We arrived in Amsterdam early Saturday morning. Roy was waiting for us in Baggage Claim, having arrived an hour earlier. We quickly collected ALL of our luggage (what a relief), took about an hour to retrieve the Sixt Rental Van from an Industrial Park outside central Amsterdam, returned to the airport and retrieved our luggage including two large bicycle carriers. We then drove about 10 miles south of central Amsterdam to a wonderful little horse ranch and bed and breakfast - Villa Oldenhoff - where we had room to spread out, assemble our bikes (again, no surprises, bikes in great condition), play with the two very large and impressive rhodesian ridgebacks and take a little nap before a night out on the town.
Our evening in Amsterdam was enjoyable and memorable. We drove to Nord Amsterdam across a narrow waterway from the central train station and the edge of the major old city area. We crossed the 1/4 mile wide waterway by passenger ferry running about every 10-15 minutes. The ferry was filled with pedestrians and bicyclists heading into town for a Saturday night. One can only imagine how these people have taken to bicycles. The city is totally committed to bicycle traffic. Every street has separate bicycle lanes, on this Saturday there seemed to be as many cyclists out as cars.
It took us about a half an hour to find "our" outdoor bar. We sat at a small table adjoining one of the secondary canals. The air was filled with the frivolity of a Saturday evening in a party City. Small boats would pass by on the canal just feet away, women boaters being hooted at by drunken gawkers drinking too much beer. We drank our obligatory native Heinekens and enjoyed evening temperatures in the 70's and the wonderful atmosphere of the quaint buildings and the joyous people. We befriended two FinAir pilots at the adjoining table and had a pleasant visit.
Our bar was at the periphery of the "red light" district. So, we took a stroll through the streets with many other native dutch and tourists. Many very attractive women in their 20's in skimpy bikinis posed behind their glass windows and doors, trolling for action. It seems Amsterdam's Tourist Bureau should be subsidizing these women, as they did attract a large crowd of evening strollers. It was hard to imagine their all getting any business with the people looking at them; anyone trying to enter their chambers would certainly not do so with any sense of discretion. We saw no attempt by any men or women to curry these women's favors (whatever those might be.) After our stroll, we had a wonderful Italian dinner at an outdoor restaurant on one of the main boulevards. Party goers in large numbers passed by, dressed in various costumery indicating masquerades, balls, celebratory gatherings. All in all, a very good evening, and we were ready to return to our wonderful horse ranch and a quiet night's sleep. For tomorrow was to begin the biking.
Our evening in Amsterdam was enjoyable and memorable. We drove to Nord Amsterdam across a narrow waterway from the central train station and the edge of the major old city area. We crossed the 1/4 mile wide waterway by passenger ferry running about every 10-15 minutes. The ferry was filled with pedestrians and bicyclists heading into town for a Saturday night. One can only imagine how these people have taken to bicycles. The city is totally committed to bicycle traffic. Every street has separate bicycle lanes, on this Saturday there seemed to be as many cyclists out as cars.
It took us about a half an hour to find "our" outdoor bar. We sat at a small table adjoining one of the secondary canals. The air was filled with the frivolity of a Saturday evening in a party City. Small boats would pass by on the canal just feet away, women boaters being hooted at by drunken gawkers drinking too much beer. We drank our obligatory native Heinekens and enjoyed evening temperatures in the 70's and the wonderful atmosphere of the quaint buildings and the joyous people. We befriended two FinAir pilots at the adjoining table and had a pleasant visit.
Our bar was at the periphery of the "red light" district. So, we took a stroll through the streets with many other native dutch and tourists. Many very attractive women in their 20's in skimpy bikinis posed behind their glass windows and doors, trolling for action. It seems Amsterdam's Tourist Bureau should be subsidizing these women, as they did attract a large crowd of evening strollers. It was hard to imagine their all getting any business with the people looking at them; anyone trying to enter their chambers would certainly not do so with any sense of discretion. We saw no attempt by any men or women to curry these women's favors (whatever those might be.) After our stroll, we had a wonderful Italian dinner at an outdoor restaurant on one of the main boulevards. Party goers in large numbers passed by, dressed in various costumery indicating masquerades, balls, celebratory gatherings. All in all, a very good evening, and we were ready to return to our wonderful horse ranch and a quiet night's sleep. For tomorrow was to begin the biking.
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