Amsterdam

After leaving the ferry at Calais it was a mad dash across Belgium and into
 The Netherlands. I enjoyed seeing the new modern windmills dotting the
 landscape.

 The scenery was good but traveling with a tour group was difficult. I won't
 belabor that point, as I knew what I was getting into.

 The dutch are industrious, and originally used the windmills to power the
 pumps that cleared the water from the land. Amsterdam is a magnificent
 example of that and a canal tour showed it off nicely. The architecture
 evolved over centuries, as canals expanded the land area of the city.

 The city is also home to a wide range of museums of the odd - handbags, cats
 and the like. We saw the anne frank museum from the outside, after hours so
 we were able to get a picture.

 After our excursion we walked through the red light district. Mom did not
 like that. Amsterdam seemed to be a study in contrasts that either explains
 or is explained by the open attitudes in the city. I don't know which was
 the chicken and which was the egg.

 From city center back to the hotel was about a 20 minute bus ride. The hotel
 was hightech, but that's another post.