Today we left the barge around 8:45 am and said good-bye to the fantastic crew of the Lena Maria. Less than four hours after we departed the barge, they had another crew of cyclists ready to depart for their own adventure. They were not going to start with much better weather as it was only about 44 degrees with winds of 13 mph and gusts of 21mph, and yet it did rain and hail throughout the day. The winds continued to increase through the day as well.
About ten of us headed for the North Market with a historical background dating back to the 17th century. After about a forty-minute walk, Cindy and I decided to we were going to go find Anne Frank’s house that was nearby. We wanted to take photos before the crowds grew. When we reached the museum, we were approached by a staff member of the museum that asked if we were going inside. We didn’t have tickets for the museum and just asked for directions to the actual house. Instead, this staff member got us inside where we were able to purchase tickets. It was totally unexpected. I was glad I was able to tour the museum, however it is a very sad experience. I made it through almost the whole museum before the experience brought me to tears.
After the museum tour twelve of us met for a boat tour of Amsterdam. Of course, it started to hail just as we were about to board the boat. We learned some fun facts about the canals: there are 4000 total houseboat leases available throughout all the canals. Those leases are good for 100 years (but also include monthly fees as well). Every decade the boats need to be inspected, and that is where it can become very costly. Many of the houseboats have their motors removed to make additional room for living space. These boats need to make special arrangements for the inspections. Amsterdam is the most expensive city to live in Europe (outside of London). There are more canals in Amsterdam than there are in Venice. The boat speed limit on the canals is 4mph and is enforced by using laser beams to measure the speed. Under the Central Train Station, there 14,000 bicycle parking spaces for commuters. There are thousands of bikes pulled from the canals each year.
After the boat tour, eight of us headed to our hotel, stopping along the way at an Argentinean Steak House for lunch. It was more costly than we wanted to spend for lunch, but at the time it was raining (of course) and they had room to seat us. The day ended with dinner and drinks at the hotel restaurant; everyone was too tired to walk any more.
It was a memorable trip that we will all cherish forever. The wind made everyone stronger, and I’m sticking to my original thought: I would rather bike in the wind than the mountains/hills. It can be a tiring, slow pace, but at least in the wind, my knees are spared. The Netherlands is a wonderful country for a bike ride.
One view of Amsterdam from my hotel room.
The crew of the Lena Maria waving good-bye.
One of the many unique houseboats along the canals.
Outside the Anne Frank Museum.
Anne Frank’s house.
A more close up view of the doors to the Anne Frank house.
Reproduction of the hidden door to where Anne and her family hid.
Mail boxes seen along the walk through Amsterdam.
Bike art work.
The group that took a boat tour of Amsterdam.
Central Station.
The final hotel of the trip.
