Amsterdam

Having been to the Watertown on the outskirts of Shanghai and then to Venice, not to mention the little canals amongst the mangroves at the Mekong river delta in Vietnam, I must admit I was utterly surprised to discover that Amsterdam also is a canal city. 

I had no idea that over several centuries, a complex maze of interconnecting canals was built in the city, and now steps have been taken to ensure that the water flowing in them is fresh water. Huge dykes prevent sea water from entering the canals, which is absolutely necessary as Amsterdam is below sea level and otherwise would be flooded. One of the biggest threats it faces is rising sea levels resulting from global warming. Needless to say, the residents are very concerned about climate change deniers and countries not doing all they can to reduce their carbon emissions. The Netherlands certainly is committed to using alternative energy resources. I saw some evidence of this - a lot of wind turbines could be seen from the train as I travelled into Amsterdam. 

In addition to the canals, there is the wide river delta, on which you can see many river boats, ferries and all kinds of other water craft, including one or two big cruise ships which sail in from the North Sea.

I boarded the river boat (ship) at about 5 pm - just in time. Many passengers went out to explore the city that night, but I was too exhausted for that after my epic train trips. The next morning we remained in Amsterdam long enough for the majority of us to enjoy cruising along some of the canals in small launches, and then to explore some of the streets and try some of the local specialties. (The rest of the passengers went on a coach ride into the countryside to see an old windmill and farm.)

As we first drove into the heart of the city to board our launches, my first impression was that the architecture was fairly plain and simple. But then I saw some very stately, more ornate buildings which were just beautiful. However, it was hard to capture their photos as the coach went a little too quickly for a good photo, and in any case the windows were too reflective.

The canals and the bridges over them were just a delight to see. So picturesque! We saw quite a number of houseboats, as well as small craft and other launches. The houses lining the canals were, on average, quite old and narrow, colourful and about four storeys high. Many were really lovely. We even saw the house in which Ann Frank and her family hid during WW2.

There were cyclists everywhere in Amsterdam. It is clearly the preferred mode of travel.  Along one canal we saw a three-storey bicycle park, which was next to a large bridge. Under the bridge there were even more bicycles. All the bicycles were packed so close together, one wonders how their owners ever found them again.

After our boat ride, we wandered through some busy laneways to try some local foods. First we went to a stand that specialised in smoked herrings and pickles. (I had never tasted smoked herrings before.) They tasted quite nice together, in fact, to my surprise. Then we went to a cheese shop, where we were given a talk about cheese-making then some samples to try, including their famous Edam cheese. We then enjoyed about 45 minutes free time then returned to the river boat for the start of our river cruise. 

I think Amsterdam is a lovely city and was so glad to be able to have at least a glimpse of it.

At the cheese specialty shop.

Some of the varieties of cheese.

One stately building in Amsterdam.

Two houseboats along one of the canals.

Some typical buildings along the canals.

A series of bridges across some of the canals.

An interesting building at one of the squares.

A close-up of the top of the building in the previous photo.

A lovely little mall in between two lanes of shops.

Another view of the little mall.

Another gracious building in the heart of Amsterdam.

A close-up of the top of the next building.

A building alongside the main city square.