Amsterdam

The answer to the previous Where in the World are We is.....Amsterdam. Here are the highlights from our long weekend and don't forget to check out the slideshows.

Friday - We were up at the crack of dawn (4am) to make the 5.5 hour drive to Amsterdam. Our first stop was Alkmaar, which is known for its cheese. Cheese...mmmm cheese. We had a tosti, which is kind of like a grilled cheese, but not as greasy. Souveniers from Alkmaar included 3 rounds of gouda (garlic, plain, herb). We headed south through Haarlem, then on to Lissel and the Keukenhof. Tulips galore! I'll have a separate post about the Keukenhof. A quick check in at the hotel, a little exploring, and then off for a 2 hour canal tour. It's always interesting to take a local tour in a new city. The tour guide *usually* makes for a fun time!

Saturday - The forecast called for 50% chance of showers. However, we were lucky enough that we didn't need our umbrellas; although we packed them, just in case. We were up early (unbeknownst to us Amsterdam does not get up until about 10am!) and walked to the floating flower market and then to Anne Frankhuis. I stood in line for about an hour and Chuck headed to a nearby church belltower to climb the steps and get some nice aerial pictures of the city. Fortunately for all the people behind me in line, I got to let them pass me until Chuck returned! Other stops included a return trip to the flower market where I bought 50 tulips for 10 Euro ($15USD) and 20 tulip bulbs for 5 Euro ($7.50USD); a little window shopping through the Fashion District; viewing over 200 Van Gogh paintings at the Van Gogh museum; and then dinner at a quaint Chinese restaurant. The Dutch aren't known for their food and we did try to find something a little more 'local'; however Amsterdam is filled with Hard Rock Cafe's/McDonalds/Burger King/Gauchos Steakhouse, so finding a non-chain restaurant was no easy feat.

Sunday - We knew we had a long trip ahead of us, so we were on the road by 9am. Most of the trip was on Germany's autobahn. The open road of no speed limits...and some folks do travel quite fast! We bought a Garmin nuvi 270 with US and European maps, so finding our way around Europe is turning out to be easier than I thought it would be...although the Garmin lady's voice is a bit annoying after awhile. After a few stops for gas...trust me, gas is CHEAP in the US...we were back in DK. Our car is diesel, which is a tad cheaper than gasoline, but we're paying about $10 a gallon.

Enjoy the pictures.