Rhine Cruise Day 7--Arrival in Amsterdam

By the morning of the seventh day the great god Avalon had created the world.  Oops, wrong book.  Let's adjust that to say that on the 7th morning Avalon's Tranquility II was safely birthed in Amsterdam for the formal day of our cruise.

It was grey and spitting rain as we proceeded down the quay to some smaller canal boats.They were covered so the rain was not an immediate issue,

 but photography through and amongst the dribbles produced some interesting effects.

Although the cloudy skies continued, shortly the rain diminished and the Amsterdam we remembered from our previous visits began to appear on all sides. Stately three and four story period buildings line the canals. Almost all are finely detailed and well kept.

We  motored  too fast past the famous Anne Frank House. All I got was a view of the canal. I hope you'll accept as a substitute two photos from our first visit to the house in 1963. At that time you just sort of walked in and wandered around; now it is a premier attraction that  needs reservations if you do not wish to wait in a long line.

We disembarked from our canal boat at a little dock near the Diamond Showrooms. We then had a choice to return by coach to the ship or walk with our guide. Since the rain had stopped we opted for the stroll and it did give us a better chance to know the city better.     

Our guide was eager to point out that when on the ground rather than the water you can stop a bit and savor the small scenes of local life. I like this shot because it does seem to capture the pace of  social interaction in so much of Europe.  The open air, good company, a cafe, and a beer,  Proast!

  We also got some insight into the liberal social scene in the Netherlands..

On a more serious note, our guide was able to direct our attention to  many of the small plaques scattered about  the cobblestones that reminded us of those who did not survive the Nazi extermination of the Jews. 

We walked by the painter Rembrandt's house.  Wish we'd had time to enter. Maybe tomorrow. 

One of our last stops before getting back to the ship was at Dam Square--the proverbial heart of Amsterdam.  It is the site of the country's main monument to World War II

On one side of the square is the Royal Palace with its high cupola where rich citizens could watch for the many ships entering and leaving the harbor. The Palace dates to the 17th century. It was once occupied by Louis Napoleon brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was reclaimed for the Dutch monarchy in the 19th century.

                     At the very top of the tower is  the symbol of of the city--a sailing ship in all its glory.

From there just a short walk back to the ship and a hurried lunch as we were scheduled to take a coach tour  out to the countryside to see some operating windmills.  Unfortunately it started with a double whammy.   A few more squalls moved in and that was followed by a dead calm.  The mills were elegant, but no wind no turn.

Inside this mill  we had a lecture on how they were using it today to grind pigments for artist's paints rather than for grain.

Sorry still no wind. The massive stones were not turning.   We headed back from the mills to see some of the other buildings in the  historical village called  Zaanse Schans,  There was a nice street of restored farm cottages. 

 

And not far along was the sign for that place no good historic Dutch village can be without--a Klompenmakerij  or a wooden shoe factory. 

  Almost immediately my wife and I we were reminded of our teaching stint at Hope College in good old Holland, Michigan some fifty years ago where Klompen dancing, wearing wooden shoes, and sweeping the streets were a part of the yearly Tulip Festival. The entrance to the factory took you first through a narrow hallway museum that showed  you various types of wooden shoes through history.

They even had a sequined version made specially for Michael Jackson

We rounded a corner and in the little factory proper we saw more sample shoes and the machinery used to make them.  Our young docent fastened some semi-formed blanks onto the old machines and flipped a switch.  

In a twinkling amid flying wood chips there appeared a wearable shoe.

          Today, the finished product is sanded smooth, painted, and decorated for the tourist trade.

By the time we fought our way out of the crowded  souvenir shop that took up the rest o the building, we were ready to head back to the parking lot and our coach. Had the weather been better this might have been a more satisfying excursion. It was pretty and the houses had charm, yet when all was said and done it didn't quite make it as an authentic trip into the countryside. So be warned that extra trips off your cruise ship are pricey and may be focused on getting more of your money through shopping than on their educational value.

Wait a minute.  A bit of a breeze has come up.  The mills are turning.  All is forgiven.

Back aboard we still had work to do. For the first time in seven days we had to get our suitcases packed.  They were to be picked up for transfer to our extra day hotel at  9:00AM  the following morning..

 Luckily it was a fine dinner with plenty of talk about the good times of the trip with a number of the folks that we had met during the week. Needless to say the wine flowed freely.  Too freely probably as I didn't seem to have taken any pictures.

Good night!  Watch!

Sorry had to sneak in a little inside joke.  Rembrandt now and forever.  More tomorrow.