Amsterdam Extension: Friday August 12
ORIGINAL PLAN
Welcome to Amsterdam. Transfer from the airport to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure to explore Amsterdam’s charming neighborhoods and sample some treats. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Amsterdam so you can make the most of your visit. No meals provided.
Arrive Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) 8:15 am
Transfer from Amsterdam, Netherlands Airport (AMS) to Movenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre Located in: Shopping Center Brazilië Address: Piet Heinkade 11, 1019 BR Amsterdam, Netherlands Phone: +31 20 519 1200
Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre
Located only a few steps away from the historic city center in the heart of
Amsterdam, this contemporary hotel offers sweeping views over the city and
the Ij River. Guests can relax in well-appointed rooms, then savor
international specialties in the hotel’s Our Silk Road Restaurant.
https://www.movenpick.com/en/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/culture-in-amsterdam/
Visit Rembrandt Museum: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl (includes Rembrandt and Van Gogh)
Visit Van Gogh Museum: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en Did not visit. No available reservations.
OUR EXPERIENCE
We arrived around 10:30 am because of a flight delay. The hotel absolutely would not let us into our room until 3:00 pm. We hung out in the lobby like zombies for hours. No one considered a trip to a museum in our condition. Once in our room at 3:00., Barbara and I conked out until 5:00. The Old Folks gathered shortly after and walked to a restaurant near the waterfront. Bill claimed he had the best fish dinner there ever. The two waitresses were friendly and efficient. Barbara had a hamburger. I had a chicken entree with fantastic fresh vegetables. The dinner seemed to dispel the zombie look:
On the way back, we quickly learned to avoid the hordes of bicycles everywhere by keeping to the designated walking lane. We sweated profusely from the hot, humid weather walking back to the hotel. We were ready for bed when I plugged an American power strip into an adaptor that Maggie had given us. With a loud popping noise, the lights went out and the air conditioning stopped. Soon after I called room service, a man and a woman arrived to hit the trip switch in a cabinet. Nothing. Then they went to the hall searching for a circuit switch. A couple of minutes later, the lights and air conditioning worked again. To wake up Saturday morning in time for breakfast, I plugged in an alarm clock which promptly was ruined, so I called the desk for a wake up call. Barbara and I set our cell phones as a backup. Not a good idea. I received a scam call during the night, so we turned off both phones. They charged through the USB port on Maggie's adaptor even though the iphones were turned off. Now we could sleep until 6:00 am to be ready for our next adventure.
Next: Amsterdam Extension August 13