Amsterdam at last

After some discussion over breakfast coffee, we decided to change our plans and head straight for Amsterdam – after all, that has been our ultimate destination from the beginning. It being midweek, we thought it likely we would find somewhere to dock, and the trip being only two or three hours, we hoped that lunchtime would be a lucky time. It was. The trip along the North Sea Canal was interesting – lots of very large commercial traffic. It meant keeping a good lookout.

We nosed into the Sixhaven marina, which is located just across the water from the central railway station, around midday. As we had hoped, there was space, and we tucked ourselves in comfortably and paid up front for three nights. About five minutes walk away there is a free ferry running a shuttle service across to the station:

The station is an extremely impressive edifice:

And the dial on the left is not a second clock, but a weather vane: suitable for a nautical city:

We went to the tourist office and bought city pass cards, which give us entry to museums and free use of public transport for a couple of days. It also included an hour-long canal tour in a bateau mouche, so we decided to take up the offer. It was quite fun. We passed the church of St Nicholas, according to our guide the patron saint of seafarers – never heard that before, I thought it was all about slaying dragons – but easy come, easy go.

We enjoyed the waterfront houses (if some seem to be leaning a little, that is not the fault of the photographer, but the foundations, we were assured):

This was originally a lock keeper’s house, but now a pub – that’s the trend, I guess.

Some of the city’s merchants were definitely rich:

But today, some residents find a way of recycling old furniture:

There was a cruise ship docked in the port, which left shortly after we arrived, with a great blowing of its horn. No connection,. I’m sure.

We got back to the boat to find two large sailboats and a gin palace rafted up at 90 degrees to us in the space between us and the next pontoon  - they certainly like to cram the customers in here. It means people clambering over our aft deck to get ashore, but that's life in marinas at busy times.

First impressions of Amsterdam? Much busier than Haarlem or Utrecht, which were rather relaxed and laid back in comparison. Here hordes of people - Dam square was heaving. It will be interesting to see how the main attractions are tomorrow, when it is wall-to-wall culture in prospect. Be prepared!