The weather was not very promising today but in the end it only drizzled on and off, so was not a bother.
A canal boat tour is a must in Amsterdam and I think I got the best views of the city from the boat. As in Delft, there are canals crisscrossing the city and it was very enjoyable to sit in the boat and look at the sights as well as people going about their lives. I saw that people really do park their cars right on the edge of the canals, with only a few centimeters to sidle along to the driver’s door.
The average person has at least three bikes so they are parked all over the place, or else threatening to run you over if you put a toe into a bike lane. The riders are fast and aggressive. The everyday bike is for going to work and parking in a public place where it could be stolen, so it’s a cheap one. The cargo bike is for shopping (I think) and carrying kids. People can carry 3 or 4 kids in them. Then there’s the good bike for longer trips, picnics etc.
My ticket was for the canal boat and also the hop on hop off bus so I set off in the direction of stop number one. Fortunately I was under cover along the back of the station as it started to rain. What a good time to stop for a coffee in one of the cafes there. By the time I’d had my cuppa the rain had stopped and I could continue on to the HOHO stop.
I stayed on the bus and did the whole journey round so that I could get a feel for the city, then remained on again until stop 3, Gasson Diamonds. A free tour was included in my ticket so I joined that. We saw diamonds being cut and were given a talk about how diamonds are valued - carat, clarity, colour and cut. The guide took out a number of examples leading up to a top quality diamond worth somewhere around A$80,000. He also brought out trays of rings for people to try on. I just looked and fortunately didn’t feel at all tempted.
After Gassons I had a little wander around that area before returning and joining another bus. I had been to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum years ago so I didn’t bother to revisit them and time was passing anyway. So back to stop number one and a return walk behind the station. Every time I’ve been near here there have been huge barges going by, bikes zooming on and off ferries and huge activity at the station.
I’ll aim to get there early in the morning as the station is enormous and I have to find my platform.
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| Rembrandt’s house |
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