Amsterdam
April 24–April 27, 2026
On April 23, Mary Jane flew from Richmond to JFK and boarded a flight to Amsterdam. I flew from Charlotte to Atlanta and from there to Amsterdam. We couldn't get flights that coordinated well to fly together. We were originally scheduled to cross paths at JFK somehow, but my original itinerary was canceled and switched. It took a long time to jump through all of the hoops for each of us to get into the country, and somehow we missed each other at baggage claim. Eventually MJ called or texted me from outside, and I joined her there. Between road construction and two similarly named hotels, we managed to get to the right place after two cab rides and a short walk to the wrong place.
We stayed in a nice hotel that was fairly conveniently located. The quirky elevator was reached by way of some stairs and a ramp. Fortunately, we managed not to be imprisoned.
We had tickets to visit the Van Gogh Museum late that afternoon, and managed to take our first tram trip there. I didn't take any pictures.
The next morning we visited the Rijksmuseum.
I was reminded of the larger spider at Crystal Bridges.
The museum features some very large works by Rembrandt. Most notable is The Nightwatch. We were able to see it, but from a distance. It is behind glass walls while it is being restored. The Peace of Munster is the most monumental work we could see directly.
In the afternoon we took a bus to the Keukenhof Gardens. I took a few pictures of some of the unusual tulips and of course the windmill. I had been there in 2014 near the end of my first river cruise. You can see pictures I took at that time here. There is also a link there to a short video of the mechanical organ that we didn't see on this visit.
This field of tulips had not yet been mowed off. Commercially they grow tulips mostly to sell the bulbs, and not the flowers.
We boarded the ship the next day and stayed in port until after our Monday morning excursions. Since we had already been to the gardens, we chose the canal boat tour of the city. That's the best way to see a town that is best accessed by water, but not great for taking pictures. Here are a few, and you can see more from my 2014 trip.
It was King Day, a national holiday that honors the king of the Netherlands. He is from the House of Orange, as was William III of England, Scotland, and Ireland, who ruled with his wife Mary II. Both were descended from King James I and staunchly Protestant. So orange is the color of the day. The national flag is red, white, and blue, in horizontal stripes. On King Day many rules are relaxed or not enforced. Groups rent boats and do heavy-duty drinking.
Travel tip: If you want to get coffee, don’t go to a Coffeeshop. (Note how it is spelled as one word.) The guide explained that the Dutch are very tolerant. Many activities that are illegal are tolerated as long as they are done behind closed doors. The Red Light District is a similar example. Note the balloon display for the holiday, featuring orange for the king, and the red, white, and blue of the national flag.
Trip Intro Rhine River Cruise Switzerland by Rail