| Amsterdam & Flevo Barging I Tulip Time Barging II Belgium Lowland Cats | |||
 One of the favorite parts of the trip was a 30-minute ride from Amsterdam in the Oostvaarderplassen, a large nature preserve. The day started with eerie fog, not great for birdwatching. |
In addition to birds, wild cattle and horses are found in the Oostvaardersplassen, which was formed from reclaimed land in just 1968.  |
 Our topnotch guide was Taco Spanbroek of Flevo Birdwatching, who also introduced us to the addictive Dutch sweet called stroopwafels. (Click here for Taco's trip report.) |
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 To get to the hide, you have to go in stile ... |
 Hundreds of ducks, grebes and other water birds were on the pond. Click for close-up of nesting cormorants. |
 There was little doubt that this was a tufted duck. |
 ... and this was our first smew. |
 The canals in Amsterdam were home to what was our favorite bird in the Netherlands. |
 The great crested grebe was breeding and seen throughout our trip. Click for side view |
 Amsterdam started at the "dam," now Dam square, with the Royal Palace, rarely used by Dutch royalty |
 But it does have this lovely dome. |
 The National Monument on Dam Square, which commemorates those who died in WWII, was being refurbished. |
 The Nieuwe Kerk, also on the square, is now an exhibition hall. |
 The Magna Plaza, just off Dam Square, built as the main post office. |
 The extensive tram system took some study, but we made some progress, enough to find a popular restaurant for an traditional Indonesian rijsttafel. |
 The main features of Amsterdam are canals ... and bicycles. |
 Most cafes are canal-side |
 Another canal view, near Amsterdam's well-known "red-light" district. |
 The edges of many canals are lined with permanently moored houseboats, a popular form of residence. |
 There are few cars in downtown Amsterdam but lots of side streets just right for bicycles. |
 On one of the side street, just down from our hotel, was our favorite "brown bar," Cafe Oporto. |
 The line to visit the Ann Frank House stretched around two sides of a block. |
 Still in use as a church is West Kerk. Click for photo of another church. |
 The fun of Amsterdam is in the details, like this replica of the Amsterdam, an historic square rigger, alongside the Scheepvaartmuseum (Shipping Museum) |
 One feature of the Amsterdam's varied roof lines is the beam with a hook and line to pull up large items, such as furniture, still in use throughout the city. |
 Harking back to days when literacy was rare, old buildings often have a carved sign above the entrance indicating what business was being done there. |
 Sometimes things get lost in translation ... Or maybe it was an intentional comment by a weary shopkeeper? |
| Amsterdam & Flevo Barging I Tulip Time Barging II Belgium Lowland Cats | |||
For years, Mary had wanted to visit the Netherlands,
the land of her ancestors. The spring time, as the tulips came into bloom
was an ideal time, and this
Overseas
Adventure Travel barge tour was a good way to enjoy it. It started with
some time on our own in Amsterdam. Our hotel,
Hotel
Amsterdam, was just of the center of the city, the Dam.
(Click thumbnails for larger versions of photos)
(Click thumbnails for larger versions of photos)