Free Fanta Friday

Hello from Amsterdam!

Well our first day in Amsterdam is just winding down and we're having a quiet one at Steven & Imogen's Apartment waiting for our Thai take-away to arrive. It's the perfect evening to a day on the go.

This morning we headed out, map in hand, and wandered the quiet residential streets heading towards tourist town - Nieumarkt. To get to Nieumarkt we strolled through the leafy Vondel Park which is surrounded by canals, bridges and beautiful canal frontage homes. Unlike our previous strolls though Hyde Park last week, a walk through Vondel Park requires you to be alert (but not alarmed) as a million bikes come screaming past you at all angles. The bikes here are crazy - there are your regular bikes, then ones with baskets, then ones with benches for kids, then 3 person bikes and even a huge 10 person tour bike! What the? I have never seen so many bikes in my life! It also seems as is the older the bike, the cooler you are. Plus you don't need to wear a helmet! Not even on the scooters! It's crazy! Plus I heard tonight that you need a licence to golf! There is a theory and a practical exam!

Anywho arriving at the end of Vondel Park we found ourselves right in the center and after a quick breakfast we hopped on a 75min canal boat cruise around Nieumarkt. For anyone coming to Amsterdam this is a must to familiarise yourself with the city and what a beautiful city it is. The buildings are all crooked, the house boats modern and the bridges low and covered in bikes. We basically spent the day walking all over the city - down tiny little streets, across canals and up to the top of the science museum (NEMO). Saw lots of weird things; massive clog, penis shaped diamond (who would buy that?) and a pub called "The Cock Ring". We also past many coffeeshops which given the smell and smoke wafting out of them wasn't so much about coffee!

During the day we sampled some of the Netherland's finest cuisine - hot chips with mayo and ketchup, poftjes (mini pancakes), bitterballen and kaasstegls (cheese sticks). We also got a free Fanta on our travels as it was "Free Fanta Friday" - okay!? Oh and Stu is now sampling famous local beers - Grolsch and Heinneken! Thank god were doing so much walking is all I can say!

Didn't see any windmills or fields of tulips today (other than in the souvenier shops).... maybe tomorrow!

For photos visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=432017&id=664955104&l=08596d1ba7