streets (and canals) of Amsterdam

by | Sep 15, 2011 | International Travel, Travel

Apologies for being so far behind on these posts! It feels like we have been on the road more than home for the last several weeks.

Anyway, one of the main things we did in Amsterdam was wander the streets admiring the architecture (while diving out of the way of speeding bikes). When people mention the sheer amount of bicycles in Amsterdam they are not exaggerating. Trust me. A guy we chatted with on the tram said that the order of importance (or right-of-way, I guess) was bikes, trams, cars, then people. Another thing to note is the sidewalks are very narrow in many places which makes staying out of the way of bikes and scooters, well, challenging.

Amsterdam
typical canal scene with Amsterdam Cathedral

bikes
bikes and graffiti

crossing a canal
I am very tired here but I have to stay alert to avoid being run over!

Much of the central portion of Amsterdam is fairly touristy (I have never seen so many Argentinian Steakhouse restaurants in my life!) but many nice restaurants and bars are hiding just off the main streets. On the south side of town, we found a lovely pub, Gollem, to people watch and get out of the rain on Saturday afternoon.

Out of the rain at Cafe Gollem
staying dry under the awning

canal at sunset
canal at dusk

Our feet were tired, as always in Europe, but we enjoyed discovering the residential areas of Amsterdam.

Tagged with: Amsterdam | canals

Our Itinerary

2024 Trips

San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)

2022 Trips

Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)