Netherlands
Het IJ

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    • Day 18

      Velo Fähri

      October 4, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

      Nacher 4.5 stündige Autofahrt simer chli userhalb vo Amsterdam-City ufemne idyllische Camping ahcho. Mit em Velo simmer de 30min id Stadt gfahre über gmüetlichi Veloweg und metere Fähri wo mer mitem Velo direkt druff fahrt.Read more

    • Day 7

      Amsterdam Anniversary

      June 10 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      After a final check of the numerous weather forecasts we decided we could cope with the pouring rain and fairly unfavourable sea state, low temperature but reasonable wind and tide to make our move today to try and reach Amsterdam.
      We felt optimistic (even if we did have 2 reefs in) as we left the shelter of Scheveningen and back into the North Sea at 9.30am. The rain was persistent. At least 50 shades of grey today. Not another yacht insight. The Coastguard plane was out though - running the coastline back and forth over and over again.
      With Ron at the helm ( George was making a meal of it) & with good tidal flow we made good speed. I was so cold by the time we arrived at Ijmuiden which I nicknamed Iron Maiden (which is roughly how it's pronounced) that there was a strong temptation to stop and stay. A quick warm up as we sheltered to wait for the lock and the huge industrial chimneys chugging out smoke convinced us to press on despite no respite from the rain and chill....
      Through the lock - Kleine Sluis- we went with just one other yacht and then the Nordzeekanaal for 12miles through to Amsterdam.... As a way of congratulating us on our decision the sun briefly came out and we took the opportunity to snack on cheese & crackers.
      The Kanaal was fairly busy with heavy vessels ferries to watch out for. The race to stay out of the looming rain clouds was nearly successful with the need to slow up to check on berthing arrangements. The very helpful chap at Sixhaven Marina didn't sound convincing when he said the berth he had 'should' work, but position wise it would be perfect. As we approached the familiar Central Station with its long low domed roof we both had our fingers crossed
      Perhaps due to the weather it was relatively quiet so we were in luck and the marina guy arrived on his Brompton to help take the ropes. We were both absolutely shattered so were so grateful for his help into a tricky berth.
      Our spirits immediately lifted to have finally made it for our 24th Wedding Anniversary xx
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    • Day 5

      Amsterdam

      September 23 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Am früher Morgen erreichen wir die schönste Stadt Europas: Amsterdam. Diese Stadt muss man einfach selbst erlebt haben. Bei einem Stadtrundgang und einem anschließende Bummel durch die Grachten genießen wir das Flair der Stadt. Das Grachtenmuseum nimmt uns mit auf eine Zeitreise und erklärt bildlich wie die Stadt entstanden ist. Die Abendliche Grachtenfahrt lässt unseren Aufenthalt in Amsterdam enden, da die Thurgau Gold nun wieder zurück nach Deutschland fährt.Read more

    • Day 1

      Off to Amsterdam!

      March 23, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      The alarm went off at 0430 but I was already awake. It's always the same when I am going on a trip, I tend not to sleep very well, possibly subconsciously worrying about sleeping in! Barbara and I got up, and after a quick shower and breakfast we were ready to go when our lift to the airport arrived. We arrived at 0600 and with only hand baggage, we were through security within 15 minutes. The flight was on time and it felt like we had only just taken off when we were landing in Amsterdam.

      Schiphol is a very big airport but we had no trouble finding our way to the train station connected to the airport. It was a bit confusing at first but we worked out which train we needed to get, and how to get a ticket, we had to ask a member of the train staff where to get the right train. I have to say that if there is an information point in the train station, it's not obvious, but again we asked someone on the platform who assured us we were on the right train.

      As a UK citizen it can be daunting going abroad because we are not great at learning other languages, and Dutch looks and sounds like an improbable and difficult language. Fortunately, as far as I can tell, every Dutch person speaks great English, which for us made everything a lot easier, and in my experience, every Dutch person we interacted with was helpful and friendly.

      By the time we arrived at Centraal Station in the heart of Amsterdam, we were very hungry, so we went for some lunch in a pancake restaurant of which there are quite a few in Amsterdam. It was ok but not great.

      We had a few hours to kill before we could check into our hotel, so we wandered around a bit, we found our way to the Anne Frank House for which we have booked tickets for the Sunday and then wandered around a bit more, but eventually we felt we should go to the hotel and try our luck with checking in. We decided to get a taxi (expensive in Amsterdam) because we had no idea which bus/tram to get, but we thought (correctly) that the staff at the hotel could give us that info for the rest of our trip. Trams are the best way to get around and are easy to use, you can buy a ticket allowing unlimited journey's for 1, 2, 3 days or more. The ticket becomes valid from the moment of first use. Top tip - you have to tap the ticket on the sensor when you get on AND off the tram otherwise it invalidates the ticket. The taxi to the hotel was indeed expensive and we arrived about an hour before check in but the room was ready and we were welcomed in.

