We started the day with a big buffet breakfast at the hotel. Bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, toast and baked beans along with orange juice and coffee were all on the menu. Set us up nicely for the day.
We walked to the tram station and headed down to the Centraal Station. Our tram station is Baden Powell Weg.
We saw lots of interesting buildings along the way. Once downtown we walked to the maritime museum which is shaped like a boat. Took the elevator to the roof to get a view of the city. The observation point showed what you were looking at as you looked in each direction. We walked down the long outside stairs and started to roam the city. We walked past nineteenth century sailing ships and seventeenth century warehouses and found the statue of the Barbarian. Just down the street was a small bridge and lift gate. Further along were wooden gates in the canal that could be closed if the water level was too high.
This area had the most beautiful old houses with lovely iron work gates and fences. There were bicycles and flowers everywhere. We walked over several bridges over canals and found a great canal side market. The stalls are like small garages. When the seller goes home he pulls everything into the garage and shuts the door. The doors are decorated according to what he sells.
Next we headed to the flower market. Tulips, hydrangea, and tons of flowers I don't know the names of. Poor Greg could feel his sinuses filling up. He liked the wooden flowers best.
We walked over to Westkirk and the Anne Frank house. No more 2 hour lineups. All bookings are online so you get a time. The church is under renovation and we didn't think we didn't get a reservation on that short notice.
We walked past a clock tower nicknamed happy jack because it's clock never told the right time.
Next on the list were the Cheese and Cow Museums and the Magic Mushroom which sells cannabis and other stuff. We had fun looking but we can't bring any of the good stuff back.
We stopped for coffee and then for macaroons later. Greg thought he didn't like them until he had some made by a proper European baker.
A canal boat tour took up an hour of our afternoon. It was a great ride and the tour guide was good. It took us out into the harbour as well. After the tour we walked to Centraal Station, took a few pictures of St Nicholas Cathedral along the way. At Central Station we found out the harbour boat was free so we went to the other side. There is a building there with a swing on top that swings out past the building. We wanted to go up but decided against when we discovered the entrance fee to the roof was three times the amount for the swing. We came back and took the Metro several stops to see where it went. Turns out it crosses our tram and will take time off our journey downtown. All this is covered in the 3 day transit ticket we bought.
We went to Magna Plaza. This building appears to be about 100 years old. It has been redesigned inside to house multiple stores but the interior has not been gutted. It has instead been kept but using glass dividers the new and old co-exist.
Last adventure of the day was to visit the condomerie and the red light district. They really do have red lights over the windows with scantily clad girls vying for attention inside. After that it was home and relax.
Total steps 28,500 and that makes 22 kilometres. I could do a marathon but it would take me all day.
