Amsterdam Day 3: what we didn’t see the other days…

I started the day running 5.7 miles through the streets of Amsterdam. I found this great resistance art when I took a different turn and therefore a different route. The art is a dollhouse on a vacant lot as a symbol of resistance to development. A cute kitty came out for some head rubs.The Amsterdam pass is worth it. We saw so much and paid less than half price with all that we saw and did.Here is the oldest building in Amsterdam, dated in the early 1500’s.First on the agenda was the hop on hop off boat tour. We didn’t hop off anywhere but took the whole route around. Afterwards Becca went to the pride parade and I went on an open boat canal tour. Some sights were the same but the stories were different.These stones in the buildings would be how you identified where people lived before there were addresses. They would have symbols of their profession.Many buildings are not straight but what do you expect from houses that are many centuries old and built on land that used to be under water.I also liked looking at all the different gables on the buildings.From this point of view you can see multiple bridges. There are actually 7 in a row.In this area is where flea markets still occur and have been going on for over two centuries. This is near city hall.In many of the canals there are iron rails to stop cars from going over into the canal. However, there are some that do not have the rails and cars drive over often. Unfortunately so do bikes but mostly from mischief. Approx. 15 people a year die in the canal, usually men, usually after drinking and trying to urinate in the canal. It is very difficult to climb out of the canal.Below is Nemo, the children’s museum and science center. There is a sand lot on the top for people to hang out on nice days.There is parking lots for bikes. Thousands of bikes. Some people have two bikes as they may not remember where they parked one!Speaking of bikes, there are more bikes than cars and dedicated bike lanes on every road.This boat passed us and is a literal garden on the canal. Yes, that is actually a boat.After the tours I walked back to the Rijksmuseum where there were pride celebrations already beginning.I walked to Vondel park, the most popular park in Amsterdam. As I walked through I realized the end of the pride parade was here. They had great family games, dancing, information, and empowering everyone. It was fun and peaceful.I walked to the Jordaan area and window shopped. This is the best place to see unique boutique shops. I stopped at Cafe Jordaan for an Amstel.While I was walking, I overheard a your guide say that this shop had the best stroopwaffels. I decided to try it and he was right. It was amazing. They make a thin waffle and split it in half making a sandwich with caramel.Here is how it is made:https://youtu.be/PenYHmMK6gkI stopped for food at foodhallen. It is in De hallen where there are also vendors for crafts.I bought fried vegetables. Green beans, carrots, and artichokes are lightly battered and fried. Very good.Last for the day is the Heineken experience. It walked through how beer is brewed. The original chemist that found the yeast to give the beer it’s unique taste studied under Pasteur.They have their own horses too. I really miss the smell of a farm.They had fun activities along the way learning how the beer is brewed and bottled, and fun and games at the end. We toasted “Proost” with freshly brewed beer and at the end were allowed to have to more glasses of beer. You can also bottle your own beer and have it ready for you at the end.On the way back to the hotel I snapped a few more pictures. A shot of houses along the canal (this would be their back door).This pic is in the museumplein.I never noticed the top of this building as a great hangout for people.Tomorrow we are off to Brussels, Belgium. But before we go, another Dutch pancake at Pancakes Amsterdam.