Amsterdam

  Amsterdam was our base of operations while in Holland.  The one day of "touristy" activities here was just Melissa and I as Kathy was at a wedding.  We did, however, eat dinner in town both nights.  There was a large variety of excellent sounding restaurants so picking two was not easy.

  Kathy had found a pretty inexpensive hotel that hadn't officially opened that was right near the heart of the city, on a canal.  The hotel was a bit funky (see the picture of the room) but it was perfect for our purposes.  Kathy had a wedding to attend on Saturday (which was, in large part, the reason we went to Holland in the first place).  The first day Melissa and I spent some time walking around Amsterdam.  We hadn't planned much for this visit, so it didn't work out as well as some.  For instance, we didn't visit any art museums, or make it inside Westerkerk (Rembrandt's burial place).  However, we did manage to visit a couple of other churches, the Anne Frank house and wandered through the flower market and the red light district (during the day, mind you).

  Of what we did do, certainly the Anne Frank house is a must see.  The whole museum is interesting but the thing that stands out in my mind is stepping through the "hidden" doorway that led into the hidden apartment.

Click here for pictures of Amsterdam