It was a clear morning, although still very dark at 7am when we left our Parisian apartment to catch a taxi to get on the train from Paris Gare du Nord station to Amsterdam Centraal. We decided that a taxi was the preferred method of transport to the station and it was another way to see Paris.
We caught the Thalys train which took us through Belgium to get to the Netherlands. Green lush countryside and lots of wind farms again. The weather became cloudier as we headed north. The train stopped at Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol before reaching our destination and we noticed that no matter where you go there is always graffiti (and the “F” word is used just as prolifically). The train ride was very comfortable and a wonderfully fuss-free way of travelling between countries (no baggage or passports checked at either end!).
When we reached Centraal Station in Amsterdam we caught a cab to our lovely little boat house. Ron, the owner, is definitely a character and we warmed to him straight away (he lives with his girlfriend in a houseboat at the rear). We got some tips from him and then headed into town to explore. First stop, lunch at the cafe Winkel, which purportedly made the best apple pie. We enjoyed baked ham and goat cheese panna cotta with parsnip chips (sorry Janelle, definitely photo- worthy but we were too busy talking to the Scottish couple next to us that we forgot), before indulging in the cafe’s signature dish, which did not disappoint. We have noticed a stark contrast in demeanour between the Dutch and French toward us as tourists. The people of The Netherlands are friendly and more than willing to speak in English to us.
We walked the streets to get our bearings. There are some beautiful big buildings in the heart of the city, which of course are owned by the big banks of the world. The Dam Square was very busy, full of tourists, buskers and cobble stones. As you walk the streets you get wafts of weed coming from the “Coffee” Shops and there are a lot of docile young men walking around. We navigated our way around, dodging bicycles, and using the multiple canals as points of reference. An ice cold Jaegermeister shot and a Cointreau was enjoyed on the water, although the ice cold breeze meant that we did not stay for too long. After taking in some more sights we then found a supermarket to buy some nibbles for dinner and headed back to our boat house on the marina. We sipped Heinekens, compliments of Ron, at our little table overlooking yet another canal before heading inside out of the cold and having a relatively quiet night in.