Amsterdam
The day broke bright and clear as the National Geographic Endeavour began its journey down the NoordzeeKanaal (North Sea Canal) to one of the world’s most well known trading capitals, Amsterdam. First established in the 13th Century, the great old city retains the charm, vitality and character derived from its early membership in the Hanseatic League, the important German-based trading organization that first brought great prosperity to the area.
On a near-perfect day, when the warmth of the September sunshine seemed to enliven the entire town, Amsterdamers and visitors both were out in great numbers, filling the cafes and city squares, the canals and bike-paths, and strolling through the streets lined by centuries-old structures--buildings sometimes precariously leaning, their foundations having settled in the sandy sub-soil over the centuries, creating a story-book jumble of homes and businesses along the narrow winding thoroughfares. And the canals. Amsterdam is a city built on scores of islands, and those islands connected by many, many miles of canals and hundreds of bridges.
We began our day by exploring some of those waterways with a very genteel boat tour. Accompanied by tea, coffee, and apple pie, not to mention the glorious dappled sunshine that filtered through the trees, the canal boat proved a perfect introduction to the bustling metropolis.
After the boat tours, we broke into three groups to explore more of Amsterdam, including visits to the famous Rijksmuseum, home to the work of Dutch painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer, and a visit to the Anne Frank Museum. A motorcoach tour of the city completed the outing.
The more serious photographers among us--and photographers being what they are, independent of mind and resistant to schedule--set off on foot for an exploration of the city center guided by Bob Krist of National Geographic and myself. We visited St. Nicholas Cathedral, walked the tree-lined canals, negotiated the narrow streets, dodged the thousands of bicycles along the footpaths, and found one photographic opportunity after another along the way. After wandering the city center on foot for a few hours, we rejoined our coaches for the trip back to the National Geographic Endeavour. Following dinner, our guest chef, Michel Nischan gave another delicious cooking demonstration in the ship’s lounge. What a great day!
The day broke bright and clear as the National Geographic Endeavour began its journey down the NoordzeeKanaal (North Sea Canal) to one of the world’s most well known trading capitals, Amsterdam. First established in the 13th Century, the great old city retains the charm, vitality and character derived from its early membership in the Hanseatic League, the important German-based trading organization that first brought great prosperity to the area.
On a near-perfect day, when the warmth of the September sunshine seemed to enliven the entire town, Amsterdamers and visitors both were out in great numbers, filling the cafes and city squares, the canals and bike-paths, and strolling through the streets lined by centuries-old structures--buildings sometimes precariously leaning, their foundations having settled in the sandy sub-soil over the centuries, creating a story-book jumble of homes and businesses along the narrow winding thoroughfares. And the canals. Amsterdam is a city built on scores of islands, and those islands connected by many, many miles of canals and hundreds of bridges.
We began our day by exploring some of those waterways with a very genteel boat tour. Accompanied by tea, coffee, and apple pie, not to mention the glorious dappled sunshine that filtered through the trees, the canal boat proved a perfect introduction to the bustling metropolis.
After the boat tours, we broke into three groups to explore more of Amsterdam, including visits to the famous Rijksmuseum, home to the work of Dutch painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer, and a visit to the Anne Frank Museum. A motorcoach tour of the city completed the outing.
The more serious photographers among us--and photographers being what they are, independent of mind and resistant to schedule--set off on foot for an exploration of the city center guided by Bob Krist of National Geographic and myself. We visited St. Nicholas Cathedral, walked the tree-lined canals, negotiated the narrow streets, dodged the thousands of bicycles along the footpaths, and found one photographic opportunity after another along the way. After wandering the city center on foot for a few hours, we rejoined our coaches for the trip back to the National Geographic Endeavour. Following dinner, our guest chef, Michel Nischan gave another delicious cooking demonstration in the ship’s lounge. What a great day!
