Hochmuth Adventures 2023: Rhine River Cruise

Day 3 - Amsterdam - Monday, September 25, 2023

Met for breakfast at 7:30 so we'd be ready to leave for our tour of Amsterdam at 9:00. The breakfast was buffet style and they had a very nice selection. We took 2 buses and Aga, our guide, did a nice job introducing us to the city of Amsterdam. We learned about the Dutch love for their bikes, the complicated system of canals, the windmills and their part in keeping the flood waters at bay. We passed Museum Square, the Rijk's Museum, the train station, house boats on the canal, leaning buildings, the Holocaust Monument and Von Del Park to name a few things. We got to stop and see one of the windmills that is still left. It is a house now and there are only 900 left in the whole country. Many burned in fires. Then we got to ride through the canals in a glass covered boat. It was interesting to see the different houses and neighborhoods. We did see the Royal Palace but the King actually lives in the Hague and this Palace is only used for coronations and some special events. We returned to the ship at 12:15 and as we were going to lunch the ship started on its way to Cologne. Lunch was a buffet also and equally delicious. We went and sat on the top deck after lunch and enjoyed the scenery and some happy hour beverages. Then we went to the talk on The Netherlands Today which was very informative. Bart touched on the government, immigration, geography, finances, food and much more. At 7:00 we had another awesome dinner with crabcakes, French onion soup, pork tenderloin and ice cream. Yum! Another early night as we get ready for Cologne.

Views of Amsterdam