Seriously, it had a cinema (which was showing The Boss), a cafeteria, a duty-free shop, a fancy sit-down restaurant, an arcade, a news room, a coffee shop, an internet cafe, slot machines and an actual casino dealer, an outdoor bar, and an outdoor, caged-in basketball court. I was completely blown away. Plus, Wheat could dunk on the rim, so he was more than excited. We spent our evening playing in the arcade and toasting to an incredible time in London before beginning...
Day 6
Amsterdam, Netherlands
14,350 steps
Highlights: I amsterdam sign, Canal cruise, Leidseplein
After waking up with Holland outside our window, we showered, gathered our things, and hopped on two different trains (totaling about two hours) that took us to Amsterdam. It was a drizzly day and, after taking the tram toward our hotel, we found ourselves stumbling around, completely lost. While trying to get our bearings straight, my backpack toppled off my suitcase and onto the uneven, cobblestone sidewalk. Concerned, I checked my camera immediately and let out an agonized sob when I found what appeared to be a shattered lens. I was absolutely devastated.
Eventually, we found our precious hotel, Hotel La Boheme, but we weren't allowed to check in yet. We explained my heartbreaking predicament to the woman behind the desk and she immediately jumped to action - calling camera stores in the area. With directions in-hand, we set off into the rain to buy a replacement lens. I'll spare you the details, but we ended up getting lost again and absolutely no one in the area had ever heard of the Camera Warehouse. Thanks to a Dutch good samaritan with a cell phone, we finally tracked down the store (well over an hour later) and found out that the lens hadn't shattered, only the protective cover. Unfortunately, when the camera fell, it bent the rim of the lens, so I wasn't able to replace the cover, but I was relieved to avoid buying a brand new lens. Soaked to the bone and exhausted, we had a quick lunch before heading back to the hotel to check in.
Our room was on the fifth (and top) floor of the hotel and I cannot stress to you how steep the stairs were. Pictures simply do not do it justice. At one point, we were basically crawling up the stairs, using our hands to help us balance with our bags. However, once we reached our room, we found two free drink coupons awaiting us as a reward for the climb.
After a nap and some freshening up, we put the coupons to good use in the lobby/bar area of the hotel. The hotel, which had a live-in cat named Mimi in the lobby and cat-related decor, was so comfortable and quaint. Throughout our stay in Amsterdam, we spent a lot of time resting our feet in the lobby, mostly to use the wifi and avoid climbing the stairs unnecessarily. Every day, the hotel would host a free Dutch cheese tasting and there was always free coffee, hot chocolate, and treats to enjoy while relaxing. It was an absolute dream.
That evening, we decided to take a canal cruise to orient ourselves with the city. We had some time to kill before the cruise, so we walked over to the Museumplein to see the outside of the Rijksmuseum and the famous i amsterdam sign. Upon arrival, we heard loud music and cheering emanating from a gated garden at the Rijksmuseum. A couple hundred people were dancing while fireworks and streamers flew through the air. An older gentlemen sang classics like "Sweet Caroline" and "I Can See Clearly Now." With my curiosity piqued, I had to ask what was going on and quickly learned it was the annual employee party at the Rijksmuseum. The singer, Lee Towers, is a Dutch celebrity of sorts, who Wheat and I liken to Wayne Newton, so we spent a little while enjoying the music and party atmosphere.
As expected, the Museumplein was crowded with tourists and locals alike who draped themselves all over the massive i amsterdam letters. Once we'd had our fill of pictures, we made our way back and boarded our boat. The cruise, which wound through the gorgeous canals of the city, came with a free drink and trail mix and we enjoyed the incredible views while listening to an audio tour of what we were passing. We wound through the Red Light District at dusk, admired the awesome houseboats filled with locals going about their daily business, and learned about the history of the city while laughing at the cheesiness of the audio guide. It was an incredibly romantic, perfect way to start our time in the city.
