Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Tuesday August 8th—Amsterdam
After spending the day sight seeing in Berlin on Monday, we had a train leaving at 9:30 pm going to Brussels, Belgium. It was a sleeper which arrived at Brussels at 6:05 am. We got out to our platform about a half hour early and sat down to wait for out train. There were two girls there who were using EuRail planning books and maps like we have. I started to talk to them and found out that one was just graduating from college and one was just graduating from high school and getting read to go to college. They were touring Europe, backpacking and living in hostels. They were over here for 10 weeks and were having as much fun as we were. They probably thought they were having more fun cause we were old!! They were from Canada. We have met several people from Canada.
When we got to Brussels at 6:05 am we went to a hostel where we had a reservation for that night; Tuesday. We left our luggage in the storage room there and went back to the train station. We got on the train again and went to Amsterdam.
We spent the day touring and sight seeing in Amsterdam and then returned to Brussels. We had breakfast on the train to Amsterdam. We passed through The Hague on the way and took some pictures from the train.
We also passed through Antwerp which is the diamond center of the world.
We did not see D. Geller, but I’m sure he was around somewhere buying the best diamonds for his customers in Atlanta.
Amsterdam is a lovely city, but they are not as well equipped to handle tourists as most of the other cities which we have visited. We spent a lot of time in lines at the tourist office at the train station trying to arrange a tour. We finally got it settled, but we had to wait about two and a half hours. We took a tram out to the Van Gogh Museum. Mary wanted to go there and thought she could get in some time and then return at the end of the tour. The line was so long that she gave up on that idea and we just walked around in the old town and took pictures. We went to the Old Church and got some pictures of it.
It is right in the middle of the red light district so Mary was taking pictures of that scene. A guy told her that it was illegal to take pictures and if the women called a cop she could have to pay a big fine. She didn’t take any more red light pictures.
She did get some strange pictures of shop windows displaying their wares.
Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village in the 13th century. It became a very important sea port for the low countries. As its importance increased it naturally grew. The city grew around the construction of a canal system.
The first canal was built in the 14th century and it was a half circle around the port area. In the 15th century another canal was built farther out, also in a half circle. Two more canals were added, one in the 17th and another in the 19th centuries.
This gives the city a half moon shape around the harbor. After the last canal in the 19th century the growth of the city is in a more traditional square system. All of these canals are fresh water except the North Sea Canal which is the last one built. It is only 24 km from the center of the city to the North Sea via the Canal. There are more than a hundred canals cut through the city to connect the main canals. There are some very unique art works on the bridge railings over the canals. The only natural waterway in Amsterdam is the Amstel River, from which the city got it’s name.
We spent some time in the square named The Dam.
The National Monument to the WWII is located here across from the Royal Palace which was built for Napoleon when he became emperor of the country.
Next to the Palace is the New Church which was designed by the same architect as the Royal Palace and the Central Rail Station.
The rail station is built on an island in the harbor which is man made.
In the 17th century more room was needed for the necessary buildings in the harbor area so they built the island. Today it is no longer a part of the port, but is residential with the rail station located there.
The oldest building in the harbor area is the Shipping House. It is shaped like a ship. It was built in the 15th century and is a hotel now. The Museum of Technology is a green building which is also shaped like a ship.
The picture of the church which is under repair is of the oldest Catholic Church built in Holland.
Just around the corner is a square building which is a Synagogue built in the 17th century.
On the same street is a theater which is trimmed in blue.
This was a stop for Jews who were attempting to escape from oppression during the war.
They are very proud of their zoo here in Amsterdam. In particular the mention their Gold Eagles and the fact that they have a brand new baby giraffe just born this year. Also of civic note, not mentioned by any of the tour guides is the fact that mixed in with the Old Europe you occasionally see a McDonalds, Burger King and either Domino’s or Pizza Hut. There are a lot of Tex-Mex places over here. Every street has a bicycle path and there are more bicycles owned in Amsterdam than there are people.
We got a chance to stop the tour bus at a windmill. There are only five windmills remaining in the city. This one is still operational. The blades turn, but it does not pump water.
These things are so big that the wind does not turn the head to allow for change of wind directions. There is a wheel, like on a ship, and the direction must be changed with the steering wheel.
I mentioned earlier the number of canals and waterways in Amsterdam. On these waterways there are about 2500 houseboats which are owned by the city. They can be leased and people live on them as a full time residence.
Most lease for about 1000 Euro. The Euro is equal to about $1.27 at the current exchange rate. Houses sell for about three thousand to eight thousand Euros per square foot, so that might be a bargain.
The last place we went on our tour was to the Diamond Factory.
This is a wholesale/retail distributor of diamonds and jewelry. We learned how diamonds are cut and polished before they are set. We saw the different color and quality of diamonds and we were able to compare sizes.
The locked the door and had cameras on us, but they actually allowed us to pick up and look at diamonds a large as five karat. It kinda made my wallet feel thin. After the diamond factory we went to the Van Gogh Museum.
Mary went inside and I stayed outside and wrote some postcards. When she was finished (when the museum closed) we got on a train and went back to Brussels. It was kind of a rushed up visit, but we felt it was worth the time and effort to see a National Capitol even for just one day and a long train ride.
