Amsterdam!

 All aboard to Amsterdam!!  Yes - we had planned to enjoy a day in Amsterdam and today was that day!  We rode the bikes to the Centraal Train Station and found a rake to park it....have to lock the bike or else....but it is free parking!

 It is so much more convenient to take the bikes...because it is  very very hard to park a car by the station - every street has a charge to park your car....there's meters EVERYWHERE!  That part is no fun...always having to pay...so a bike is a must - we think!

 Beautiful trains in Holland - we sat on the top floor....a great view of the countryside!  How fun...our first experience from this level!

Hey look here....the Prinsjes Dag hit the papers! 

  Scenes along the tracks...so pretty!

 There's those cute windmills!!!!!

 Do you see the flowers????

 Darling farm houses along the way! 

 This use to be a orphanage in the past. 

 Amsterdam ~ The Capital of The Netherlands

 The bike scene...and the Vespa scene! 

 A Cruise through the Canals of Amsterdam - Tops!

This was a treat and a must to do!  It gives you such a good impression of Amsterdam!  The cruise took an hour and we so enjoyed seeing all the sights and hearing all about the interesting buildings, port and history of the canals, bridges and the life that is lived along the canals by the people of Amsterdam!  And....bikes bikes bikes everywhere!  

 Wow we were so fortunate...today would be 26 C - oh my what a treat!  That's probably the warmest we have had it since arriving hered!  Wonderful! 

 Love seeing all the boats along the way...and it seemed everyone else came out in their boats as well...enjoying the weather and the outdoors!  Oh boy..how fun to own a boat here in Holland...you can get from Amsterdam to Rotterdam to The Hague and most of Holland anywhere by boat!  Big or small!  Sure is inviting!!!!

 A very old draw bridge that is still working!

 Red flowers along the canal....! 

 We walked & walked and shopped a little bit and walked some more!  So much to see and so many people speaking many different languages...a interesting City with much history!  1200 - can you believe it?  It was a fishing harbor.

 The Nieuwmarkt is dominated by a building known as the Waag,^[1] originally a gate in the Medieval city walls but converted into a weighing house after the walls were demolished in the 17th century. The square was created when the canals around the Waag were filled in 1614, and was used as a marketplace (hence the name). In World War II the square was used by the Nazis as a collection point for Jews who had been rounded up to be sent to the concentration camps.^[1]

  Dam Square & The New Church & Royal Palace

 How funny is this????  Cows hanging from the ceiling...yes grazing on green grass....what is wrong with this picture????

This tourist shop had lots of pictures and items with the Dutch cow! 

 The New Church. The "New" Church - de Nieuwe Kerk

 Nick & I stopped to have a cup of coffee before entering into the train station to head back to Den Haag!

 Up on the top of the building it says "Jesus Loves You!" "God Roept U!"

 The "Old" Church / Oude Kerk

We headed back to the train station and enjoyed the ride back to The Hague.  All so convenient - the use of trains here in Europe!

We had parked the bikes in the bike rake out front of the train station...there are thousands of bikes parked there...and thankfully we spied ours!  Then back on the bike enjoying a nice evening breeze back to the house...20 minutes...Oh the bike paths are marvelous to ride on....!  Most of the roads in town have bike lanes...so you are safe and have your own lane to ride on...people pass you on the bike and cars coming for the right stop for you on the bike. 

Wow....the weather was great...my companion was great..ha!..and we just enjoyed a wonderful day in Amsterdam...a world town!