Amsterdam

We got to Amsterdam about 1.30pm, and had a route planned through the major sites. The Royal Palace and Dam Square were up first, about 10 minutes from the station. But the absolute swell of bodies on the way was astounding. We had a great afternoon in Amsterdam but it does rate as certainly the most touristy place we've visited on this trip, and definitely the rudest. There were so very many tourists and myriad cyclists with almost no-one willing to make way and accommodate anyone else. We didn't let this ruin the day but it was a stark comparison to everywhere else we've been. Also, *everywhere* smells of cannabis 🤢

From the Dam, we walked down the Red Light District. From around 300 windows, prostitutes can sell their wares, although in the early afternoon all the velvet curtains were drawn. What perhaps was most stark wasn't the bluntness of what was on offer here, but the number of people who brought their children to it! The flower market was our next stop, after a bit of shopping in one of the delftware stores, followed by a walk up the Emperor's Canal to Anne Frank House, which was busier still if that was even possible.

We found a bar on the side of the canal for a restorative beer, before wandering back through the cobbles and tilting alleys of Amsterdam back towards the station. A super place to visit, but maybe not in high season! Now sat on a train back to Dusseldorf.

Beer Index (Amsterdam) - €6.79/0.5lLeggi altro