Day 32, September 24

 Day 32, September 24, 2012, A long walk around Amsterdam. 6.5 miles by foot

There were some sights that we wanted to see and we had one day left.  The last two times we walked through Frederiksplein, this fountain was not working.  Today it was in full spray.

We continued heading northwest.  Amsterdam is one very old house after another.  There are features that we notice now such as the style of roof gable or the winch at the peak.  The listing buildings are always interesting.  Not only does this building list, it was also built at an angle so that when the roof winch was used, the windows would not be broken.

Being earnest tourists, we did walk through the Red Light District, but there is not much going on at 10:30 AM.  However, we did get a sense of the distrit's noteriety. So Paul was a sport and tried to fit himself into this huge klompen.

For out last lunch in the Netherlands, we decided to have Dutch pancakes.  I went with the apple-raisin and Paul chose the onion and cheese.  Of course, this breakfast/lunch meal was served in a pub.

 Then we returned to the Anne Frank House.  As you can see, the line is longer today than it was a month ago and the holiday season is over!

 However, our Warmshowers host told us that tickets can be purchased online and then you just go in the left hand door at your appointed time.  It was a visit worth the effort.  It is a rabbit warren of rooms and when you are inside, you can understand how people could stay hidden almost in plain sight.  It was a moving experience including the original diary and Shelley Winters golden Oscar.

Then we walked over to Rijksmuseum.  Although the museum is undergoing major renovations, there is an exhibition of some of the museum's famous collections.  This statue of Cupid from the 16th century is across from the Andy Warhol portrait of Queen Beatrix.

 Rembrandt's Night Watch absolutely takes your breath away.  It is an enormous work of art.  Because of its size, even a novice can see so many of the details that made Rembrandt an enduring talent.  The collection of art was impressive and we were glad that we able to see it.

I think the picture says it all and it was taken by a guy from Los Angeles.  Small world and a great place to visit.

Day 31, September 23

Day 31, September 23, 2012, Utrecht to Amsterdam, 36 miles, total mileage 947.7

Getting out of town is very easy on a Sunday morning.  The roads were virtually empty.  Good thing because we slept in this morning.  About midnight, the fire alarm went off at the hotel.  It was a false alarm, but it carried on until someone finally came and turned it off.  So we started a little later than usual.....no problem. After crossing the bridge over the Amsterdam-Rhijnkanaal, we had to make our way down to the edge of the canal.  This steep set of steps were no problem.  An excellent grove on the side made the trip simple for Paul. 

We traveled north along the canal for a few miles and then we headed west inland.

 As the day progressed, the sun came out but it did not warm up very much. It was a cool day in the high 50s. However, the scenery was just beautiful.  We continued past farms and through villages.

Soon we were passing the Kasteel de Haar.  It is a castle that dates back to the 1500s.  About a 100 years ago, it was completely restored.  It no longer was a defensive castle, so it became a home with extensive gardens.  Now it is open to the public.

This is the former defensive moat and draw bridge.  We entered the castle here.  Beyond these towers are the former stables and coach house where we had our morning coffee break.

A few weeks ago we were in Hoboken, today it was Breukelen (sounds like Brooklyn).  Breukelen is surrounded by lakes and canals created by the flooded areas used by peat farmers.

This section of the ride was home to many mansions with baroque gates in front and formal gardens in back.

As always, you are never sure what you will see along the water's edge.  Today it was this enormous crayfish-or whatever they call it over here.  This guy was about 4-5 inches long!

So we are pedaling down this freshly paved road along a dike with the wind at our back when the pavement suddenly disappears.  There at the end of the pavement was a self operated ferry.  It required the turning of the crank. In this case, Paul had to hand crank the ferry over to us. 

And once the bike was on the ferry and he took this picture, he got to crank us to the other side.  Thank goodness the chain/cable didn't break.  It was way too cold for a swim!

At last we were back to Amsterdam.  Now we rode along the Amstel River back to our bike suitcases and the hotel.  The bike was quickly reduced to sections that fit in the suitcases.  Once we were all organized, it began to rain, but it didn't matter, we were done cycling.

Day 30, September 22

Day 30, September 22, 2012, All Day in Utrecht, about 10 miles around town including a boat ride

Today was a beautiful, sunshine fall day.  Many of the sights that we hoped to see and shops did not open until 10 AM.  After a leisurely breakfast, we walked to the old town center.  

 Within a few blocks from the hotel, we were walking along the canals in Utrecht and heading to the center of town.

What a morning it turned out to be.  Lots of little shops and plenty to see through the windows. When we reached the window of Carol Cox, I saw a quilt in the window and thought that we would be seeing another decorating shop.  What a happy mistake.  What a great quilt shop.  Since there is very little time left, I knew I could find room for some goodies in my bag.

 We continued walking down Oudegracht, and on a whim, I went into a hair salon, asked if they had walk-ins and had my haircut!

While I had may haircut, Paul walked around and saw the flower market.  This market happens every Saturday along the canal.  The flower sellers even sing about their wares.

 So once again, my hair is short and when I put on my bike helmet, I won't be looking through my hair.  I'm still going to have to find somewhere for a haircut when we return home because I can't come back here!

The canals here in Utrecht are different from all the other canals that we have seen.  Here there is a lower level that we have not seen before.  Originally these lower levels were the warehouse/storage beneath the homes located on the street level.

 We decided to see Utrecht by boat which a great idea and an interesting ride.  When Utrecht was a major shipping center, there were no trees along the canal.  About 200 years ago, trees were planted and have been along the canals since then.  Also along this lower level are terras for the local restaurants.  Now many restaurants have indoor, street level, and canal level dining.

 When we finished our boat tour, we went to the Domkerk hoping to walk up the tower. This church was started in the 13th century and took over 250 years to complete. It is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands.  Unfortunately all of the tour tickets were gone so we missed the opportunity.  So we took the extra time to wander about the city and saw parks, the Catharijne Convent, walls from Roman times and many smaller churches.

 As we walked around town, we found a Trajectum Lumen passage.  These lights general come on after dark throughout the old city, but this passageway was already bright with color.

Utrecht is full of water.  It is dissected by the Old Canal (12th Century) and the New Canal (15th century) and surrounded by a protective moat.  Our walk back to our hotel was as scenic as our day in the old city.

Beer Diary in the Style of Tim

 This entry is not a day but a trip.  All the beer here seems to come with its own "designer" glass.  To that end, we tried to take a portrait of each one.  We enjoyed each glass at the close of a day of cycling.  Some more than others, but like the ride, it's always an adventure.  For all the beer we tried, there are more out there, but that's another trip!