Amsterdam

Amsterdam was a surprise in many ways...and not in the way that some people might think.

• The contrast of the beautiful white swans floating through the canal for which on the shores contain the red light district (something for all tastes).
• The amount of space on the barge (Hendrick) on which we stayed - in utter contrast to our "cosy" barge on the Mayenne river earlier.
• How quiet living on the river in Amsterdam was.
• The insane number of people the congregate for the giant street party that is Queen's Day (2 million people)
• A delightful lunch with Wilma and Ronald at Hotel Americain. As we told them, we'd never had selected it based on the name....but the interior is a wonderful blend of belle epoque and art deco, with food to match. Lunch followed a revealing meander through the old town, during which they shared details of the history of what we were seeing, as well as a 17th century bar for a pre-lunch Jager!

Much reamains unseen and yet to be done, so we expect to return some day.