Biking Amsterdam

We literally got off the train and onto bikes. The city of Amsterdam is designed for bikes! We were so impressed by all of the space allocated for bikes... lanes on every road, traffic signals for bikes, large parking spaces, etc. There are WAY more bikes than cars... which lessens traffic and pollution... BRILLIANT! All the locals, from families with young children in baskets to classy business people, make their way around the city on bikes. It was incredible!

 

Seeing such an admirable example of city biking made me wonder... why don't our North American cities create this space for bikes too? One things for sure, Andy and I will be on the hunt for used or garage sale bikes when we return.

On to our Amsterdam adventures:

• Our hostel was a boat, owned by an older Dutch couple - fun experience and we had our OWN bathroom and room! First picture has th boat in background...
• Vondelpark is large and filled with people playing music, relaxing, biking, having picnics, etc.
• Tripadvisor restaurant suggestions were a fail... we tried to find two places but one had closed down and the other did not seem to exist! Ha.
• Watching hilariously eager tourists pose with the "I Am Amsterdam" sign... haha so we joined in (we posed with the d... but backwards for Bayer!)
• Did I mention biking? Best part.
• Anne Frank Museum - the best museum I have ever been to, it is SO well done and I read everything! What a story she shares from her perspective...
• Windmill Pub - recommended by a local, this place was by a canal and outdoors... great end to the night
• Next morning, we had breakfast on the seventh floor of a library... the two pictures at the end show the view... try to spot the yellow boat we stayed in!