More Amsterdam (Day Two)

Okay, so a canal tour is a thing here, and it’s on a boat, so NOT hop-on-hop-off. But you get to see a lot of Amsterdam in 90 minutes or less, and if you’re lucky the captain will give you the inside tidbits that they leave off the pre-recorded multi-language audio guide. I highly recommend it as a quick intro to the history of the city, snacks provided.

Hmmm. Pretty sure there was supposed to be a Heineken in there, somewhere.

ANYWAY… We’ve all seen the pictures of the streets of Amsterdam, and wondered at the tall narrow closeness of it all. Population density, housing crisis, etc etc. And that’s certainly part of it, now. But one of the fascinating facts that came out during the tour was that in the 16th century, Dutch landowners were charged a tax based on the width of the house on the canal-side. So really, it’s all a 16th century tax dodge…

And that’s all I know about canals. Except for the fact that Google Maps really really really wants me to swim one.

Yes, I have been walking. And then walking some more while Google recalculates. Today was for the Van Gogh Museum, which is four audio-guided floors of stunning artwork and stories about Vincent’s life and work.

I have a feeling that this museum would have been pretty stunning too –

But I am over here on a yarn mission, and had to cut some corners in order to make it to Stephen and Penelope, yarnshop extraordinare and homebase of designer Stephen West.

Oops! That is De Slayswacht, the leaning pub of Amsterdam. If anything, my crappy photography skills have corrected the lean a little bit. But it’s an excellent place to recover from a day of not swimming the canals just because Google told you to “turn left NOW”.

Tomorrow, we board the ship! Let the knitting commence!