Amster”DAM”n! Experience

We planned our trip to Amsterdam with the kids in mind, it was one of those places Kayla wanted to go.  Her buddy Chris had gotten permission and me and his mom and worked out the details.  Friday morning we all hopped into the Jeep and started the 6 hour drive across Germany to the Netherlands.  One of Fletchers NCO’s had let us use the Tom Tom as it was already set up to drive to Amsterdam.  It really came into help when we pulled into Amsterdam and tried to find our hotel.  Ah our hotel, as we drove down the street that the Tom Tom informed us was another U-turn then our “Destination”.  I looked out the Jeep window, right into the window of a barely dressed woman’s “door”.  We had arrived!   Our hotel was called the “Heart of Amsterdam”.    I mean I know it had said it was situated around everything, but I had NO idea we would be looking across the canal at red lights at night!

*Heart of Amsterdam is connecting people*

Heart is situated in the real heart of Amsterdam, all what you need is beside you, shopping centre’s, night clubs, cinemas, Red light district and all other attractions of Amsterdam.

All of the doors at the hotel had movie themes… and it was right down the block from the “Cannabis College”!  I was pretty happy to find the kids actually found clubs and places to go OUTSIDE Of this area.   The coffee houses had a different smell from the Starbucks back home.  Actually that first night Fletch and I crashed after taking a walk about.

The next morning we got up early and headed out, only to find that we were one of maybe a handful of people that dared wake before midday.  It worked out fine, we walked away from the Red Lights and towards the Museum district, I wanted to see the Van Gogh museum.  I was NOT disappointed, it is amazing how much work he managed to accomplish in 10 years, and how much his work transitioned from Dark to Light in that time.  His painting Starry Night was on display in a seperate exhibit “

Van Gogh and the colours of the night

Quite worth it, upon walking out the lines now stretched down the block… we wandered some of the little side shops and enjoyed a cappuccino.  The air was still moist and chilled with sea air.  Though not the same “fresh air” I would hope for the city smells are firmly set in this town.

We had neared the lunch hour so decided that that was 5 o’clock somewhere and headed for the Heineken Experience.  This has got to be one of the best brew “tours” I have been on! Interactive and entertaining, my favorite part was the “Brew U” experience where you become beer being bottled.  You go from the wheat and barley, fermentation, off to bottles.  The conveyer belt ride had me laughing, and you end up as part of a 24 pack at a party! Much fun before you go off for your first sip.  Its not my favorite beer but it was worth the “experience”.

We had gotten a call from the kids to meet up for lunch so we went back to the flower market to meet them then walk over to the Hard Rock Cafe’ – Kayla loves to go to these in each city we visit.  Not much difference from San Francisco, to London, to Munchen, to here… lots of rock memories.

The night brought out the party and crowds of merry makers.  Believe me, if your under 21 this night life is crazy.  One of  the girls at the hotel had said she had met up with a group of American soldiers and they had all played scavenger hunts around the red light meeting back up at bars to find the winner.  Ahhh the good old days of partying and sleeping in till noon.

We decided the next day to travel out on the canal, see some of the sites by boat.  Our canal boat was 40 minutes late though, in that time we could have walked and been standing in line at Anne Franks! When we got there, FLetch and I decided on going to a cafe having cheese and wine while the kids saw Anne Franks house… interestingly enough? It was the most modern house on the street!

We toured the flower market, had lunch at a cafe’.  Afterwards we had seen a flyer for ” XTRA COLD AMSTERDAM” – Really neat idea, but this place sucked. The jackets were warm but it was like you paid 15 Euro to sit in a meat locker and drink a chilled beverage.  I wish I could say more “upbeat” things about it, the pics we have we took on the sly – they wanted to charge an extra 15 Euro for a PHOTO.  We also stopped and enjoyed a Fair that was going on in the city center.  Fletcher showing his skills, shot up the baloons with a bow and arrow and won Kayla a Chester Cheetah stuffed animal.  We really enjoyed a lazy day, by night we’d decided to find an Irish Pub and play some pool while the teens went off to a dance club they had heard of.

By Monday morning we were all ready to go ~ the drive was silent with the sleeping teens in the back seat and we all enjoyed a quiet evening with home cooked food and good ol’ AFN TV.

Some links:

http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp

http://www.heinekenexperience.com/experience.html

http://www.xtracold.com/