Three Months in Europe – Amsterdam

Seafarrwide August 25, 2018 Leave a Comment

me standing in the sun leaning on a bridge over the canal in Amsterdam

A bridge over a canal in Amsterdam

You might have read my previous post regarding my trip from a few years ago travelling for three months in Europe. This is a short post of our first stop in Amsterdam. We used Cathay Pacific Airlines and they were awesome. The flight was a long haul one only stopping at Bangkok for two hours before delivering our jet-lagged bodies to Amsterdam. I couldn’t fault Cathay Pacific, after that first experience I have tried them since and found them excellent. The airline has not only great food but also friendly helpful attendants. We had asked at check-in if we could have an exit seat due to my husband’s height of 6ft 4. Secretly, we wanted more leg space regardless as anyone knows that being on a long haul flight in economy isn’t generally that comfortable! They were happy to accommodate our request which really did make all the difference.

We took the Airport Express bus to Amsterdam. The day was bright and sunny, a bit too bright for our weary eyes. We finally arrived at our hotel slightly dazed dragging our bodies like they were bags of cement. We still had a spark of determination to see the city as soon as possible but the sight of the soft bed made us decide to rest for half an hour then venture out. Well that was a mistake! We put our heads down on the pillow at 2.00pm but didn’t raise an eyelid until the next morning! Such is the affect of jet lag. After missing our first night of exploring, we took off with added enthusiasm to see as much as possible in a day.

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and bursting at the seams with world class museums, historical monuments, quirky cafes and a pretty network of canals. We only had a day and one more night. We decided to walk the streets, see the parks, cafes, monuments and of course a canal ride. It was all just gorgeous and the weather was perfect. Feeling still quite tired especially after seeing a day of tourist attractions, we refused to lay down on that bed until we had enjoyed dinner out. After dinner, we took in the city at night and had to tick off seeing the notorious red light district. We had heard about the red lit windows where the prostitutes sit waiting for business and though it was all so seedy we still were curious enough to walk past the windows! That was as far as we allowed our curiosity to venture. There is of course way more interesting things to see in Amsterdam and you really could do with more than two days to see it all.

amsterdam-bridge-canal

Old Ship in Amsterdam

Me seeing the sites in Amsterdam

If you decide to go and stay a few days and it is worth researching websites such as http://www.netherlands-tourism.com/things-amsterdam-ultimate-top-50/

It also might be a good idea to buy a Amsterdam pass card which will give you free entry or discounts to top museums and attractions. Try sites like https://www.amsterdampass.com/

Hotel suggestions:

Hotel2Stay