We saved the big city for our last day. We both knew that we didn’t want to spend much time here, and we made the right decision. While I’m happy we were able to explore a few famous neighborhoods in Amsterdam, it was so crowded and difficult to maneuver. Cars are not much of an issue here, but bicyclists and mopeds come from every direction and will seriously run you down. Walking is a dangerous endeavor. We walked a total of 35 miles this past week, but nowhere was I fearful like in Amsterdam. I will say though that the cycling culture is one every community should adopt. There are no parking garages to speak of, but there are bicycle lots with thousands of bicycles. It makes for a nicer environment. See one of my favorite photos of a woman in red high heeled pumps on her bicycle.

We arrived in Amsterdam by train in the morning and headed to one of the biggest markets in Europe. Over 200 vendors selling everything from street food, flowers, fabric, produce and clothing. It seemed to go on forever.

Also, Marco finally found his perfect European man bag!!!

We wandered the streets of De Pijp (the pipe) neighborhood and found a dive bar. We taught our bartender how to make a car bomb. Yep. We did.

Then we walked to Dam Square and wandered around amongst a zillion people. We made it to the Anne Frank house, and just snapped a photo outside. Probably shouldn’t have been smiling here, because it is a somber place for sure.

We made it to our hotel. Our last night in The Netherlands. Slept fitfully, knowing we were off to a full day of travel. Bittersweet to be sure. Not one single regret. So many amazing and beautiful memories. I blog all of this not only to share with our family and friends, but to keep these days in our minds when they start to slip away. ❤️