AMSTERDAM APRIL 24

Amsterdam is a great city! Everything runs so smoothly, everything is so tidy, and tiny! Every bit of space is used! It's the most densely populated country in Europe! But you don't get that crowded feeling! My hotel last night, the Bicycle Hotel! had a room for me on the second floor, with REALLY steep stairs! that is slightly bigger than my bedroom closet! But I spent a very comfortable night! The little balcony helped me not to feel claustrophobic!

After a great breakfast I rented a bike for the day an transported by luggage on the front with my backpack on the back and had a long and wobbly ride out to this Hostelle, females only, very nice out in the suburbs. It was hard to find a place as it turns out Saturday is King's Day! I thought I was missing Queen's Day which is usually April 30th; but no, they switched this year to a King! I think Beatrix must have abdicated!! She's the daughter of Wilhemina who was queen during the occupation during WWII, and ran the country in exile from UK. There is a great statue of her astride a horse downtown!

I visited the Resistance Museum downtown, after my adventure of taking my rental bike ON THE METRO! I got lost trying to ride downtown. It was just too far! So a kind gentleman showed me how to get it through the metro gates, up the elevator and onto the train! Should have done that when I had all my luggage mounted this a.m.! My bum is STILL sore!!

This is definitely MY city to visit, with all these bike lanes. It is by far the preferred means of travel here for all ages! I think we Americans would all be in better condition if our cities had a preference for bike lanes instead of more cars! (editorial here!!) Tomorrow I'll take the train out to Haarlem and rent a bike to ride through the tulips!!

Anyhow, had a lovely delicious BLT and Heineken (2, I was SOOOO thirsty!) at an outside cafe opposite the zoo. Groups of school children and one group of seniors, most in wheelchairs, were being escorted into the zoo. I then toured the Resistance Museum that described the buildup to the Nazi takeover, people's different reactions - to collaborate or not, how the Nazis tried to win over the Dutch at first, with many strikes to follow when Jews were taken away. Today I will visit the Ten Broom house in Haarlem (The Hiding Place is the movie/book) from the point of view of the Dutch hiding the Jews. They (the Dutch) were thrown in prison but the Jews stayed hidden and escaped. Lots of video clips, newspaper and radio accounts. Very well done!






I then biked through town toward the museums. The lines were very lengthy by this time, and I didn't have a prebooked ticket for either the Riksmuseum (Rembrandt, Hals, et. al.) or the Van Gogh (if you don't have one, you wait in TWO lines: ticket and then security) So I rode through the beautiful park crowded with people enjoying the sunshine and flowers, to the Stedelijk (modern art) Museum. Different but I gave it a shot. Usually not my taste but enjoyed it more than the Whitney in NY. Had some Modriani, Kandinsky, Calder and Picasso, even one Monet.






I then rode back to the Bicycle Hotel to turn in my bike and then caught a tram to the Amstel station to get the train back to Hostelle out near the Amsterdam Arena where I had dropped my bags in the a.m. I rushed too much and hopped on the first train, some guy had said it was the right one! But it wasn't! It was an intercity train and I ended up in Utrecht about 30 minutes away! This train coasted without stopping past my stop! A lovely couple chatted with me and then got me on the right train back that would make a stop. It's a very easy walk through a plaza to my hostelle, and I picked up KFC for dinner on the way!






One of my roommates is from N. Vietnam studying in London. I think the other two are Chinese but not sure. I also met an American studying in London from Bettendorf, IA! What are the chances!! Very nice hostelle on the 4th floor - quiet, only women. I was up at 2 a.m. (when some were coming in!) after sleeping for a few hours. Haven't quite adjusted to the time! I had to stop typing in the middle of this entry as all of a sudden I hit the wrong key and it was coming out in Chinese!!! Couldn't figure it out so am finishing this at breakfast!






Anna emailed from Rome and said she might try to come to Paris for a few days when I'm there. I met and stayed with her in Rome two years ago, last year met her in St. Catharine's Ontario and she rode with me to Blue Cliff Monastery. Then she and I spent a fun 3 days in NYCity, seeing Forever Tango, etc. on Broadway, staying in her friend's apartment in Greenwich Village!! Hope she comes!!