Amsterdam- July 24-26

The bike and sail adventure begins! 35 people a new record, hopefully everything goes smoothly and whatever inevitable incident occurs is minor. Trained up to Amsterdam (on time, inexpensive, easy, 60 trains/hour managed on 6 tracks. Imagine.) and found our houseboat thats home for next 3 days. Nice to be back in Netherlands although it was fun speaking french in brussels. Initial impression of Amsterdam- busy. Canals, restaurants, people everywhere. Met up with tom and sarah, people starting to congregate. 2 miles.


Thursday natalie + 4 others arrived. Ok, so i'm happy they're here too, but really happy to see natalie and be on vaca together. Coffee, little food, little nap and headed into city for a walking tour. Learned how amsterdam was founded in 1275 by damming the amstel river and how creating land/buillding canals was a win in both ways; that marijuana is actually illegal here but prostitution is legal (and heavily regulated); how they moved from car to bike infrastructure in 1970s by taking away parking and driving lanes; how the jewish quarter was taken down for firewood after all the Jews were sent to concentration camps - that's why that part of the city looks different. Canal boat tours for others!  Last flyers on their way tonight. 28k steps.

Overnight rain so hung around boathouse for a bit, everyone's flights arrived ok. Went to Albert cuyp market (120 years old) for some shopping, quick lunch at home with fresh bread, and then 29 of us went on the Jewish tour. Started in untouched portugese synagogue from 1675, incredibly undamaged by nazis. No electricity or heat, they still pray be candlelight. The ark holds 67 torahs and they hold an annual lottery to give away a wedding and bag of cash! Also saw jewish museum in old (1671) ashkenazi shul, with a machzor from 1250. Then saw Holocaust memorials, one with 104k bricks for all the dutch killed by nazis, one for auschwitz, one at the theatre that was a deportation center (to "work" in the east) and there are more shteipelstones. Very powerful. Walked back through the flower market and into a cheese shop turned tour, got algerian food for dinner in restaurant with no menu. So good. 12 people up in enkhuizen - the land of tall people, 4 of them by bike, one guitar acquired. Tomorrow we all get on the boat. 23k steps.








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