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Thursday, December 8, 2011

TP Thursday: Amsterdam Autumn

A seemingly 'bad' flight connection can often be turned into a 'good' travel experience, such as our overnight stay in Amsterdam last October.  Unable to get from Poros, Greece to Seattle, Washington in a single day, we found ourselves with less than 24 hours to see as much of Netherland's capital as we could such a snippet of a stop. 
We marveled at the multitudes of late-night diners, shoppers, strollers and bikers as we wandered the lively streets into the late night hours. We reluctantly returned to our hotel for a bit of sleep before getting up early the next morning to continue our explorations of the neighborhood. The streets that had been filled with people only hours before were nearly empty as we strolled along the canals before heading back to the airport. 

This photo was taken not far from Anne Frank's home, now a major tourist attraction that sadly we didn't have time to visit.  We will get there one day - when we have more time than a 'bad' connection provides.

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9 comments:

  1. We spent a few days in Amsterdam in 2009. It's a fascinating city, flat as a pancake, and a place where there must be five times as many bikes as there are people to ride them!

    Sorry you didn't get to visit the Anne Frank house. It's a very moving experience. Be sure to go there the next time you're in the city.

    And welcome home from your trip Across The Pond and back!

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  2. Dick, I've saved that wonderful list of suggestions you sent prior to our stopover in Amsterdam and I can assure you that I'll be referring to them prior to our next visit there!

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  3. Wonderful when something annoying like a flight delay can turn into a fabulous, spontaneous visit to somewhere new, isn't it? Very atmosphereic photo!

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  4. A lovely antidote for a bad connection.

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  5. Hey Jackie, I love the idea of a 'signs' post. Maybe we could start a Travel Signs meme? Let me know if you're interested.

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  6. Beautiful. I was in Amsterdam many years ago, and loved every moment. I do remember Ann Frank's house. Looking forward to going back some day.

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  7. You'll notice InsideJourneys and Travelnwrite were thinking Travel Signs. . .anyone else have some signs of the (travel) times they'd want to share?

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  8. This arrived in our inbox from Terri the Traveler:

    This is the neighborhood where I stay when I'm in Amsterdam...in fact, the house where I've stayed several times is across the Prinsengracht (canal) from the Anne Frank house and about 300' down a smaller side canal called the Bloemgracht. I love this Jordaan neighborhood because it is very old and historic, retaining its 1500s charm, while becoming multi-ethnic. I like wandering the shops, including an old-time cheese shop, several Turkish delis and stores, a great Thai restaurant, several open-air markets and an Italian cafe run by a guy from Venice.

    Amsterdam is a must-stop city for me if I can arrange my flight...the fast train service from the airport to Centraal Station, combined with smooth tram service to the neighborhoods and marvelous buses. I've ridden buses to nearby places like Haarlem, Zaandam, Marken, Altsmeer, Volendam and Delft, where there are numerous attractions to wallow in, and the Dutch are fun, friendly and helpful.

    There's a safe feeling even late at night in quiet lanes of Jordaan. And the many museums are great to explore. I still have several to see when I get back there again. Ah-h, you've made me nostalgic again.

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  9. Lovely canal view. How fortunate that turned out to be!

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