Amsterdam in April 2012

After checking out of our Barcelona digs, Carol hopped a train back to Gerona so that she could get her flight back to Minnesota and Anne & I caught our flight up to Amsterdam.

While it was much cooler in Amsterdam than in Southern France and Spain, it was a perfect time to visit the city.  We stayed in a hotel right next to the floating flower market which was full of tulips, daffodils and all manner of bulbs, flowers, plants, garden decorations and seeds. While only about half the size of Barcelona, tourists flock to the city in droves and nearly double the population in peak times.  We did our best to contribute to the congestion but still couldn't compete with the bicycles.

The Dutch seem to have made the bicycle some kind of god and any rights not given to them are taken by the riders. They snake around the city in huge packs - no helmets -as fast as they can go.  Nearly all ride 3 speed or less as the city is very level.  They do follow the stop light system to a degree as there are designated bike lanes, however, they also take up lots of space on the streets  that might otherwise be designated for pedestrians by parking or tossing their bikes on the sidewalks.

Things got much better for us once we found our way to the hotel and had a bit of rest, then it was off to see the city.  (Thank you to Sandra for providing us with a  guide to the city along with great suggestions for things to do!) We hopped on a tram and made our way to the Albert Cuypmarkt (a market like no other) where we sampled all manner of foods, took pictures of interesting things (for example: pants that will rub off your cellulite, a sandal/brush to wear in the shower that cleans your feet without needing to bend over, and the worlds highest platform shoes). We also bought a few items and had a great time people watching. We sampled a common Dutch street food Vlaamse Frites (think thick french fries) which many people eat with mayo, however we fell for the peanut sauce. Decadent!

 We took in the Van Gogh Museum  and saw his sunflowers, lots of paintings of his time in the south of  France and his bed room.

We spent time wandering the neighborhoods and soaking up the city - brilliant!

We also visited an award winning brewery, Brouwerij 't IJ which is where the locals go - great people watching!

Our final destination was to see the tulip gardens in full bloom, which required a bus trip outside the city to see the world famous Keukenhof gardens. They were nothing short of amazing - please see the pictures to get a sense of both the formal gardens as well as the amazing fields of flowers ( we could see them from the plane flying in!) that stretch for miles. It is truly something you must experience to understand.  A stunning day where all we could do was take pictures and say wow!

We loved Amsterdam and Holland and will be back to spend more time in this wonderful country.