The Canals of Amsterdam and Keukenhof

BIKES!

That is the one word that really sums up Amsterdam. Yes, there are canals, a red light district, legalised pot, and old buildings.  But the bike situation is very serious there! Parking lots with different levels, dedicated to bikes (none of which are new looking).

After figuring out the rules of the roads (bikes rule always), it was onto visiting the various sites of the city.

Picture in front of a canal.

Homes along the canal.

Thankfully, we did not need to visit this centre.

 The main attraction for me was to visit the Anne Frank House. I spent a lot of time trying to get tickets online in order to avoid the 2 hour line to enter the building.  It was so worth it!  I remember reading her diary in elementary school. Then I read other books written by those who helped her family while in hiding.  It was a dream come true to visit the annex and imagine what it would have been like to live indoors for two years with seven other people.

The Anne Frank House is the one in the middle. 

The plaque on the building.

The cupboard that hid the secret annex. I got to go through there!

Anne Frank's bedroom with the various news clippings she used to decorate the walls. 

 It was very cool to also see her original diary with her perfect handwriting on the pages.  Anne Frank House will forever be one of the best tour sites I have had the opportunity to experience.

 We also visited the Van Gogh Museum, after waiting in line for over an hour.  It was interesting to see his progress as an artist over time.  For someone who wanted to specialise in painting portraits, he sure painted a lot of scenery art!

Us waiting in line.

Hey! Look, another canal.

It was then time for a drink so we headed to the Heineken Museum.  

The beer things that make beer (I did not learn much on the tour).

We take our beer tasting very seriously.

After the tour (which was very well done), it was time for a drink. We are still not fans of Heineken.  

 We then did some wondering into different areas of the city. It is not advised (unless you want your phone or camera smashed) to take pics in the Red Light District, so I have no pictures of women in lingerie standing in front of windows.

We were told that Jordaan was supposed to be a nice area with cafes and unique stores.  We walked all over that area and did not see it.  Just more canals.

Hey, look a bench! That looks like fun. Thanks Jordaan!

 Another great museum to see is the Rijksmuseum.  It is easy to spend 3 hours exploring the different areas.  We got to see some unique Rembrandt art (which is funny because we also went to the Rembrandt House which did not contain much of the artist's works).

The Night Watchmen.

They have a whole area for model ships.  I must have been getting cranky by then as Shea is carrying my jacket. 

Obligatory picture of Shea burning in the sun. 

A friend recommended Malaysian food as the thing to eat in Amsterdam. He was right. It was the best meal during our whole holiday. See how happy I am?

 The main draw for visiting Amsterdam during the early Spring is Keukenhof Gardens, the world's larges bulb-flower garden.  It is basically Disney Land for senior citizens.  They were everywhere with their walkers, wheelchairs and seniors' tour groups.  I would like to say we were the youngest people there but someone brought a baby.

It was worth fighting the white-haired crowds though. The arrangements and gardens were spectacular!

Daffodils. 

It looks like Shea became part of the tree.

I enjoyed looking for the rouge flower that didn't belong in specific colour-coordinated gardens.

Each garden was so uniquely designed.  

The tulip fields starting to bloom in the distance.

When in the Netherlands, one needs a picture with a windmill. 

More blooming fields.

A different type of tulip. They come in a zillion different shapes and colours. 

They also had an orchid display inside with a zillion different orchids. 

The crowds.

I managed to find the African Violet display. Made me think of my grandma who always grew these plants. 

After visiting the fields, I came to the conclusion that my terrace needs some major work. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the Netherlands.  Shea and I agree that the short time we spent there basically covered all that we want to see in this country.  With that, we have finally completed one European country out of 50.

Bye Netherlands, thanks for teaching me to dodge bikes!