Jordan and I rented a couple of bikes yesterday. We rode them to Vondelpark,which is a little bit southwest of central Amsterdam. For myself, not being used to riding bikes too often, it took a little while to get used to riding a bike around the streets here. Amsterdam is designed to be really bike-friendly, and most of the roads have bike lanes. Actually, sometimes there are little roads and traffic lights that are only designated for cyclists. Even so, sometimes it gets a little crowded when a bunch of cyclists and a car try to pass you at the same time. I underestimated how many people would be riding bikes here. There were surprisingly few people walking the paths in Vondelpark.
One thing that I in particular love about Amsterdam is that it is very open to animals. Sometimes people go into shops with their dog, but you're even more likely to find a cat once you go inside. There is a brown tabby that wanders around our hostel, we found an orange an white tabby chilling out in a restaurant and choosing laps to sit in, and today at a pastry shop we found a friendly calico who was making her rounds to visit all the patrons. This is my kind of city!
Tonight, in lieu of a real dinner, Jordan and I helped ourselves to a snack that we've seen all over the place: a big batch of fries served in a paper cone with one of a variety of sauces on top. The most popular condiment here seems to be mayonnaise, just as that Dijon mustard was in Paris, and that is what most people have their fries with.
Also, on the topic of food, we've (of course) had to try the Belgian waffles every pastry shop seems to have, usually coated with chocolate and sprinkles and/or sprinkles and/or nuts. Very yummy! Sometimes we try the pastries here two or three times a day!
Today, Jordan and I visited the Amsterdam History Museum and the Anne Frank House, which had a museum-like component, but also walked us through the actual rooms in which the eight Jews stayed when they went into hiding. I've decided I need to reread her Diary soon when I get back to the US, now that I can picture it a little better.
Tonight is our last night at The Flying Pig Downtown. Although we were originally going to stay here another night, and we do like being able to grab a drink downstairs at our residence, we found a hotel room at a good price that has a great view of one of the canals here... with its own shower and toilet! We've not had a bathroom of any sort in any of our rooms yet, so those are some perks we are looking forward to!
~Melissa
Steps taken (yesterday)-24109
Steps taken (today)- 16078
Miles walked- 6.096
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