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THE OFFICIAL TOUR BEGINS
HAARLEM & AMSTERDAM
DAYS 1 & 2
After exploring the streets of Haarlem on our own, with the sun high in the sky and the clock about to hit 15:30, we finally met our top notch tour guide, Dimitri, and the rest of our tour companions.
The notion of adventuring several country halfway across the world with complete strangers made my heart start to race whenever I thought about it. I was excited for the new friendships we were about to make.... who would've guessed some of these friendships would be from states that shared boarders!
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After we were all introduced to each other, we had our very first walking tour of the trip. It was a very informative tour as many historical details that would have been overlooked on our own were being pointed out and explained. The colored bricks on the storefront doorsteps or the mosaic, such as a pair of pants, up on the wall designated the type of business in that storefront at the time.
On day two - after an early morning breakfast - we walked to the train station to travel into Amsterdam. We enjoyed an informational walking tour of the city including a stroll past the Anne Frank house (a "gray zone" where marijuana is "not legal but tolerated"), enjoyed the personal touch of meeting the proud owner of the the local cheese factory and visited a Catholic church that was hidden behind a humble door along the sidewalk.
Our group enjoyed a canal boat cruise through the canals of Amsterdam and saw the historic city with a view from the boat.
After lunch we visited the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum, and numerous friendly and at times, elegant cats along the way.
I continued to enjoy the number of people passing on bikes. It was a sight that I am not accustomed to seeing back home! But a sight that I enjoyed.
Amsterdam: Services
Amsterdam: Pro Gallery
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