“WHOOP!… WHOOP!… WHOOP!” That is the sound that startled us all awake at 6:00AM. It took a minute to get our bearings and we realized it was a fire alarm. Apparently none of us cared because we just put pillows over our head and tried to get more sleep. Tavis went down to reception to find out what was going on, but the rest of us really would not do well in a real emergency. It ended up being a false alarm and the noise stopped about 10 minutes later. Since none of us could fall back asleep, we decided to get up. That is when we noticed the torrential downpour outside. Not the greatest weather for a bike ride.
Addison showered while Tavis and I got payroll done. It actually was perfect because we finished our work and were were all ready for the day just as the breakfast buffet was opening, at 7:00am. We met down at the buffet. The food was amazing and included in the price of the room so we filled our bellies full. As we ate, we watched the rain bounce of the roads. We were a little nervous about riding in the rain, but this was the only day we had so we decided to make the most of it.
Next we went up to our room, packed our bags, put on our rain gear, did a final sweep of the room for any personal belongings left behind, and drop our luggage off at reception (We couldn’t get a late checkout). They stored our 5 suitcases and 3 backpacks for the day. Around 8:30, we headed to the tram stop, leaving plenty of time to get to our bike tour. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Off go the rain jackets and warm clothing!
We arrived at the bike tour around 9:00am, 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. The man working was really nice and let us come in and use the toilet while we waited. He also fitted us with bikes. At 9:30, our group of 13 was on our way. Our first stop was a free bike ferry. It was kind of like BC Ferries, but way more effiicient (ferry arrives, bikes ride off, bikes ride on, ferry leaves).
We stopped just on the other side of the ferry and were told a bit about the history of the area and how that Gallows were discovered only 20 years ago while building the foundation for a new building. We also learned that the Dutch really don’t know much about their history because of the floods, fires, and black plague. Many of the people and the documents that contained their history were destroyed. It is believed this is why the Amsterdam flag consists of XXX. I didn’t realize this was the official flag, I thought had to do with the Red Light District and everything was just x-rated!
Next we rode to a lake that contains several modern windmills. We learned how Amsterdam flooded every 20 years until the big flood of 1916. The cause of the flooding were storms from the sea that travelled up the channel. They built a dam to separate the main channel from the sea and they haven’t had a bad flood since. We also learned that houses are built on dikes and most have full basements. Rather than wasting space under the house, they have basements where they store food and often have a kitchen, along with access to the back yard. The main level is for living, and the top level of the house is for sleeping. This is so if there is a flood, they have more time to get out.
As we continued our tour, we passed several shoestring villages. These are groups of houses in a row along a dike. They are all so cute and unique. We loved them! Soon, the rain began fall. We got a bit wet, but it wasn’t too bad. We rode along country bike trails and saw lots of cows and sheep. We even passed a woman on her bike, walking her horse! Eventually we stopped in a cute village were we went in for treats. They had 4 different types of pie to se bought one of each to share amongst the 5 of us (apple pie, lemon cheese cake, chocolate cake, rhubarb crunch). It was really good.
Next we began our journey back. We stopped at an old church that had no steeple. Apparently the owners ran out of money and when they could afford to build it, they decided not to because it make the church unique. We noticed that some of the houses in the area were quite modern, and others very old. Ayva also decided that she would love to come back to Amsterdam. She fell in love with the bikes and the country side.
Our last stop was at an old traditional chalk windmill. It only runs a couple days a week and can only be operated by mill workers. When in operation, it just turns because it is so old that it can’t handle the same workload it once did. It was neat to see such an old structure still in operation today.
We arrived back at the ferry and rode the last 5 minutes back to the starting point right on time at 1:30. The past 4 hours flew by and we covered 30 km. It was definitely a highlight of our trip (not just because it was the only thing we’ve done). I highly recommend this countryside bike tour!
We decided to cancel our pre-booked luggage storage. The attendant at the location was not friendly or helpful. He would not cancel our reservation, so we walked to the nearest Starbucks to access wifi. We were able to cancel our reservation for a 5 euro fee. I would not recommend Luggy for luggage storage if you don’t have internet.
