Passing by Schipol Runway |
The countryside was lush, speckled with clusters of Frisian cattle and sheep. Herons, terns, mallards and grebes made the canal their home and hunting ground. At times plush houses graced the banks, whilst other areas were covered with market gardens.
Passing past the end of a Schipol runway provided us with advance warning that we were approaching the outskirts of Amsterdam. A hefty wait at a motorway bridge also reminded us that we were nearing the capital.
Crossing Amsterdam in a boat with a mast is not a simple process. The bridges on the route through the city are closed during the day, since it would cause chaos if they were to open. To get around this problem, the bridges were only opened once for a very short period during the night. We and other vessels had to wait in a holding area for hours, and after a false start at a rail bridge, nine boats set off in convoy to cross the city at 1am. A pair of guys sped along the streets on motorbikes opening and closing the bridges as we progressed slowly. It was indeed a slow affair, with all craft being forced to mill around in one small area for about 30 minutes. A little light relief was provided by a police boat which zipped along our route; it's low height permitting it to whiz under bridges without hindrance. The streets were deserted as we sauntered on our merry way. After almost 2 hours, we reached an area just before the final bridge before the harbour area, and we all tied up for the night.
Amsterdam Harbour |
We caught the 9am bridge opening and headed across the harbour to the Sixhaven marina. The marina was large and almost full, but we managed to grab a space. Other crews we met there were very friendly, and seasoned visitors to this marina told us how boats were crammed in during the high season, to such an extent that it could often take hours to remove a boat from the deep interior. Later in the morning we took one of the many free ferries across the harbour and after a hasty sandwich lunch, decided to investigate the Maritime Museum together. It was a pleasant walk in the warm sunshine amongst the many tourists and folk going about their daily business. To add an extra zing to the journey, cyclists, buses, trams and cars shot by from all directions, just to keep us on our toes. At length we arrived at the Maritime Museum to find it was closed until October, hmmm..... After monumental curses we decided to explore the city based on our own interests. Alan decided to head back to the boat for a kip before exploring the Science Museum. Rex went off to investigate the diamond business.
Bridge Near the Hermitage |
Another Amsterdam Bridge |
Rembrandt House |
Anne Frank Statue |
Second Hand Clothes Stall |
I passed through Dam Square and slowly made my way across to Anne Frank's House. Sadly, the queue to get into the museum wrapped itself across a road and round a block, and I calculated that at the rate the queue was diminishing, the museum would be closed long before I got to the head of the queue.
I retired to a canal side cafe and sipped coffee in the sunshine, just people watching. Time moved on, and it was soon time for me to head back to Dam Square where we had all agreed to meet up at 7pm. There, we shared experiences: Alan had found the Science Museum to be mainly for kids, Rex had found the Diamond Centre 30% interesting and 70% hard sell.
Snoozing Swan |