After spending the day sight seeing in Berlin on Monday, we had a train leaving at 9:30 pm going to Brussels, Belgium. It was a sleeper which arrived at Brussels at 6:05 am. We got out to our platform about a half hour early and sat down to wait for out train. There were two girls there who were using EuRail planning books and maps like we have. I started to talk to them and found out that one was just graduating from college and one was just graduating from high school and getting read to go to college. They were touring Europe, backpacking and living in hostels. They were over here for 10 weeks and were having as much fun as we were. They probably thought they were having more fun cause we were old!! They were from Canada. We have met several people from Canada.
When we got to Brussels at 6:05 am we went to a hostel where we had a reservation for that night; Tuesday. We left our luggage in the storage room there and went back to the train station. We got on the train again and went to Amsterdam.
We spent the day touring and sight seeing in Amsterdam and then returned to Brussels. We had breakfast on the train to Amsterdam. We passed through The Hague on the way and took some pictures from the train.
We also passed through Antwerp which is the diamond center of the world.
We did not see D. Geller, but I’m sure he was around somewhere buying the best diamonds for his customers in Atlanta.
Amsterdam is a lovely city, but they are not as well equipped to handle tourists as most of the other cities which we have visited. We spent a lot of time in lines at the tourist office at the train station trying to arrange a tour. We finally got it settled, but we had to wait about two and a half hours. We took a tram out to the Van Gogh Museum. Mary wanted to go there and thought she could get in some time and then return at the end of the tour. The line was so long that she gave up on that idea and we just walked around in the old town and took pictures. We went to the Old Church and got some pictures of it.
It is right in the middle of the red light district so Mary was taking pictures of that scene. A guy told her that it was illegal to take pictures and if the women called a cop she could have to pay a big fine. She didn’t take any more red light pictures.
She did get some strange pictures of shop windows displaying their wares.
Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village in the 13th century. It became a very important sea port for the low countries. As its importance increased it naturally grew. The city grew around the construction of a canal system.
The first canal was built in the 14th century and it was a half circle around the port area. In the 15th century another canal was built farther out, also in a half circle. Two more canals were added, one in the 17th and another in the 19th centuries.
This gives the city a half moon shape around the harbor. After the last canal in the 19th century the growth of the city is in a more traditional square system. All of these canals are fresh water except the North Sea Canal which is the last one built. It is only 24 km from the center of the city to the North Sea via the Canal. There are more than a hundred canals cut through the city to connect the main canals. There are some very unique art works on the bridge railings over the canals. The only natural waterway in Amsterdam is the Amstel River, from which the city got it’s name.
We spent some time in the square named The Dam.
The National Monument to the WWII is located here across from the Royal Palace which was built for Napoleon when he became emperor of the country.
Next to the Palace is the New Church which was designed by the same architect as the Royal Palace and the Central Rail Station.
The rail station is built on an island in the harbor which is man made.
In the 17th century more room was needed for the necessary buildings in the harbor area so they built the island. Today it is no longer a part of the port, but is residential with the rail station located there.
The oldest building in the harbor area is the Shipping House. It is shaped like a ship. It was built in the 15th century and is a hotel now. The Museum of Technology is a green building which is also shaped like a ship.
The picture of the church which is under repair is of the oldest Catholic Church built in Holland.
Just around the corner is a square building which is a Synagogue built in the 17th century.
On the same street is a theater which is trimmed in blue.
This was a stop for Jews who were attempting to escape from oppression during the war.
They are very proud of their zoo here in Amsterdam. In particular the mention their Gold Eagles and the fact that they have a brand new baby giraffe just born this year. Also of civic note, not mentioned by any of the tour guides is the fact that mixed in with the Old Europe you occasionally see a McDonalds, Burger King and either Domino’s or Pizza Hut. There are a lot of Tex-Mex places over here. Every street has a bicycle path and there are more bicycles owned in Amsterdam than there are people.
We got a chance to stop the tour bus at a windmill. There are only five windmills remaining in the city. This one is still operational. The blades turn, but it does not pump water.
These things are so big that the wind does not turn the head to allow for change of wind directions. There is a wheel, like on a ship, and the direction must be changed with the steering wheel.
I mentioned earlier the number of canals and waterways in Amsterdam. On these waterways there are about 2500 houseboats which are owned by the city. They can be leased and people live on them as a full time residence.
Most lease for about 1000 Euro. The Euro is equal to about $1.27 at the current exchange rate. Houses sell for about three thousand to eight thousand Euros per square foot, so that might be a bargain.
The last place we went on our tour was to the Diamond Factory.
This is a wholesale/retail distributor of diamonds and jewelry. We learned how diamonds are cut and polished before they are set. We saw the different color and quality of diamonds and we were able to compare sizes.
The locked the door and had cameras on us, but they actually allowed us to pick up and look at diamonds a large as five karat. It kinda made my wallet feel thin. After the diamond factory we went to the Van Gogh Museum.
Mary went inside and I stayed outside and wrote some postcards. When she was finished (when the museum closed) we got on a train and went back to Brussels. It was kind of a rushed up visit, but we felt it was worth the time and effort to see a National Capitol even for just one day and a long train ride.
