Amsterdam

It's been a busy week since I last wrote.  We have walked enough miles each day that I was too tired to write in the evenings.  Monday was 6.5 miles, Tuesday was 5.5 miles and Wednesday was 8.6 miles....my feet are tired.  We rode a train back to Brussels from Amsterdam today so we only walked 2.6 miles today.

Two in the shoe.

We both agree, Amsterdam is a great city if you love to walk.  It's also a great city if you like to travel by canal boat, tram, bus or bicycle.

Tulip fields out the window of the train.

Tulips are in season and there were lots of flower vendors as we walked around the city. 

More tulips from the train ride to Amsterdam.

We purchased a pass so that we could hop on and off the canal boats at will.  We used it as our main form of transportation when we weren't walking.  It gives a completely different view of the city.

There are over 2,000 canal boats that are used as homes, offices or maybe even as boats.  As we walked the city we were never more than a block or two from a canal.  For a boat lover this is paradise.

On Wednesday we went to the national museum, the Rijkmuseum.  The Netherlands are proud of their best painter, Rembrandt.  The museum featured him and many other Dutch painters, as well as miles of displays of their centuries of history.

We picked a hotel that looked down on Rembrandtplien Square.  This square has bronze sculptures of Rembrandt's most famous painting.  We could sit in our room with the windows swung open and watch the all day and night parade of tourists visiting the "Night Watch".

We got up early one morning to have it all to ourselves.

Shaking hands with the Master.

Even though we put on many miles we enjoyed the quiet times people watching from park benches.  The biggest challenge was learning not to be run over by the million bicycles that are the main form of transportation in the country.  We had several close calls.

Amsterdam will be remembered for great art, good food, fine canals and being a feast for the eyes.

The view from our window.

Life is good.
 (A little Known Fact:  This is the 400th blog post I've done to the "Lone Ranger's Blog.)

That's my backpacking girl heading for the train station this morning.