Thompson Travelers

We’ve never been on a river cruise before, and this grand adventure starts in Amsterdam, Holland.   Eleven hours of flying time to get to Amsterdam…the first day is always the most difficult because your body is saying it’s 2am, but your watch says is 10am and you’ve got a whole day ahead of you to survive on whatever few hours you slept on the plane.

Amsterdam is a charming city with not just beautiful architecture and canals, but the tiny alleys, gardens and stories hidden behind the historic facades of the houses. Canal houses offer a perfect vantage point to view the bustling canal area, where bicyclists, boats and tourists zip past. Many of Amsterdam’s canal houses were built during the height of the Dutch Golden Age, serving as home and workplace, and were distinguished by the striking gables and dual entrances.  It’s an interesting combination of ancient buildings from a period gone by, with modern trains and trolleys, and thousands of bicycles running through. It’s a hustle bustle place where sidewalks and streets are indistinguishable at times so it’s easy to get run over!  Many of the streets are narrow little roads which prohibit cars so this is a great city to stroll and sightsee.  Everything seems so centrally located and easy to get to.

Since our brains were on jet lag mode, we took it pretty easy today, spending the afternoon cruising down the canals on one of the many waterway tours, a perfect way to get an overall view of the city.

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