JULY IN AMSTERDAM. Review on Amsterdam

I have always wanted to see Amsterdam. I had been in the airport connection to planes more times than I can remember. My girlfriend and I took a 28 tour of Europe. The Cities were great but our Guide was the worse I have ever had and so I won't tell you what Company we used as they were kind enough to refund us 1/4 of what we paid, (as this was the Guides first tour since he came back after having a nervous breakdown). The first day we took the boat cruise through the canals of Amsterdam. The old canal houses, (are where many people live). They were so cute with the balconies that were covered with flower boxes and their pets sitting on the deck. As we went along the canal we passed many shops and home. It was early in the morning and the owner of the shops and someone from the house was sweeping the stairs and public street in front of their buildings. I am sure you could eat off the sidewalk of many streets in Amsterdam. The city is so beautiful and clean in some places.

After the boat cruise we went to see the Nieuwe Kerk Cathedral is near the Dam, then we made a stop at the Oude Kerk, (Amsterdam's oldest Cathedral), that is by the Red Light District. It was wonderful because the old organ was playing while we were there.

Then we went to see the Royal Palace.

We were then given a half-hour to shop....but we couldn't! All the shops were closed and the owners were sitting outside on chairs trying to get a sun tan. I saw a piece of Delft China, (it is always blue and white), I wanted to buy but the owner wouldn't open the store. He told me, 'The sun rarely shines in Amsterdam and when it does the people take the opportunity to take a break and get some sun.'

One night, (as part of our tour), we went to an older area of Amsterdam to see the 'Red Light District'. The 'ladies of the night' were sitting in windows, (like the gypsy women I remember in Edmonton). Each was in a different costume sitting on a sofa. The guide told it was safer for the prostitute to be in this area because a doctor checks them every week and no ‘client’ gets too rough. There were rows and rows of streets where the women worked. There were a few shops that old pornography and I frankly was happy when the half hour, (our guide only allowed us to spend a half hour at each stop and if we weren't back at the coach he had the diver leave). I had enough of seeing both men, (dressed as women), and women in lingerie. The streets were crowded and the people who wanted to be here to 'party' by attending a 'live sex shows and smoking pot in the coffee shops. (smoking pot is legal in Amsterdam).

The next day we went to the Keukenhof Gardens to see thousands of tulip beds that stretched for miles. I knew that tulips come in every color, (and some are multi-colored), but what a treat it was to see the very rare 'black tulip'. We did not have time to see the fountains or lakes because our half-hour stop was over and we were back on the coach to visit the Anne Frank The Anne Frank Huis, (house). I am sure it is one of the most famous museums in Amsterdam. I was so disappointed that the street it was on was so dirty with a lot of 'strange' people loitering around asking for a handout. We visited the factory and the small space where the Frank family and a few other people lived until the Nazis were tipped off and came and arrested them, (if you don't know what I am talking about please read one of the versions of the 'Diary of Anne Frank'). The Huis has become a Museum to remember the Jews of Amsterdam who died in the Holocaust and for the non-Jewish people who tried to help the Franks.

From there we drove passed the windmills to the fishing village of Volendam for lunch. I love pickled herring but I had no idea how many ways there are for picketing them. I went from stall to stall tasting each type until our half-hour stop was over and we were off the see how Gouda Cheese was made.

We toured the factory and bought a huge round of Gouda. Our Coach had a fringe in it and we thought we could keep our cheese in it for 28 days. The driver said we could store the cheese in the fridge but we all forgot at night the power goes off on the coach. I don't even want to tell you how bad the smell was as we got on the coach the next morning.

Our last stop was at the Wooden Shoe Factory. We didn't buy any but there were two huge wooden shoes in front of one store and we took pictures of each other wearing the clogs.

That night we had an option to try a traditional Indonesian dinner at a café on a square called Korte Leidsedwarsstraat. The dinner consists of many courses and it was delicious.

Eight of us decided we wanted to stay and visit a few bars. Each bar had a different type of music.

We ended the evening at a Bar that played songs from the 1930's-50's. I was surprised to find so many younger people singing these older songs with us.

Amsterdam was one of the cities we had the most fun in Europe. I would go back if I could as we did not see nearly enough.

Thanks for reading my review.