After a bit of an early rocky start leaving Scotland, we had a great flight to Amsterdam. Jayllee and I both closed our eyes and slept, actually the pilot did the smoothest take off and landing I have ever experienced, so kudos to him. Schipol airport is huge. Fifth biggest in Europe apparently. Pack you comfy shoes to get from one end to the other and follow the crowd closely as you will get lost otherwise. We just managed to keep track of the crowd, then caught the train to Amsterdam, booked and paid for the fast direct train called Fayre, paid an extra two Euros each - bad move - train had been cancelled (no signs saying so), so we just caught the pleb one anyway.
Checked into the hotel - arrived early and they hadn't been given my request for early check in, but kindly gave us a room four hours early, (mind you I am pretty sure it wasn't the superior I booked) but it was fab to take a few mins in a room. I'd only had an hour and a bit sleep and we'd been up since 3:30am for the flight, so I collapsed on the bed for a brief siesta. Oh and caught the cab - $ 45 from say my place to Bunbury Centro or say my house in nz to the wharf. Geeish - scary stuff! And that was just from the train station to hotel.
Then we hit the streets. First impression - crazy roads, crazy drivers and even crazier street layout. Drizzly and chilly, there's nothing new in that, so rugged up again, scarf, brolly and jacket. Jayllee stepped out, "Come on Mum, it's fine!" I"m like, "Yep, Jays, you're looking the wrong direction for traffic." But crazy is good. It is definitely unlike anywhere else I have been. And once you get the hang of the canals, it is great. Just remember the layout goes like this....pedestrian path, BIKE path (only worked that out on the last day, thought it was part of the pedestrian path), very narrow pedestrian space, double tram and car lines, very small pedestrian space, BIKE track then back to the pedestrian crossing. See easy isn't it. Advice is follow the green man - most of the time, if you want to make it alive.
But there are eateries, pubs and cafes everywhere. Our hotel was on the city centre edge, so we had a nice walk through all of these. Jays ordered a pancake from the Pancake Palace - BIG pancake, think twice the size of your plate - awesome, she loved it, couldn't eat it all, and I had ribs - yummo. A great start. There are an interesting collection of shops and fashions. Not being a fashion slave, I was a tad oblivious to it all, but I can assure you I have never seen so many boots, shoes or orange clogs for sale anywhere. Boots, of all shapes and colours, and rainbow platform jandals (thongs for you aussies)! Handbags, which looked as though someone had skinned a mammoth to create, super bright fluro tops, dresses in a rather interesting juxtaposition of 60s,70s and 80s - the 70s I recognised from my youth! The 80s from my teens and the other stuff - was so weird it had to be 60s! If Jayllee had double the luggage allowance, she'd be in heaven. Of course, minor issue the prices!!!! The prices are the same as ours only in Euros! How do they live here? I have no idea! Pizza - $80 - yep they are bigger than ours, but we'd still need one to feed my family... ouch, not happening.
Then we jumped on a canal cruise- loved the no parking signs in the water! And no anchor signs. This is a fab way to tour the main canals. You get to sit back and relax and take in all the gorgeous buildings. They are big into decorative tops, so nice stone buildings with wrought iron decorations and interesting facades. The bike fetish is big in Amsterdam. The only thing is when you look close, I do believe that they really should go round and pick up the abandoned bikes. You think that they are all locked up safely, (goodness knows why anyone would steal them, I think the last design development was during the war) and then when you look closely, you see they are all bent and twisted and have flat tyres. Poor things should be collected up and laid to their final resting place. Had to laugh, me who loves biking, is not keen at all to tackle it over here. We passed a six foot American guy today, carefully perched on his bike, his face was white and he pretty much looked like he was on his way to his execution! I swear he didn't know which way to look first. LOL brave man, I say.
Interesting fact, in Scotland and Amsterdam everyone thinks we are American! Go figure. There are heaps of yanks here, and we have only meet, seen, one other couple from Aus, which has been a surprise.
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