Set out last night, cruising at a clip to make Amsterdam by mid-morning. We relaxed during the morning as we cruised toward Amsterdam on the Rhine Canal.
Pastoral settings along the way. We learned the canal was built in 1952, and tulips were brought to the Netherlands from Turkey. The roots of tulips are fed to cows.
The four of us opted for the canal, bus tours. What can I say about Amsterdam? We “lucked” out to be here on not only a Sunday, but the first pleasant, warm weekend the locals have experienced this year. Crowds were oppressive, but who can blame them?
The canal ride was ok, but we couldn’t really take pictures as we’d like. Same for the bus ride, so bear with the rather average shots. Charles tried hard. We needed the time and energy for a leisurely afternoon walking along the streets and canals. We would have enjoyed an evening in town but the ship docked too far for a stroll back to town. We were also pretty tired.
I’m thankful for so much here at the end of the trip:
That all seemed calm and uneventful at home, at least as far as we were told
– that we stayed well (regretfully Ann experienced one bad night).
– that Charles worked the 7 months interim so we could take the trip.
– for our soft Costco toilet tissue.
– for another special trip with our dear friends.
We were warned from those who have taken river cruises that they can be addictive. This is probably true, but this will for sure have to be our first and last ($$$). So glad we were able to do this.
Sooo–
Widerluege, Switzerland
Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland
Au Revoir, La France
Doci, Nederland
Hello, USA!!!
For those considering a river cruise, we highly recommend AMA Waterways. A travel agent on board, whom we befriended and who has traveled all the cruise lines, provided us the following comparison:
Viking – Sheraton
Avalon & Uniworld – Marriott
AMAWaterways – J. W. Marriott
Tauck – Four Seasons
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