On The Seventh Day of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me: A Walking Tour of Amsterdam!

Carleigh, Shannon and Chloe suggested that we join them on a Sanderman Walking Tour of Amsterdam on Friday. So Bud and I got up and took our shuttle bus to the airport and then a city bus number 197 to Leidensplein Road and walked about 3/4 mile to the meeting place of the tour. It was at the National Monument at Dam Square. The tour started at 11:15 am and we made it at 11:01am. So the 5 of us walked all over the town and had a guide tell us all about Amsterdam. It was a very good tour. It was actually a sunny day, not warm but sunny! It was probably about 46 degrees but that breeze goes right through a person.

This is the National Monument!

We saw canals!

Let me interject some characteristics of Amsterdam, while you look at pictures. First of all, there are bikes, not a couple not a few but hundreds, thousands, really and I am not joking and they are everywhere! There are cars everywhere and city buses and tour buses and trams and trains all vying for a space on the streets and sidewalks and bike paths. It is amazing, you have to be aware at all times where you are because it is so easy to start walking in the bike lane and the people riding bikes are not going to stop for you. The scooters and motorcycles use those bike paths too. And to cross the street, one should use the crosswalks because there is so much traffic and it is all kinds of traffic. This is a city in motion, constant motion, movement 24/7 . This is my first country that there are more bikes than I could imagine!

As you can see the buildings are wonderful! They are built one after another very close to each other. Very tall and very elegant!

of course he talked about the red light district and we walked through it but it was around 12:30pm and luckily wasn't very busy. No pictures were taken, they do not like their pictures taken and I cannot blame them. We also were told about the weed issue. There are weed stores about and the smell is in the air sometimes.

The people are very friendly here two and helpful and we so enjoyed our stay!

We ate at a delicious restaurant that was buffet style1 Everyone got what the wanted! It was so delicious!!!

We then walked around and shopped and looked at lights when it was dark!

We walked through a Christmas Market!

All in all Amsterdam is a beautiful city!