Day 15. Amsterdam

     We were docked in Amsterdam when we woke up. View of a stone wall out our window. I had some new, strange medical symptoms to deal with. Possibly an ear infection or something? Dizzy. Not debilitating and made it to breakfast where we said good-bye to folks, some for the 2nd time. Turns out some are staying at our same hotel and doing our same tours. We may say good-bye to them again. That's ok. 

     We had a van ride to our hotel which didn't help my head. After checking in we had a wait in the Viking lounge with fellow cruisers before our walking tour. The walk was long but interesting. We learned about the history of Amsterdam and walked in a big circle the ended at the museum we are going to visit tomorrow. We walked over several of the canals and learned how the city expanded. We also walked over the Amstel River. At one point in their history the Amstel was dammed so now it's Amstel-dammed... Amsterdam. 

      Should I have told Carol about the lizards? 

Below: some of the scenes.

     Sister house. A nursing school. Formerly. 

     Flower market.

     Buildings are leaning different ways.

  

     We stopped for a snack and coffee at a cafe. You should not go to a coffee shop. There you get cannabis. Cafes for us. We also had some street fries. Ordinary, unlike our experience with Belgium street fries. We then went back to our room for a nap and went to a grocery store for a light meal before our canal cruise. One little incident returning to our hotel. When we got on the tram to return my credit card would not work. The driver said go in the back. Or pay in the back. Or something. Didn't. You have to use your credit card to exit the tram also. I faked that getting off. May be an international criminal by now. At least I didn't get shot by cops as in NYC.

     We went on a canal cruise after dinner with other Vikings, drank way too much wine (again) and enjoyed the scenery and the guide/captain. There was a lot of traffic on the canals.

     The view through the windows.

     A replica Dutch freighter. No keel. Not movable. At the Maritime Museum. 

     This is the actual water taken from the canal. Drinkable. Maybe. But it is fresh and is replaced every 3 days or so by lake water. Seawater is kept out. Except for floods, storms, etc.

     A quick trip to the grocery store again then bedtime.      

     One more day. 😥