatown--super expensive, cost us 10 euro for a small bowl of pho!  For those who don't know how much that is in dollars, it's about 14 bucks.

Had to take a picture of this... translation:  rob a bank?

Our cheese and bacon pannekoek breakfast



Bikes, bikes, and more bikes!  As far as the eye can see...  How would you find your bike in this??



Apparently the most photographed part of Amsterdam

Had the most amazing oil on canvas paintings from the 17th century

 

The only part of the museum you're allowed to photograph