AMSTERDAM - DAY ONE

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Disembarkation was smooth. I stayed in my cabin, enjoyed a light breakfast and at 9:30 my group was called. By 10:45 I had checked into my hotel. The half-hour cab ride was enlightening and a great introduction to the city. The driver pointed out interesting spots, discussed the politics of The Netherlands and the rest of the world, told me about himself and his family and made the ride very pleasant. He would probably belong to the Tea Party in the US. He even carried my bags up the stairs and into the hotel for me.
My hotel is small, thirty rooms, and very clean and comfortable. My cell, room, is what I would imagine a nun’s room to be, small and Spartan. Still it is comfortable enough and the price includes breakfast so it’s just fine.
While I was waiting for my room to be ready, I walked around the area. It is perfect. I am one block from the Van Gogh Museum and the bus and trolley stop, two blocks from the Rijksmuseum and the Hop On-Hop Off canal bus.
I stopped in a little café and had my first Dutch pancake, think crepes, with peaches and whipped cream and Dutch coffee. The coffee was very strong. I’m not sure it was a good as the ones in Curacao.
Then I waked a couple of blocks to a “Diamond Factory”. This exhibition demonstrates how diamonds are cut and polished and set. Nine or ten artisans were demonstrating their craft. The real purpose of the “factory”, which is free, is to lead you into the shops where diamond jewelry and watches were on display. It was lovely to look but I didn’t see anyone buying.

By now my room was ready, I unpacked and headed to the trolley and Central Station. There I bought a two-day pass. The area is under construction, isn’t everywhere, for a new metro line.
Walking in Amsterdam is a challenge. Besides trolleys and busses and cars and trucks there are mopeds and bike and bicycles. It is worth your life to cross the road illegally. The crossing lights give one plenty of time. There were crowds of people, mainly young people, and I could get a whiff of pot in the air. I walked up one street lined with hostels, fast food restaurants, souvenir shops and raunchy theaters. The crowds were getting to me so I hopped a trolley and headed back to the relative calm of the museum district.
My knee was starting to give me it’s usual fits so I slowly strolled through a park near my hotel, had a hot dog (smelled good but didn’t taste so hot) a hobbled back to my hotel.
Donna called with plans for our dinner tomorrow and I nested in for the night

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Photos

RESCUE AT SEA
APPROACH

RESCUE AT SEA
SAFE ABOARD