Seven Hours and One Ocean Later...

...we touched down in Amsterdam.  The flight was relatively short but I found the seating a bit cramped.  The food was good and enjoyed the movies, but I missed not having a window seat.  Entering Europe was hassle-free and quick, two questions, through one set of doors we were in Amsterdam, that easy.

45 years ago was my first time at Schiphol Airport.  It was here I saw my 1st "Jumbo Jet", a Pan Am Boeing 747.  I was happy to see this newer model 747 in its place.

Lots of changes at Schiphol Airport since this July 1970 photo...the exception was the weather.

The Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) have a station at Schiphol airport so the first thing I did after picking up a real coffee at Starbucks was to validate our Eurorail Pass at the counter.  Within 20 minutes we were heading to Amsterdam Central Station on a very full train.


Our first Eurorail train at Amsterdam CS.  The coaches were built in 2012 are from the ill-fated Italian Fyra train sets. They are now hauled by leased Traxx F140MS built by Bombardier in 2005-07.  In the 15 minutes here under the train shed I saw more trains than all of yesterday in Dorval, something tells me that I'm going to like this trip!

In most places when one arrives by train, one is introduced to the city via the station's front doors but not here in Amsterdam.  The back door is an equal and worthy option. Choosing the latter, one has access to the busses, the bikeway and more importantly to us, the ferries.  We needed a boat to take us to our hotel which incidentally was also a boat!  

Our taxi to our hotel...I mean our BOTEL.  There are 3 routes, 5 ports, plenty of departures, all free.

River Taxi map and timetable.

It was a very short walk from the dock to our hotel and although it was only 09:30 we were able to check-in and go to our room.  The room was small, rather plain and furnished with two single beds and a shower, we loved it!

Finding breakfast was next on the agenda and we decided that going back downtown would be our best option.  We did find a nice place across from Central Station with a full view of trains coming and going.  It was here when we  realized that me might of been a little too low on our food budget.  No problem I told Kathleen...fewer gifts for our loved ones back home.

With brunch finished we decided see a bit of downtown and then take one of those Hop-on, Hop-off bus tours. The first stop on our walk was the Basilica of St. Nicholas.  This would be the first of many churches that we would see in the six weeks of our stay in Europe.

The free ferries right by our hotel was one of many surprises in Amsterdam...

...as were the thousands of bikes.

The streetcars weren't a big surprise but all the open smoking of (weed and tobacco) and graffiti did catch me off guard. 

The 128 year old Basilica of St. Nickolas designed by A. Bieijs who combined neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance. 

The stained glass window behind the alter.



The organ was refurbished in 2007 but did we did not have the good fortune of listening to it the both times we visited the basilica.  I however did get to attend Gregorian Vespers later in the our adventure. 

For me, the Stations of the Cross were the most impressive feature of St. Nickolas mainly because of their largeness and colours and clarity.

After the basilica we headed to Damrak Street, the main tourist street in Amsterdam.  We took it all in, the sights, the smells, the people.  We bought our tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour, found our bus, sat and relaxed.  Fatigue had finally caught up to us as we have now been awake for 26 hours.  I did not take any photos as it was grey and cloudy, lots of trees in the way plus we were going to be back in Amsterdam after our river cruise.  The tour helped find my bearings which would be helpful in the future.  Kathleen found the bus comfy and a good place to catch some ZZZs. 

We decided that it would be a good time to go back to the Botel for a shower and a nap.  We were really liking the ferries and the always changing vistas they offered.   

"Amsterdam Centraal Station" one beautiful building complete with three train sheds in behind.



Another sight-seeing tour with our free ferry.

 After our showers we did take a nap for about 3hours.  I felt much better but hungry.  We opted for dinner at the restaurant next to our boat/hotel.  I have to explain that the Botel is tied up to a pier belonging to a former shipbuilding yard.  The old dining hall of Nederlandse Scheepsbouw en Droogdok Maatchappij. (NDSM, Dutch Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.) now houses a craft brewery, a design company and the IJ-kantine restaurant.  Over the bar there hung a large LED TV showing vintage films from the shipyard's past.

Now feeling refreshed, I asked Kathleen to come on a ferry ride to downtown.  It was very nice to see all the lights of the buildings and ships in the darkness.  Many condos line the waterfront and in the Dutch tradition most did not have curtains.  This traditions stems back to the time of the Reformation, if one has nothing to hind then the windows need not be covered with drapes or shutters.  Once again we took a stroll up Damrak Street to the New Church before turning back.  I did need my "daily dose of desert", luckily we and 10 others found at a nice little pastry shop.  Another ferry ride back to Botel where in a few minutes later we were in our PJs and in bed.  Earlier in the day I noticed three bus loads of students checking in and thought to myself, I hope they don't "party" tonight.  The students were never the problem but rather a drunk English couple in the next cabin.  He did not have much to say as she was whining in an extremely loud and obnoxious voice.  She finally must have passed out because there was silence, moments later we were fast asleep.