29/5 Amsterdam - City of sin

Tuesday 29 Amsterdam – City of Sin

Very leisurely start  - even had time to pick up a fridge magnet before we sauntered round to the station. The train was 5 minutes late and we didn’t have specific seat reservations but all went well. The trip to Amsterdam was only 2.5 hours. Didn’t see any tulips but we did spot a windmill and lots of canals.

 Station

We found the tram station right outside the train station and caught the number 2 tram. Jumped off at the van Gogh museum and found the hostel pretty easily. Amsterdam houses are renowned for being VERY narrow and consequently having dangerously steep staircases, which often run up to 6 stories. The reviews in hostelbookers are full of gripes about them. But no such worries for us- one flight up and there is a lift anyway *smug*.

Went for a looong walk round and eventually right through the city centre. Very pleasant – particularly the huge park with miles and miles of roads full of cyclists. Amsterdam is a city of bicycles!! There was a stork with a nest and 2 chicks on a high pole on an island in the middle of a small lake, which was interesting to watch.

Barges to park your bike on

Art ... quite effective display

Not the skinny bridge - but a beautiful one anyway

I should clarify that we only described Amsterdam as the City of Sin to lure you into reading this blog. It does have a reputation as the place where marijuana is legal and there is a very visible red light district, but apparently it’s the tourists that smoke all the dope – the Dutch have one of the lower percentages of dope smokers in the western world. And the working girls are very out in the public eye – they pose in their windows in not much else and lure men in for the regulation 15 minutes. So it is very visible but there are only 300 windows, which is not excessive for a major sea port and big city. We learned all this from the city walk that we did tomorrow. Although we did sit for an hour and watch the comings and goings with the girls across the narrow canal, and the dozens of people lining up to pay E35 to watch the live sex show next door. Apparently it’s the best in the world and we did hear gasps and applause (from the audience) but  we just didn’t feel like paying to watch.

Gentlemens loo.  Alright for some isn't it.  These are located around the city.

Dinner time came and went so we reluctantly ditched the plan to get some ham sandwiches from the supermarket and availed ourselves of the 2 Euro meals from Burger King – yes meals! Something like a Whopper Junior with fries and coke. This sustained us for the walk back.