From there we just started walking. Addison took us out toward the Van Gogh museum. We walked past a place that did Iris art. We were very intrigued. They take photos of your iris and turn it into art. We took in the sites and eventually made it to the museum. Addison wanted to go in but we didn’t have time because we had to get back to Central Station for our canal tour of the city. We were all quite tired so we sat down on a bench to rest our feet.
While searching for a tram stop, we found a free bathroom. It was the strangest thing I’ve seen. You push a button to go in, then wait for the door to open and close. Then when finished, you push the button to open the door and after you leave it closes for 5 minutes to sanitize the room. I don’t think it was working properly though because Tavis and Ari said it stunk like an outhouse.
We eventually found a tram that took us to Central Station. At this point we were running late for our canal tour. Once we got on the tram, it said we would arrive just as we were supposed to be checking in to the canal tour. When we arrived, we quickly ran to the canal meeting place only to find they were running 15 minutes behind and ended up waiting around.
When we boarded our canal cruise, Ari quickly ran to the front of the boat which had long cushions for laying down. Tavis and I joined him up there while Ayva and Addison sat on the site. We were all very tired at this point and although we enjoyed the tour, we had a hard time keeping our eyes open. We learned a lot about the city. We saw one of the narrowest structures. At one point in history, the taxes charged for living on the canal were based on the width of your home. One person wanted to live there but couldn’t afford the taxes, so he built a tall skinny building and paid little taxes just so he could have the prestigious address.
We also noticed that several houses were leaning quite a bit. The reason is that when they started building structures they were not putting the foundation far enough into the ground. They also used wood. For the foundation which has since rotted away and the houses are shifting. Some houses are also built on a forward angle. This is because many houses are too narrow to carry large items upstairs. Instead, they have a pulley system on the top floor and they use it to lift large items to the different floors in the house rather than carrying them up stairs.
During a time when there were no houses, the people were encouraged to live on boats in the canal. They were able to stay for free so many people took advantage. Unfortunately, the canals became crowded and dirty from the waste. The government had to put limits on the number of permits allowed and restricted the use of houseboats. The houseboat is not allowed to move because it needs to be hooked up to water, sewer, and electricity. The only time it is allowed to move is when it goes to the dry dock for maintenance. There are currently only 2500 boat permits allowed along the canal. The current cost of a permit is 400,000 euros (not including the coast of the boat). We also learned that every month they fish out several bikes, and even the odd car. Insurance companies were losing money on cars falling into the canal so they funded to cost of building medians along the side of the road. However, there are still areas where the road drops straight off into the canal.
We all enjoyed the tour, but we were ready to sleep. We made our way to the tram and rode it back to the hotel. We all decided to go to the bathroom before going back to Central Station. We missed our tram by 5 minutes. When we tried to board the next tram, our days passes had expired (a minute before). It was a gorgeous day, and I am frugal, so we decided to to walk the 30 minutes back to the train station with our luggage. It was a really nice walk along the boardwalk. We saw cruise ships and and river boats. The kids didn’t appreciate it as much as I did. When we arrived back at the station, many restaurants were closing. Tavis found a sit down Thai restaurant that he and the kids ate at. The service was quick and the food was excellent. I also enjoyed my fries from the fast food restaurant next door.
At 7:30, we made our way to platform 10 where we caught our Nightjet. We quickly located our sleeper car and were quite impressed with it. We had no idea what to expect but it was quite big. Our luggage fit nicely under the benches. There were 2 charging stations and 4 usb outlets. The top bunks had extra storage above the hallway where we stored a few backpacks. There were also bottles of water and bedding waiting for us. Addison and Tavis immediately climbed up to the top bunk. We lifted the back bench cushions up to form the middle beds. Ayva sleep on one, and the backpacks slept on the other. Ari and I slept on the bottom bunk. I was fascinated with the sheets! They had the bottom sewn together and it opened up to the front so it was easy to climb in and out. The blankets were sufficient, and we also had a unit that both heated and cooled the sleeper cabin. Needles to say, we all fell asleep moments after pulling out of the station.
We had a great day in Amsterdam! Although it was only 24 hours, I feel we took advantage of the time and saw enough to know it is a place that would return to. I can see why people like living there. Now we are off to Italy.