4/15/2005
Hi everyone! We are here in Amsterdam. We arrived safely this morning and met our Tour director Lynn at Schipol airport, which is actually 13 feet below sea level. We put our luggage in the hotel then set out on our first adventure- taking the streetcar into town. We visited the famous Rijksmuseum with its fabulous collection of paintings by Dutch masters and of course saw the "Night Watch" by Rembrandt, the painting that was the beginning of the of his esteemed reputation amongst the rich middle class merchants. Then we went over to the Leidseplein, the centre of the theatre and cinema life here. In the smaller side streets we tried out the Dutch pancakes, so big that we had to share between two of us and filled with ice-cream and fruit. We are also mastering the art of dodging bicycles and learned not to walk on the red strips of pavement. The weather was gorgeous all day, cool but sunny and a fresh breeze. Tonight we had dinner at the "Hard Rock Cafe, one of the original o
nes. We are getting some well needed rest now and getting ready for a big day tomorrow