On the bus at a reasonably civilized 8.00pm we travelled all day through France, Belgium (lunch stop in the gorgeous Brugge) and the Netherlands arriving in Amsterdam around 5.00pm. With Busabout we have a tour guide who tells us a little about the place we are arriving for example where to find cheap places to eat, how to use public transport, what sights are the best to see in a short time frame etc.

We spent 3 days in Amsterdam in 1999 so this time we endeavored to do quite different things for our 3 days round out our experience. 

Our sister-in-law, Kim is from the Netherlands and as her father lives near Amsterdam, we gave him a call and he came into the city and spent a very enjoyable day with us. A real highlight was going to the Rijksmuseum. The collection of art here is overwhelming and worth billions. The main attraction is Rembrandt's "Nightwatch". 

We enjoyed strolling the canals and streets and each day certainly did more than our usual 6 klms walking. In Amsterdam, one has to be very careful not to get run over by the trams - they are very silent!

Strolling through the red light district at night is a lot of fun- a real eyeopener! . Next stop Berlin.