Amsterdam

We awoke to the sound of planes, which very considerately started at around 07.15, but then were mercilessly frequent. A heron outside on the pond kindly posed for photos, but the jay nearby was not so obliging.

We asked at reception for information on how to get into Amsterdam, and were given full instructions: bike to the bus stop, bus to the railway station, train into the centre. The entire journey worked out at about £7.00 each, and we were a good way outside the city.

First port of call, "Our Lord in the Attic", a secret church in the attic  (5th floor) of one of the 17th century canalside buildings. The congregation of about 150 entered through the side alley and walked through the house to get to the "church", which had pews, a balcony, and a pipe organ. Catholicism was illegal, but the authorities turned a blind eye because the owner of the house was an influential merchant.

We walked through the Chinese part of town, and along and over lots of canals to get to the Resistance musuem. This included a free audio guide to help navigate through an enormous amount of material.  Quite a heavy subject, but we felt it was not just about the Resistance, as it coveried many aspects of WW2 from a Dutch point of view.  Blackouts, rationing, gestures of defiance, deportations, general strikes, hiding Jews, and people avoiding being called up to labour camps etc. 

By then, definitely time for a cup of tea.  It was the last week of September, but still pleasant enough to sit outside the cafe, and from there we marvelled at the myriad different types of bike, chained to railings along the canalside. Bikes with one, two or three child seats on the front and/or back; bikes with a long wheelbase anda  crate on the front; bikes pulling trailers, and so on. 

Popped into the obligatory church before going back to the campsite: Roman Catholic St Nicolaaskerk.  St Nicholas is the patron soint of travellers, sailors, and of the city of Amsterdam.  This felt quite simiar to Westminster Cathedral, with patterned brick pillars and vaulting, and a painted apse. 

Back on the train, and noticed that it says "silence" on the windows. It was actually really nice not having people yelling into their mobiles, or ipods' tinny music floating out across the carriages.  Furthermore, people let everyone get off before they attempt to get on the carriage.  Quite a contrast to some other places we have been.

We decided to stay at the site an extra night, so the next day made our way into the city by the same route: felt more professionall this time.

First stop was the internet cafe by the main station, which cost E4.00 for an hour, to update the website.  Then we decided to head for the Anne Frank museum, a good walk away.  However, before we could get to the house, we saw the queue, snaking along the canalside, and down the lane. Regretfully we decided we would have to give it a miss.  The house itself is a canalside house of 4 or 5 storeys, like  "Our Lord in the Attic", alongside the canal, and due to the narrow stairways and limited space inside, it can only accommodate a small number of visitors at a time.

After lunch, which consisted of a typical Dutch pancake, we wandered round some shops, (including Waterstones English bookshop), then decided to go on a boat trip around the canals. (Dieselbootkanalrundfahrt?) This hour long trip was really interesting and informative.  we saw Nemo (the science centre), a replica of a trading ship which sank on its maiden voyage, the Montalban Tower with the Crazy Jack clock, unable to keep time, and the "Dancing Houses" which are subsiding and leaning over wonkily because the wooden piles they are built on are gradually rotting away in the marshy ground.  The pilot pointed out the "Skinny Bridge" which is the narrowest bridge in the city (really tiny) and the 7 arches of the bridges across Reguliers Gracht canal. Raised kebrstones are in evidence all along the edges of the canals, intended to stop cars driving into the water, but still they lose one car a week. There are houses with really narrow frontages, because tax was payable on each foot of frontage, but not the height (or depth) of the building!  Many houseboats line the canal: the overpopulous city has found a way to increase the amount of dwellings, and most of these houseboats are legal, with electricity and gas supplied, although some are not.

Returning to the campsite later, we took a detour to a supermarket in the next village. As we cycled along the canal, we noticed some really swish "houseboats" with a hard standing, and a small patch of garden. Situated on a nice quiet stretch of the canal, these seeme to be quite idyllic.