< previousDay 8: January 2, 2017
Today was the end of the tour for the groups from Louisiana and Tennessee and we bid a sad au revoir to them as they made their way to the airport for their flights home. But for team LA, there was one more destination on their European tour, Amsterdam. It was an early start to transfer to the station to catch the high speed train through France, Belgium and into the Netherlands. We arrived into Amsterdam Centraal station and then transferred to our hotel to bag drop. Then we rode the metro into the city centre for a lunch break around Amsterdams famous Waterlooplein flea market. After browsing and recharging with food and caffeine Alex gave us a walking tour which included Rembrandplein, the flower market and the Beigenhof, a courtyard of beautiful ancient houses that belonged to nuns. We ended our tour at Dam Square, the heart of the city, and then had time to shop along the city's great high street. We had dinner of traditional Dutch pancakes, and then headed back to the hotel.