What a lovely day I have had today. It started with breakfast where we were sitting at street level,windows open,sun shining and watching the world go by as we ate our eggs and croissants.
Later it was followed by a Hop on Hop off bus tour and a boat trip around the city sights. I started early so it was not very crowded at the beginning but by lunch time the boat was very crowded and it was difficult to take photos because heads kept popping up when you least wanted them to.
I really enjoyed the boat cruise around the canals with a moving spectacle of fascinating styles of housing alongside the canals.The house boats were fascinating too.I thought it would be a cheap form of housing but not so.The boats are all connected to sewerage and pay rates and water taxes which put this form of living into the well off fraternity.Some have been architecturally designed and a lot come with a motor boat as well as outdoor living,BBQ and a few pets on board as well.
The tour went out to sea briefly and we mixed with the cruise ships briefly before heading back to safer waters. The bridges are a feature too and a variety of locks and systems operate the water levels to keep the system safe for boats.
The old houses along the canals are beautiful too,all feature decorative embellishments and heritage colours.Apparently there are very strict planning laws here and if you own one of them you cannot alter anything with out permission.
I did a tour of the diamond cutting factory where we saw operaters polishing the stones with diamond dust and producing gems for the international market.We also were taken into the show room to see the settings used for selling diamonds and how they were classified for sale. Not in my league though.I had to avoid temptation big time.
The old city is easy to explore on foot and the tour groups cannot take buses into the old part of the town so if there is time I might do a walking tour tomorrow.It will depend on how long the queues are for the Ann Frank museum and the Van Gogh.
I spent the afternoon at the Rijksmuseum looking at Rembrant's,The Jewish Bride ,Vermeer's The Kitchen Maid, and the very famous The Night Watch (1642) as well as Rembrant's portrait of a married couple which is shared with the Louvre and on show here so that was a coup.There were other memorable treasures on display too such as the Delft ware and some impressive dolls houses ( on the grand scale).
Brad had spent a lot longer here than I but we met for lunch at the cafe and shared favorites. Before we left we managed a visit to the outdoor gardens where there was a sculpture display by Peroine (???) of trees in all shapes and in varying stages of conservation.
Later in the evening we tried out the tram system to go to what we were told was a free concert at the Concert Theatre but sadly a bit misinformed so wandered along the canals again to find an authentic place to eat. I had a hot pot dish similar to bubble and squeak and Brad had a calves liver dish - very hearty fare.The beers are good here.
Finally time for bed but it is so hot in our cell I am not sure if it will be possible to sleep however an excellent day and more to come....
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