Tulips and Windmills

---

Day 5 April 19 last day in Amsterdam

Today we decided to take the extended half day walking tour. We walked from the boat at 9am to the central station and took a tram #9 to the Rembrandt square where the life size nights watch statues are from the famous painting. We walked through several wonderful areas of the city and toured a really beautiful house and museum by the Loon family. We seemed to walk for miles and really enjoyed the day and our guide but we're glad to head back to the boat around 1:30pm. We were actually exhausted and went to lunch then to our cabins to rest and nap.

This is the big welcome evening gala and we all went to the lounge for cocktails and passed appetizers. Dinner was wonderful and we we're the last to depart the dining room again.

Tomorrow we go to the famous Keukenhof gardens where they tell us the tulips are in full bloom and we will see windmills. Can't wait.

Amsterdam is a very beautiful and independent city. There are so many canals and rivers. We were told that whenever the city needs to grow due to population they reclaim the canal and put a road over the former canal. They also create more land by creating islands from the waterway. They would build homes narrow and tall due to land taxes. Also houses were built on wood pilons and over the years many have warped and the houses have tipped.

---