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Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • August 23, 2025
  • KK

July 13-15, 2025

Another early wakeup call, and it was off to St. Pancras to board the 7:40 Eurostar to Amsterdam. In January, the Eurostar had a £39 (about $50) ticket, which gave us the idea of heading to a city we had never been to. But after a look at the weather there, we decided to wait ‘til summer, albeit a tad more expensive.  Jack had never been on the Eurostar and was looking forward to a nice 4-hour train trip through the tunnel and French countryside.  However, that was not to be the case. Upon arrival at the Eurostar check-in, we found extremely long lines and much confusion. Turns out, the high-speed rail from Brussels to Amsterdam was damaged, so we’d have to change in Brussels to a slower train. Unfortunately, the Eurostar staff had no clue what was going on. Some staff said it would be fixed by the time we got there, and not to worry; others said we should exchange the tickets for another day. When we reached the check-in desk, the agent said it had been fixed and it would not be a problem.  HAHA! After the Eurostar arrived in Brussels, we were left standing on the platform having to find our own way to Amsterdam, and after three train changes, we finally arrived at our destination! Not much of a relaxed experience for Jack! We arrived and headed to our hotel to drop off our bags, as we had a 5 pm Get Your Guide walking tour scheduled.

Although Jack and I are not much for group tours, we do like to get a quick understanding of a city we’ve never been to. I’ve been using this tour company for over eight years and have found that they are the most experienced and personal. We had a wonderful guide who took us through the Jewish Quarter, revealing Amsterdam’s history during WWII. Our guide took us to some of the most poignant locations, explaining how the Jewish population lived and died under Nazi occupation. Most impressive was the National Holocaust Names Memorial in the center of the Jewish Quarter. Amsterdam.  When viewed from the air, the walls form 4 Jewish letters “ לזכר ”, which means “in memory of”.  Built from 102,000 individual bricks, each one is engraved with the name, date of birth, and age of a Dutch Jewish, Sinti, or Roma victim who was deported and murdered but has no known grave. The youngest victim was a baby girl who was murdered along with her mother immediately after she was born. There was so much information to take in about the fate of the Amsterdam Jewish population. Two hours later, we had an idea of what role the Jewish Historical Museum, the Auschwitz Monument, and the Portuguese Synagogue play in Amsterdam’s history. Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the Anne Frank House as tickets were sold out months before our visit. But anyone who has read The Diary of Anne Frank would understand the monumental significance of this 14-year-old girl and the description of life during that terrible time.  

Amsterdam Bound
National Holocaust Names Memorial
In Memory Of
Anne Frank's House

Amsterdam is a city of bikes! They are everywhere. It is incredible how pedestrians shuffle between bikes, trams, and cars. It is organized chaos. You must be diligent when crossing any intersection, as it’s not the cars you have to worry about—it’s the BIKES! Like every other tourist in town (and there were quite a few!), we rented bikes (we wanted an E-bike, but they were all rented, so we had to use our leg muscles for this trip) and headed to Zaanse Schans. About 13 miles in, we finally came to the fairy tale-looking village, which is basically an open-air museum with windmills and little painted houses that sold cocoa and souvenirs to the hundreds of tourists walking through the little hamlet. We had a delightful lunch at De Hoopop d’Swarte Walvis (The Hope of the Black Whale) with views of windmills along the water. After being sufficiently recharged, we hopped back on our bikes for the 13-mile return trip. All in all, it was a lovely day.

City Bike Parking
Ride to Zaanse Schans
Windmills
Zaanse Schans Sites

The National Maritime Museum, located in a 17th-century naval storehouse, depicts the relationship of the Dutch and the sea: its maritime power, exploration, and trade. Jack’s eyes lit up when we explored the decks, crew quarters, and captain’s cabin of the “Amsterdam”— a full-scale replica of an 18th-century Dutch East India Company, which sits moored at the museum’s jetty. The original ship was wrecked on its maiden voyage near Hastings and is still partly buried in the sand at Bulverhythe beach. At very low tides, parts of the ship can be seen sticking out of the sand. England on its maiden voyage. After touring the ship, I am ever more thankful I didn’t have to make the long journey to far-flung countries on these kinds of ships; I’m more of a Queen Mary II girl.

Each day and night brought a different treat at a canal-side café. Home to Heineken, Amstel, and Grolsch, plus numerous craft beers, Jack had much to choose from. I fell in love with Dutch “friet” (Fries). I never had to ask them to cook my fries extra crispy, as that is the way they are served. You can buy them at many street stands and enjoy them while exploring the city, as they are served in a paper cone. The Dutch pancakes are also a treat, but nothing beats Captain Jack’s buttermilk pancakes!

Onboard Amsterdam
Westerkerk Church
Basilica of Saint Nicholas
Relaxing on Canal

Safe and Easy to navigate either by foot or bike, Amsterdam is a great place for a short city break. (Another reason I love London—so many cities are a short train ride or flight. With its historic architecture, serene canals, and picturesque cafes, I would highly recommend it. Again, it’s an easy 4-hour train ride (unless there are works on the rails!)

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3 Responses

  1. Scott Gregory says:
    August 26, 2025 at 12:57 pm

    Always enjoy updating myself on your off-shore adventures. Enjoy the balance.

    Reply
  2. Janet M Pearson says:
    August 23, 2025 at 7:18 pm

    Did I miss it or did you leave the name of the group tour company out of the narrative?

    Reply
    1. KK says:
      September 5, 2025 at 3:01 pm

      Hi Janet! We used “Guide Your Guide” for the tour. We have found then to be super reliable and good quality!

      Reply

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