9-13 August After Monnickendam we returned to Amsterdam. We started early for the trip back as rain and wind were forecast in the late afternoon. This time we were careful to stay in the channels to avoid weed. The weather was more windy than when we had arrived and there were waves on the Markermeer. We did have one boat pass us too fast and too close and his bow wave really rocked us, tipping things out of cupboards and off the benches. Luckily Howard had laid the TV down before we started and nothing was broken. Later we could see 4 cruisers approching it over 43kms an hour (according to our AIS). Luckily the slowed down before they reached us, to 18kms an hour. As we approached Amsterdam and the IJ there were more and more boats around, including cruise boats. Once we were safely tied up in our mooring we had a lazy afternoon and even watched a movie. However we were disturbed by a squall that came through. We heard later that the wind got up to Force 8 (Force 9 is the Maximum). The next morning another front came through, and we had to wait a while before we set out for our trip to the Scheepvaart (Maritime) museum. We spent the rest of the day at the museum which was very interesting, including a guided tour of a reproduction of an Dutch East Indian Company ship. When we were kicked out a closing time we wandered over to the roof of the Nemo science museum for the view. There are water features built into the roof and it is an interesting place to visit. On Saturday morning after managing to avoid more rain, we did a bike tour of the city. It was mostly to the west of the city and was very interesting. On Sunday morning we did a walking tour in the morning, starting in the red light district. Floor, the guide, did a lot of talking and explained a lot of the history of the city as we walked around. We enjoyed it. After lunch we did a boat cruise. During the cruise we came across a free concert on the water, and a group of students who had lit flares - apparently some kind of university student prank. On Monday we decided to take the day off. So had a nice sleep in. We have been staying at the Amsterdam Marina, which is on the north side of the IJ (the river/bay that runs through Amsterdam). The historical centre of Amsterdam is on the south side of the IJ so we have caught one of the free ferries to get there. There is a ferry terminal only a couple of minutes from the marina, or we can cycle 12 minutes for a shorter and more frequent service. The Marina is in an area that used to be an industrial haven, but there is a lot of building work going on, with new or renovated buildings as apartments or offices. And some older ships, now used for accommodation or restaurants and bars.
2 Comments
Richard Switzky
14/8/2018 01:19:56 pm
Thanks for another great narrative and wonderful photos. High winds were scary!
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Rachel
18/8/2018 10:56:23 am
Loving the travel log - living the dream!
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