      We were staying at the Best Western, and found it to be comfortable rather than luxurious, but spotlessly clean and throughout our stay we found the staff to be friendly and very helpful. We were tired so booked dinner and breakfast and went for a snooze.

      The dinner was 24.50 euro each which we thought was quite reasonable, again it was a buffet style and there was plenty to choose from and it all looked really good. Unfortunately the chef could not guarantee that there was no sesame, poppy or peanuts in the food and since they would put me into anaphylactic shock, I sat down to eat what would be the most expensive salad I ever had. However, the chef came over and asked if I liked meat, to which I said yes, and about 15 minutes later he came over to our table with a large grilled steak he had cooked especially for me. I was very grateful for his thoughtfulness, a trait that seems very common among the Dutch. The steak was amazing.

      My first impression of Amsterdam was that it is the busiest city I've ever been to apart from London, it was rammed and it wasn't even the main tourist season. The city, at least the 'old' part is architecturally very interesting, I have never been in a city with such a diverse range of style of buildings, every building is different from the one next to it, and many could only be described as a bit wonky. As you move away from the centre the buildings become more 1960's and 70's utilitarian blocks of flats which then give way to more modern and stylish but nonetheless utilitarian blocks of flats.

      The old town is not very clean but it is so busy it's difficult to see how it could be anything else with so many tourists. It is fairly easy to navigate as it is built around concentric circles of canals. The canals are as lovely as the postcard version, what you don't get on the postcard is the crowds and traffic. You need your wits about you when crossing roads, there are a lot of electric cars which you can't hear and bikes are everywhere and come (fast) from every direction, and even if the light is green for you to cross, it doesn't mean that bikes will stop. Cobbled streets are hard on the feet so if you are going to walk wear something comfortably cushioned.

      So on our first day we didn't do very much, well, we had been up since 0430, but it was a good day.
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    • Day 123

      Sun upper in Amsterdam

      September 4, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Das Einzige wonach wir uns bei unserem Trip richten müssen ist Mutter Natur.
      In diesem Fall:
      Durch die Gezeiten dreht sich die Strömung 4x am Tag und es macht sehr viel Sinn mit der Strömung zu fahren und nicht dagegen.
      Also um 7 Uhr abgelegt in Amsterdam 🥱
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    • Day 6

      Centraal Station - Welcome to Amsterdam

      December 21, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

      We've arrived in the Netherlands! Navigating the trains was a bit more difficult here due to the predominance of Dutch, but we managed. So far the stations and the trains seemed much nicer than those in London, likely due to age. Hopefully that's part of where my "tourist tax" is going.Read more

    • Day 100

      Amsterdam

      September 18, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      What an interesting city. The whole city feels like anything goes except for cars. I recommend visiting Amsterdam.

      Three lanes for pedestrians, one lane for public transportation, one lane for cars and one lane for bicycles and very few cars on the one lane.Read more

    • Day 27

      Our farewell dinner

      July 14, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Our group. Friends from Florida
      Birthday celebration
      Our fabulous waiters
      Ana - our hospitality host & Alex massage therapist
      We said goodbye to our friends & will be leaving for the airport in Amsterdam at 5:00am
      A memorable trip - I hope you have enjoyed it!
      Love
      Pat
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    • Day 3

      Ab geht's nach Hause

      October 17, 2021 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      Guten Morgen...

      Tja an so einem Wochenendtrip ist ja das blöde, dass er mit einem Wochenende zu Ende geht😅😅

      Aber auch am letzten Tag haben wir es uns nochmal gut gehen lassen.
      Aufstehen, zum Frühstück, in den Wellnessbereich, n bisschen Dampfbad und Sauna genießen, frisch machen und danach wurden die Sachen gepackt, verladen und ausgecheckt :)

      Das Auto haben wir direkt vor dem Hotel stehen lassen und sind nochmal los, eine Runde shoppen... Für mich und meine neue Winterjacke war es sehr erfolgreich. Leider konnten wir für unsere Maus und für Krümel nichts finden :(
      Aber das wird nachgeholt!

      Nach dem Shopping wurde das Auto abgeholt und es ging los nach Hause.

      Auf der Rücktour ist, bis auf die ein oder andere gesperrte Straße, nichts besonderes mehr passiert...

