Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Holland

We arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday evening and made the short walk from the train station to our hostel. We stored our things and headed out into the city to see what we could find. We had dinner, passed through the famous red light district before stopping in a local café. After some more perusing, we headed back to the hostel and crept into our full room of 18 sleepers.

The following morning, we set out in search of a grocery store for a cheap breakfast before another free walking tour. With a large group, we went from our starting point at the national monument in Dam Square through parts of the Red Light district, walking the canals, passed numerous historical buildings from all different time periods, and heard stories and fables from Amsterdam’s past. We ended the tour at Anne Franck’s house and heard the story of Amsterdammers being the first non-Jewish group to stand up to the Nazis.

After the tour ended, we made the walk down towards the Heineken brewing com

pany. We browsed an outdoor market before heading inside the brewery. There, we did The Heineken Experience, a tour that takes you through the brewing process complete with interactive exhibits and a total of 3 beers for tasting. Satisfied (it was more fun than the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin) we began our walk back towards our hostel. We walked the canals and shopping streets before stopping in one of Amsterdam’s most famous coffee shops to have a look around. After a while of people watching, we headed back home.

Once at the hostel, we used the free internet to make plans for our next stop. After hours of searching, we finally booked a hostel and headed to bed. We had another early train to catch.