Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter! Some Pictures of Amsterdam to Share

For those of you who celebrate Happy Easter Sunday!  For those who don't I hope you enjoy your long weekend. I still have a couple hundred (seriously) of Portugal photos to edit before I can share them but I did manage to get some of the Amsterdam pictures edited last night and as you can tell, they all have the Spring vibe!  Our visit to Amsterdam was really only two days so we tried to make the most of it.  We visited Anne Frank's house, and fortunately booked our time slot two months before or we wouldn't have been able to visit as the lineup was 2-3 hours long in a very cold and blowing wind.  For those interested in visiting, the price is exactly the same without the lineup when you book in advance.  You bypass the line and go to a special door where they buzz you in.  You are not permitted to take pictures. Anne Frank's house was very moving and I was brought to tears by the end of the 1.5 hour self-guided tour.  If you have ever read the book, as I did in grade school, you will know the story.  Hubby had never read it so I ordered it a few months ago and he read it right before the trip with all the details fresh in his mind.  This was only one of two things I wanted to do in Amsterdam and we are so glad we did.  

Another thing we wanted to do is a Canal Cruise.  Only tourists ride these by the way, but it was a nice way of seeing areas of Amsterdam our feet were too tired to take us.  We paid 20 Euro each for a 24 hour hop-on-hop-off tour with Canal Bus. We did not take buses or trams but walked everywhere else.  It is one of those things you will likely do once on your first visit to Amsterdam, but a bit costly.  





If we had avoided all the other tourist traps that Amsterdam has to offer (and there are many) we probably would have enjoyed it a little more but April has the highest crowds and I don't deal with huge crowds very well.  In Portugal the crowds were underwhelming so there was no issue.  We are not really art lovers so avoided the art museums (would rather look at ancient artifacts).  I had one look at Dam Square and they had parked a carnival right in front of the Royal Palace!  I don't know who thought that was a great idea but past Kings and Queens must have been rolling over in their graves. Originally we had intended to visit the Palace but that was out of the question with the carnival and crowds.

Royal Palace

View from our Canal Cruise

Tourist Cheese Shop

Glorious Tulips in Bloom

One of the Many Flower Bulb Shops 

If ever in Amsterdam, I do not recommend making a trip specifically to the floating flower markets.  You will find bulbs and cheap tourist trinkets, not flowers.   As we had gone all the way to the Floating Flower Market we were very near Waterlooplein Market so checked it out.  Mostly tourist souvenirs but there were a few small older antique and vintage items.  I did pick up one special old souvenir there which I shall share in a later post.  So many people there though.
Waterlooplein Markt

Our favorite market of all was a local non-tourist one located within two blocks of our hotel - the Ten Katemarkt just outside the Jordaan neighborhood which our hotel owner so kindly recommended.  You could buy fresh flowers, meat, veggies, cheeses, nuts, fish, drugstore type products, tools, clothes, and the best vegetables.  It was clear that those shopping there were picking up groceries and not just tourists.  And yes, almost everyone gets around by bike.  We spent almost an hour wandering around this market, and I am so glad we found it, definitely worth a trip.

One of our favorite spots, Ten Katemarkt
Flowers at Ten Katemarkt

Arrangements at Ten Katemarkt


Westerkerk Church, burial place of Rembrandt

Canal View

Canal living, Amsterdam

That is just a brief overview of our two days in Amsterdam, I will share more in the coming weeks.  We have spent the weekend doing laundry, mowing lawn (seriously, it is growing like crazy now on Vancouver Island), cleaning out the fridge (before all the new groceries went in), cleaning the house, getting up to speed on business items, signing our income tax from the accountant, editing photos, and later today, having a nice Easter Sunday BBQ with my Mom.  I wish you all a nice relaxing Sunday!

24 comments:

  1. I don't do crowds either. The cheeses made my my mouth water, so many choices in Europe. You did an amazing amount of sightseeing in two days. Glad you found some "real" places to experience the true culture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We really enjoyed taste testing the cheeses - that alone was worth going back! I am sure there will be a next time so will know what quieter areas we want to explore then.

      Delete
  2. So much color! So enchanting! That cheese shop looks amazing! Can't wait to see more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really didn't realize all the color until I went to edit photos. Spring is a nice time to visit for that reason!

      Delete
  3. That market is lovely. We went to the Borough Market in Southwark when in London. Very crowded, but not very touristy. LOVED IT, but I was too overwhelmed to do anything but stare at everyone.

    The other one we went to in Greenwich during the week was much more calm and perfect.

    Earlier this year, we started planning a trip through Amsterdam - a couple of days- like yours. Good to know about the Ann Frank exhibit!

    Your pictures are just lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like fun - I hate having to elbow someone to look at stuff.

      Delete
  4. Lovely pics, I'll be looking forward to seeing more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jill! I shall now spread them out a bit over the next month or so. Still a bunch left to edit

      Delete
  5. I'm loving this - I haven't been to Amsterdam but Jon and everyone else raves about the gorgeous architecture and buzzy vibe. Can't wait for the next instalment! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The buildings were my favorite. That and all the restaurants. Anything you could ever want to eat you can find in Amsterdam. Such a collection of culture.

      Delete
  6. Thank you for sharing. I was so looking forward to "seeing" your trip.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's always best to live as locals do...you get a 'real' feel of a place.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are exactly right. That is part of the reason I enjoy just "wandering around" in a place

      Delete
  8. Looks like spring! Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely was Spring there, apparently they got a much warmer than usual winter so the flowers bloomed earlier than other years. The trees were in bloom which was really nice.

      Delete
  9. Beautiful pictures I'm glad you're sharing with us! I'm glad you had a nice trip

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks - it was a great trip. So nice when a plan comes together.

      Delete
  10. I had no idea that April was the busy time in Amsterdam but I suppose its because of the tulips? Can't wait to see Portugal :) and welcome home you weary world travellers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, one of the busiest due to the flowers. Portugal high season is in the summer but a little more off the beaten track than Amsterdam so I think they likely never see the same crowds. Lots of Portuguese go to National Monuments on the weekend (Sundays are free) so they say to go during the which which we did.

      Delete
  11. Just getting caught up from a week up the lake. Sounds like you had a fantastic trip. I'll be watching for more photos and stories. I see you can live in a floating home even in Amsterdam. Probably not quite as cheap as up the lake though, plus way less private. But anywhere on the water is nice. I'm with you. I like finding places the locals go vs. tourists. Good for you. Can't wait to see your treasure. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, those floating Amsterdam homes would definitely not be very private with tourists gawking all the time and lots of canal traffic. You have beautiful peace and quiet. I am with you though, anywhere on the water rocks.

      Delete
  12. Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. So sorry your experience wasn't everything it might have been, but glad you got to see at least some of the real thing and not only the touristy stuff. What a shame about Dam Square! I love it there. We've got a gorgeous, historic plaza here that is lined with wisterias. They don't bloom for long, but when they do, it's breathtaking... except the city decided to run a huge, hideous, and very mediocre book fair during the entire bloom season. The flowers stop blooming, the fair comes down. In the meantime, the plaza is hideous and filled with ugly, plywood booths. As for museums, I'm in heaven when I'm in Amsterdam!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sure we will be back to Amsterdam, I now know what to avoid and where I would like to go back to - maybe even take in a museum! It is one of the cities easiest to connect to from here to see Europe/Africa so very likely see another stopover in our future :)

      Delete