October 8 - Arrived in Amsterdam

We left Toronto at 11pm last night and arrived in Amsterdam at noon.  By my calculation that would be a seven hour flight taking into consideration the 6 hour time difference.  The flight was interesting as we passed over Ottawa.  I was able to recognize some of the major roads from 4,000 meter in the sky.

As we passed over the coast of Holland, we saw a large number of wind turbines, that were located in the water several kilometers out. It was also easy to see why Holland has reason to be worried about rising sea levels due to global warming.  The dykes just didn't seem to be that big and the land is very flat and would flood easily.

We are staying at the "Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky".  It is a grand old hotel but the rooms have been updated and are very comfortable.  It is in the heart of the old city and very close to most attractions.  For dinner we went for a moderate hike to a brew pub called "De Bekeerde Suster".  The food was good and the local beer was delicious.

Some observations about Amsterdam from our first day here.

The city is a modern city planners dream.  The streets are narrow and priority is given to pedestrians and bikes and public transportation.  I've never seen so many bikes and the sidewalks are full of people.  You have to be very careful to avoid the bikes.

The cobblestone streets and sidewalks can be very dangerous when wet.

The smell of pot is very strong on the streets.

The architecture of the buildings is varied and very interesting.

Pictures of Amsterdam