June 10, 1968
Up around 6:30. Nice showers and breakfasts of cheese sandwiches, toast, jam, and tea.
Take our City sight-seeing bus tour (have a few of the same tourists with a lot of others too, so not so bad).
Again, we are lucky and get Honrie for a guide and he goes on educating us. See the different periods of houses on the various Poulders; old old old, 17 and 18 100's, 1900's, 1950's and 1960's and very latest, see a section with millionare homes and they are gorgeous as anything we have. Beautiful gardens too. The windows everywhere sparkle like diamonds. Doesn't matter where section is; even the house boats and mostly these beautiful sheer nylon or lace curtains with this unique embroidery.
We go past lovely canals, we see Crying Tour where in the past sailors would say goodbye to their loved ones (hense the name). It has a gold ship on top to commemorate Hudson who left for America from there, See Rembrandts home, flea market, etc.
Go to diamond cutting factory and learn about process. 58 facets to good round diamonds, 26 for emerald but this doesn't let as much light in though. They let us play with a dozen boxes of rings.
We go to Rykesmuseum and luck of luck, - guide who is an artist teacher in winter gives us a marvelous lesson in the art. Especially on Hal Lyndon Rowling and Rembrandt. Of course we see the Night Watch. Wonderful, but this time we get some of the history of it. Rembrandt was ahead of his time, as now I can see he was one of the first impressionists. Compared to paintings right next to him guide points out why he is a master. His are alive and look spontaneous. Some of his work took two years to do.
After tour we try to find Indonisean section and find the restaurant we want. The Azie, Great! We have our 17 dish Rystafelat last we all enjoy it immensely. Even have banana fritters.
Then set out by bus number 5 and 30 to Nearden.
Oh this was wonderful. No tourists there. The walled city is one of the highlights of trip. Walk hither and yon. Have a herring from a vendor, then chocolate candy bar, chips, have some coffee at a little sidewalk cafe. Dave buys Janet a pair of Nylons from a machine. Gum balls. - Old and young on bikes- small cars drive like mad here too!
We stumble into old town hall - 1300's accommodating guard is delighted to fill in history. Bergermeister and councilman marriage reception was upstairs. Explains the paintings on the walls. See a model of the town which clears up the layout of it for us. Walk down Marketstreet. All and all is great.
Catch buses back to Amsterdam. While walking, we take in sights on the way back from a place we ate lunch at yesterday. First we have to take in a bar so we can have that experience. Go into this jumping little place. Music is grand and mad. A couple not together start dancing to I think German music. It's wild. Woman spills a drink. Dances to doo and gets mop, and cleans it up while dancing. Ray and I have three draft glasses of beer each and the kids have coke.
On to restaurant and have delicious sandwiches soup, coffee, and sweets.
Walk down some more tiny narrow streets, then off to our hotel. A very full day and its about 9:30 or 10:00 pm. (weather is chilly).