After the cruise, we made our way back to the Leidseplein, the nightlife district where our hotel was located. It was bustling with people eating at restaurants, smoking at "coffee shops" (which is what they call the bars/shops where marijuana is dispensed), and congregating outside of bars to watch the Euro soccer game. We wandered along the square, stopping to watch Portugal beat Poland in penalty kicks and devour fries with ketchup and mayo, before calling it an early night.
Eventually, we found our precious hotel, Hotel La Boheme, but we weren't allowed to check in yet. We explained my heartbreaking predicament to the woman behind the desk and she immediately jumped to action - calling camera stores in the area. With directions in-hand, we set off into the rain to buy a replacement lens. I'll spare you the details, but we ended up getting lost again and absolutely no one in the area had ever heard of the Camera Warehouse. Thanks to a Dutch good samaritan with a cell phone, we finally tracked down the store (well over an hour later) and found out that the lens hadn't shattered, only the protective cover. Unfortunately, when the camera fell, it bent the rim of the lens, so I wasn't able to replace the cover, but I was relieved to avoid buying a brand new lens. Soaked to the bone and exhausted, we had a quick lunch before heading back to the hotel to check in.
Our room was on the fifth (and top) floor of the hotel and I cannot stress to you how steep the stairs were. Pictures simply do not do it justice. At one point, we were basically crawling up the stairs, using our hands to help us balance with our bags. However, once we reached our room, we found two free drink coupons awaiting us as a reward for the climb.
After a nap and some freshening up, we put the coupons to good use in the lobby/bar area of the hotel. The hotel, which had a live-in cat named Mimi in the lobby and cat-related decor, was so comfortable and quaint. Throughout our stay in Amsterdam, we spent a lot of time resting our feet in the lobby, mostly to use the wifi and avoid climbing the stairs unnecessarily. Every day, the hotel would host a free Dutch cheese tasting and there was always free coffee, hot chocolate, and treats to enjoy while relaxing. It was an absolute dream.
That evening, we decided to take a canal cruise to orient ourselves with the city. We had some time to kill before the cruise, so we walked over to the Museumplein to see the outside of the Rijksmuseum and the famous i amsterdam sign. Upon arrival, we heard loud music and cheering emanating from a gated garden at the Rijksmuseum. A couple hundred people were dancing while fireworks and streamers flew through the air. An older gentlemen sang classics like "Sweet Caroline" and "I Can See Clearly Now." With my curiosity piqued, I had to ask what was going on and quickly learned it was the annual employee party at the Rijksmuseum. The singer, Lee Towers, is a Dutch celebrity of sorts, who Wheat and I liken to Wayne Newton, so we spent a little while enjoying the music and party atmosphere.
As expected, the Museumplein was crowded with tourists and locals alike who draped themselves all over the massive i amsterdam letters. Once we'd had our fill of pictures, we made our way back and boarded our boat. The cruise, which wound through the gorgeous canals of the city, came with a free drink and trail mix and we enjoyed the incredible views while listening to an audio tour of what we were passing. We wound through the Red Light District at dusk, admired the awesome houseboats filled with locals going about their daily business, and learned about the history of the city while laughing at the cheesiness of the audio guide. It was an incredibly romantic, perfect way to start our time in the city.
After the cruise, we made our way back to the Leidseplein, the nightlife district where our hotel was located. It was bustling with people eating at restaurants, smoking at "coffee shops" (which is what they call the bars/shops where marijuana is dispensed), and congregating outside of bars to watch the Euro soccer game. We wandered along the square, stopping to watch Portugal beat Poland in penalty kicks and devour fries with ketchup and mayo, before calling it an early night.
Those night shots are BEAUTIFUL. What kind of camera did you end up getting? Bummer about the camera scare, of course, but I'm glad it didn't shatter in the middle of your honeymoon. The ship you used looked awesome! Is that how most people to get to Holland from England? Keep em coming!
ReplyDeleteLee Towers is my hero.
ReplyDeleteWow, so awesome. Sounds like such a fun place to visit, and looks beautiful too!!
ReplyDelete