BLOG 3: Two Days in Amsterdam

On the first day of our Amsterdam stopover, we go on a three-hour city tour by bike with our guide Anna. We take the free ferry from the Vliegenbos campsite to the city. After meeting Anna at Brouwersgracht / Singel, we ride through the canal belt, along canals and alleys that are only accessible to bicycles, and through various neighborhoods such as Jordaan (the old working-class district), De 9 Straatjes, and others, to the Albert Cuyp Market. This street market extends for several kilometers on Albert Cuyp Street and offers an incredible mix of food, clothing, street food, antiques, souvenirs, etc. Of course, we have to try the specialties like the Hollandse Nieuwe Haring, smoked eel from the Ijssel Meer, and the sweet Stroopwafels. A can of Heineken beer goes well with the fish.... Bicycles are not allowed on the market, so after refueling and the rather long walk, we are very happy to get back on our bikes. We ride over the Magere Brug, cross the Amstel River, and reach Nieuwmarkt with De Waag, a former city gate. Here we say goodbye to Anna and ride the ferry back to the campsite.

The second day is rainy all day, so we switch from bikes to Uber - not without some problems with the pick-up. But we manage to arrive more or less on time for our meeting with Merel - our guide for the day at the Rijksmuseum. In a two-hour whirlwind tour, she shows us the highlights of this massive museum, with a special focus on the Flemish painters of the 16th and 17th centuries. Afterward, we visit the Vermeer special exhibition, where despite the limited number of daily visitors, there are still too many people crowding around the masterpieces.

Due to the heavy rain, we decide not to take the planned canal boat trip. Instead, we walk through the shopping streets of Nieuwe Zijde to Dam Square - the main square of Amsterdam, with the rather gloomy royal palace.

The return trip with Uber goes smoothly, and we are glad to be back at our motorhome after 7868 steps in the museum and in the rain.