A nice brunch on Sunday along the canal was a great way to start. After a nice brunch, we rented a paddle boat to navigate the canals, to get a different view of Amsterdam.
The paddle boat rental was cheap, and easy, which was quite a surprise. I suppose at home I am more used to signing waivers, putting on life jackets, being given a tutorial of how to paddle the boat, then someone leading me down to the actual boat.. so on.. But here, nothing. The guy at the booth took our money and that's it.
We walked down to the boats, and just randomly picked one. Released the ropes, and, no life jackets!
I was a bit hesitant with getting into another vehicle on water where we have to exert energy. I thought, since this time Matt will be sitting beside me, I would be able to catch him slacking off like back in Dordogne in the canoe, so off we went.
The city is beautiful.
The canals are filled with history. Every bridge has a story of its own.
We went for an hour and a half, and along way, saw many locals on their boats, navigating down the canals drinking wine and eating cheese. So it seems, this is the thing to do on a sunday afternoon.
Monday morning, we decided to visit one of the top attractions of Amsterdam, the House of Anne Frank. When we got there around 11am, there was a line up with about 200 people. ON A MONDAY!?! So instead, we took a picture with the house, and skipped the museum inside.
Instead, we went to the Amsterdam Museum near the Dam Square.
Ever seen a shoe that is 700 years old?
It was trapped under Amsterdam in the tick mud, devoid of oxygen, which maintain its form.
The museum was small, but I was extremely impressed with the layout of it. The history of Amsterdam was chronologically displayed from its beginning to its present. This was when I found out exactly why the colour of orange is the colour for the Dutch. The name was William of Orange. He was the one who founded the Republic of Netherlands.
The history also took us through Netherlands' history under Napoleon's rule, as well, its time under the German occupation in World War II. Did you know that in Amsterdam, the people walked the streets to protest Hitler's cruelty against the Jewish people?
Amsterdam, once the most powerful port in Europe, was the centre of trade and since it overthrew Catholicism, it became a haven for all religious practices, and an extremely accepting place for all.
The afternoon of Monday was interesting, having spent it in the famous Red Light District of Amsterdam. The street itself was lined with sex and "coffee" shops.
What I did find funny was the names of the coffee shops, NOT very subtle!
Now just a little fact, the XXX as we all know, typically means pornography. However, on this visit, I learned that it came from Amsterdam. The three Xs stood for the three threats that the city faced in its history; water, fire, and the plague. For whatever reason, the pornography industry adopted this logo.
Nothing was too shocking until we turned a corner and came across the actual red lights, lit! I saw ladies standing at the doors, barely dressed, attempting to tempt the walking traffic to head her way. This became nostalgic in a way, reminding me of the time when I used to drive down to Seymour Street with friends to go and check out the prostitutes!
I really wanted to buy something from this part of town, but what can I buy that would be appropriate? This?
No.
I was not too sure as to what to buy from this area that I could display at home, until I found this store.
Don't worry, its just candy.
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