9/15 & 9/16 Double Dutch treat in Amsterdam

Woke up at 9:30( we have been really roughing it on this trip)! Oh I forgot to mention that we arrived the nite before at around 6pm and took a bus from the airport(4 euros per person) to a stop pretty close to the hotel. Backstage hotel was a cheapy place we found at the airport for 100 Euros a nite without breakfast. After dropping off the bags, we headed out to find something to eat. As we passed the Bulldog Cafe(http://www.bulldog.nl/), I had flashbacks to 1986 when I first came to Amsterdam-the funny thing is I don`t remember very much since I was in somewhat of a stupor the whole time. Getting back to the room- it was nice, but the noise emanating from the traffic below us(trains/sirens etc) made it a rough nite for me. My wife and son can sleep through just about anything...I am the one who needs earplugs to be able to sleep!

Ate a quick lunch nearby at a cafe and then headed off to a park to let Zach let off some steam. By 3pm, it was time for us to head over to the Van Gogh museum to get a bit of culture. The museum had obviously moved into a new building next to the Riksmuseum. Since both Marie and I are Van Gogh fans, we really got our money`s worth with the collection of art on hand. Everything from one of the Sunflowers, to numerous self-portraits(post and pre-slicing off his ear). Do you know why he sliced off his ear? He had invited Gauguin to stay with him and a few other artists in Arles(an artist colony) and evidently they got into a heated argument, which culminated with Vincent slicing off his lower earlobe in a fit of rage.

We then grabbed our bags and headed to a nicer hotel near the museum area for our last nite in Amsterdam called the Park Hotel. It smacked of a "W" type feel that was fine by us...clean, soft bed and great showers-you would think that we have been staying at youth hostels the whole time.

Found a great nouvelle Peruvian restaurant called Mashua on a dutch Zagat type-site and enjoyed the meal very much. My langostines and funky meat dish were delectable.

9/16

Got up and immediately proceeded to the docks across the street from the hotel for a 75 minute boat ride through the canals(would recommend this to anyone considering a trip to Amsterdam).

The ride itself was nice(despite the fact you could barely hear the recording) and the view from the boat was spectacular. Walked from the boat straight to a rental car agency only to find out that the only cars that we could rent for our trek into Belgium were available only at the airport(we saved 90 euros on charges for driving out of the Netherlands).

Before making a mad dash to the airport, we had to make the requisite stop at Anne Frank Huis(Anne Frank`s House). Even though I had been before and also read the book, it still crushes your heart knowing what she had to go thru for the last 2 years of her life hiding out like that. What is even more gut-wrenching is if she had only endured for 2 more months, she would have survived the whole ordeal....more on this subject another time.

Got our car after making the shlep to Schipol Airport. Nice Ford whatever with more legroom than the Polo we had(still doing manual, since an automatic transmission based vehicle is almost twice the rate!!)

More in my next blog on our trip to Volendam, Zaanse Schans and Eindhoven.