Amsterdam Walking Tour

Three thing were on our agenda for day two. In the morning we went to the Van Gogh Museum. We were both very excited about this visit. Van Gogh has always been one of my favorites. Photos of course were not permitted except at a photo op spot.

The museum was a definite highlight - as was the gift shop!

In the afternoon we took a three hour walking tour of the city. We met in front of the palace.

The tour took us from one side of the city to the other. We saw some interesting street art along the way.

We wandered through areas both large and small. We saw one of the original customs houses for the city where a group filming a video project had our entire group doing the bird dance (known in Polish wedding circles as the Chicken Dance). 

We made a stop on a college campus with beautiful hallowed halls.

We saw some beautiful homes.

And the original Delft factory.

As is true through much of Europe, bikes are abundant as are motorbikes. Some are quite cute.

In former times homes were marked with very beautiful tiles that would show the profession of the homeowner and the address. Some have been preserved.

Taxes on homes in Amsterdam are assessed on the frontage. The smaller your front profile the smaller your taxes. This is why most homes are very tall and narrow. I have heard of the thrifty Dutch, but the home in red brick with the flowers over the door has taken this to a whole new level. And it is not the only one like this.

Walking over the canals always provides beautiful sights.

Our tour ended outside the home of Anne Frank and the Anne Frank Museum. We would have loved to tour them, but time was short and lines were very long. You always have to have a reason to return.

We headed back toward the center of town admiring the beautiful sights along the way.

An at the very end we ran into a familiar face.

Our evening activity was a tour of the Red Light District. I did not plan on taking photos in deference to the ladies working there. Our guide warned those on tour that photos are ill advised. As he put it, just because a girl is wearing 6 inch platform heels don't think she can't run you down and smash your camera or throw it in the canal. One interesting tidbit - if the light is blue or purple there will be a little something extra for your enjoyment! A very enlightening tour.