Amsterdam on Our Own

I was excited to look out the plane window on Saturday afternoon and see my first view of the Netherlands.

The Amsterdam airport (Schiphol Airport) was pleasant and welcoming and is where our passport was stamped for the very first time!

Our hotel, the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Amsterdam, was right on the canal and in the center of the city life. That evening, tired as we were, we wanted to get out and see a little bit of the city. We found a tiny little restaurant called "Prins Heerlijk," which had great food and was walking distance from the hotel. The owner was friendly and seemed to enjoy visiting with us for quite awhile.

Walking back to the hotel, after dinner, we met two more young men, tourists from Germany. When they found out we were from the U.S., they wanted to talk politics. It was obvious that the beers they were drinking were far from the first they'd had that day, but they were happy, friendly and entertaining.

The next morning we slept in a bit. The cloudy sky had turned clear and sunny. We walked to a restaurant called Pancakes Amsterdam. It is very popular, and there was a long line waiting outside. We decided to give it a try. Good idea! Their Dutch pancakes were delicious.

The city of Amsterdam is really beautiful and fun. We quickly learned to avoid the bicycles, which have their own street lanes and, on some intersections, their own traffic lights. It is a city of honking horns. We spent quite awhile just strolling the streets, getting a feel for the culture, and taking photos.

Our ship, the Scenic Ruby, was already docked in Amsterdam and was only two or three blocks from the hotel. We walked over to see it and spoke to someone about the details of boarding the next day.

CLICK HERE NEXT (AMSTERDAM PART II)