The day in Amsterdam officially started when we took the tram at Amsterdam Sloterdijk and headed for the city center. Amsterdam is interesting in that the further from the city center the more modern the buildings and architecture are, it’s the main part of the city that holds the centuries old character and charm. The streets are lined with red-brick buildings, cafés,  shops, museums, and apartments with little Juliet balconies.  The actual roads are designed not only for public transportation but also for the large bike driven populace the city houses. The bike are also a red brick color and are almost everywhere keeping all the different modes of transportation cars, trams, buses separated from each other. The other means of transportation for this city is along on of the many canals in Amsterdam, some of which have been around since the 1500’s. It’s all ber picturesque and draws large groups of tourists from all over, given the variety of languages spoken on the main streets. From French to German it’s all in the city which, in turn, is very accommodating for tourist.

After stepping off our tram we had breakfast at a small café, which is quickly becoming a breakfast norm, and started to walk along the streets. We had already purchased canal cruises from our hostel but we’re using our time to find other things to do. One of our activities was to go to the Van Gough musuem, which has a large selection of his paintings, writings, and history.  You can even listen to some of his writings and letters to close friends and family. After about an hour in the museum we headed for our cruise. This is the way to see the city.  Your guide points out some of the oldest buildings, you get to see the house boats the line the canal, and you even pull out into the major water way near Amsterdam central station. All this on ride that is very smooth and relaxing, which seems to be the pace in Amsterdam. Many people lounge around the canals, dangling their bare feet over the water or laying out in the sun along the greener stretches of land along the canals. Over all I miss the easy pace of Amsterdam and would have loved to stay longer, maybe rent a houseboat and just chill along the canal.