      Also schnell nach Hause und das restliche Wochenende zu Hause genießen ...

      Amsterdam ist auf jeden Fall eine Reise wert und hat viel Kultur und schöne Geschichte zu bieten.

      Also wenn ihr mal in der Nähe seid, kurzer Abstecher, Hotel nehmen und die Stadt und das Stadtleben genießen❤️
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    • Day 2

      Sightseeing - Essen Dunkelrestaurant

      October 16, 2021 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      Guten Morgen :)
      Nach einer entspannten und sehr erholsamen Nacht in einem super Hotelbett ging es runter zum Frühstück.
      Ein sehr ausgewogenes und gutes Frühstück mit viel frischen Früchten Quark und Müsli, aber natürlich gab es auch Brötchen, Pfannkuchen, Gemüse und süßes... Also für jeden was dabei :)

      Nach der Stärkung ging es direkt los!

      Amsterdam wir kommen - grobe Richtung Zentrum und dann lassen wir uns überraschen was wir so sehen werden :)

      Neben dem Bahnhof, den Grachten und Hausbooten (diese wurden damals aufgrund von Wohnraummangel angeschafft und erlaubt) haben wir uns einen kleinen typischen Wochenmarkt und weitere Sehenswürdigkeiten angeschaut.

      Gegen späten Mittag haben wir dann schon ein bisschen unsere Beine gemerkt, also erstmal eine kurze Pause, was trinken, Himbeeren vom Markt und erholen... Aber warum fahren wir nicht eigentlich mit einem Schiff durch Amsterdam, bietet sich ja quasi an!

      Gedacht getan - der nächste Ausflugsdampfer war unserer.... Gestartet am Anne Frank Haus ging es durch die Innenstand bis zum Hafen.

      Neben der kleinsten Tür Amsterdams haben wir auch verschiedene Häuser von Berühmtheiten wie z.b. Mick Jagger gesehen... Die Anzahl der Brücken und Einwohner erfahren und der dazugehörigen Fahrräder (mehr als doppelt soviele Fahrräder) ...

      Zudem ist Amsterdam eine der reichsten Städte auf der Welt und das obwohl sie verhältnismäßig klein ist...

      >> Nachdem wir zurück am Ausgangspunkt waren ging es erstmal weiter und kurz darauf in ein kleines uriges Restaurant. Der Blick führte uns entlang der Straße, die gerade von der Polizei abgeriegelt wurde... Was kommt nun??

      Unmittelbar darauf kam ein Aufzug/Demonstration die Straße entlang (Thema - Natur und Umwelt, Energie und co).
      Also konnten wir bei unserem Essen noch ein bisschen das Spektakel genießen.

      Als es weiter ging befanden wir uns mitten in diesem, aber da alle friedlich waren und die Musik gut war, passte es schon :)

      Oh wie spät ist es eigentlich?? Was schon fast 17.00 Uhr... Nun aber zügig!

      Wir hatten um 18.00 Uhr ein Tisch im CTaste Amsterdam bestellt (Dunkelrestaurant)...
      >> Einlösung des Geburtstagsgutscheins <<

      Zum Dunkelrestaurant:
      Kurze Erklärung - essen im Dunkeln, komplett Dunkeln, kein Licht, keine Lichtquelle nichts... Die eigene Hand sehen, nicht möglich, das Essen finden geht ganz gut mit dem Fingern, aber Messer und Gabel eher schwierig🤣

      Es war ein unterhaltsamer und leckerer Abend :) herausbekommen haben wir den überwiegenden Anteil der servierten Gerichte. Die Getränke waren frei wählbar...

      Etwas was wir nicht immer machen müssen, aber jeden zumindest einmal empfehlen würden (die Dunkelrestaurant gibt es auch mehrfach in Deutschland).

      Nach gut zwei Stunden hatten wir dann wieder Licht für unsere Augen, was auch wirklich angenehm war (ach so, die Kellner in den Dunkelrestaurants sind fast immer Menschen mit eingeschränktem Sehvermögen... Also eine gute Sache!)

      Nachdem unsere Augen sich an die grelle, helle Dunkelheit außerhalb des Restaurants gewohnt hatten, ging es erstmal zurück zum Hotel... Kurz frisch machen, relaxen und anschließend zur Cocktailbar (Café Schilders).

      Dort gab es zwei Getränke und dann wurde aufgrund der Corona Sperrstunde geschlossen... Also erneut zurück zum Hotel :)

      Augen zu und schlafen :)

      Es war ein schöner aber auch anstrengender Tag.
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