Amsterdam, The Netherlands. June 2, 2024

My flight arrived a few minutes early at Schiphol and that’s when it truly sunk in that this adventure was about to begin! I collected my luggage at 8:15 am, hopped in a taxi for a very quick Sunday morning ride to my home away from home in city centre Amsterdam.  At 9:00 am, I stood at the picture window in my room to see this view.  Good Morning Amsterdam!

I was so very thankful my room was ready at this hour of the morning!  After much admiring of that view, I unpacked then crashed in the bed for a couple of hours. When I opened my eyes, the view was that much sweeter.   No where near well rested, it was time to hit the pavement to see what else was out there.

With no particular place in mind to go to nor route to follow, I wandered, and wandered and wandered, oh boy, I needed google maps to find my way back to my home from home when the time came to head back there.  See that bridge at middle right in the above photo, I stood there to take the photo below.  My room is in that yellow building, bottom floor, second from the left.  

savouring a strudel snack

a few photos of some scenes while strolling around 

After wandering up and down many of the narrow winding streets and along numerous canals and over a few bridges, I ended up at the massive Central Station. While many people were coming from and going to places near and far from here, I was going no where other than back to my home away from home.   

When enjoying the view once again out my picture window, I discovered there is a resident Great Crested Grebe along with its partner and three babies, living in the reeds by a boat docked to the right of my view. 

Into the early evening, crash time again soon overtook me. 

Goodnight Amsterdam!