Nic and Sue’s Euro River Cruise and bits on the side. Autumn 2026. Day 22 – Plan C. Amsterdam 1.

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First full day in Amsterdam. First challenge – finding somewhere for breaky, we were too stingy to pay €27 per head at hotel, might be a big mistake!
A lot not open till 9 or 10 which is too late for our planned activities.
We walked in the general direction of Anne Frank Huis and found a waffle and pancake place open – it was pretty meh!

Won’t be going there again.

It’s a bit showery today, so a Bolt to Anne Frank Huis – we were early for our 9:30 entry so I cut a lap around the block (so to speak) canal, streets, bridges.

The architecture and angles of the buildings around Amsterdam are intriguing. I know that some lean deliberately for hauling goods up from the canals ‘back in the day’ many still have the gantry and hooks for this. They use the hooks at the stairs are too narrow to be used for hauling stuff.
On return to Anne Frank Huis we were waiting and were held back due to someone inside needing assistance, Ambulance arrived.
The tour through AF Huis was very good.

At our own pace with audio guide providing history and information. Firstly a museum section to set the scene before entering the actual warehouse building where Anna, her family (Margaret, Otto and Margot) and the Pels (mum, dad and Petr) and Fritz Pfeffer, hid for two years to avoid capture by the Nazi’s. Then we walked through into the annex where they all lived for two years.

It was a very moving experience with the story told from the diary Anna Frank wrote while in hiding between the age of 14-16. (I was so glad to have read the diaries and seen the play in Melbourne knowing we were coming here.)

Another “incident” occurred inside with a lady, she couldn’t make it up the big step into the annex. She sort of fell to her bum, then bled everywhere, with blood dribbling out the bottom of her pants into her shoe. (There was obviously some pre-existing issue, one lady near me said she was probably on blood thinners) anyway I was supportive till the staff came, then I thought I might faint – not good with other people’s blood!!

We had to wait a while for her to be assisted and walked back out and then those of us behind her were able step around the blood to proceed with the tour through the Annex.
Needless to say it was a tour that I won’t forget and the most unfair part is that all bar Otto, the Dad, died in the Nazi concentration camps. It is a personal story that depicts so emotionally the devastation of the Holocaust on Jewish community.

From there we meandered round the Jordaan neighbourhood (sort of using a self guided walk I found) lots more canals, interesting architecture and a variety of shops, upmarket and quirky. A smattering of eateries and some Coffee shops – which are actually where you can get prohibited substances. Ensure you understand the difference between cafe and coffee shop!

Lunch at Cafe Papeneiland, it had popped up as place to eat when we were initially planning and also on the walking tour I found. It was an old cafe/bar which has been here since 1642. Sue had a toastie and Apple pie, I had the Bitterballen, which were delicious. Sue’s apple pie was mega layers of apple and very nice- not sickly sweet.

We moved from Jordaan towards Nine Streets and saw a lot of people gathered on a bridge, we wended our way past some parked bikes to see a bloke performing on the canal. (There was a large group of people from a conference or company, so I assume it might have been entertainment during their lunch break) The guy was a one boat band. He had a small pianola type thing, played a horn, conch shell, whistled, drove the boat and compered his own show. The videos capture it all. Such a flukey thing to stumble upon.

More meandering followed…

…and again we stumbled on a woman standing at a door, there was a sign that said free audio tour. Turns out it’s ‘Huis Bortolotti’, a 17th Century canal house/mansion that has been restored to its former glory, we paid for the entry and got the free audio tour. (Two tickets was cheaper than our breaky!!! €11 each) this was just happenstance that we saw it. It was amazing, beyond stunning really. The rooms were open to walk around, furniture could be sat upon, cupboards could be opened. We even got into the garden and servants quarters and had a cuppa tea and biccie in the kitchen. The audio information was informative and interesting. The volunteers there were all so lovely, they are part of the Hendrick de Keyser Monumenten, which has restored a number of houses of which this is one. It was a fascinating walk through and a good chance to get out of the rain that dogged us on and off all day.

We moseyed round some more, then found a cafe to take a rest in before our Canal tour at 5:45.

John, our Buckingham Palace guide had mentioned the company “Those damn boat guys” so we booked with them. A small group company, with a pretty quirky outlook. Check them out at: https://www.thosedamboatguys.com/

Our Captain/guide was Peter and he provided interesting commentary and banter for about 90 minutes. There were about 12 of us on board – all Americans and us.
We cruised the canals and learnt a lot of history. Maybe the captions will capture some of it.

Then it was a walk home to the hotel as the night fell.
A fabulous first day in Amsterdam.

One of the shops today had great bags and different gear. It was a travel gear shop. It has some great quotes on its windows. This one was a bit hard to capture in the photo.

I’m going to see the world.
With my own eyes.
See the stories written on their faces
See the people, not the politics the kindness in their gestures
the resilience in their steps

See beyond borders
beyond headlines, beyond fear
See not just what’s different but what’s the same.
See how strangers become
friends
how cultures intertwine how adventure shapes the soul.
See not just places, but perspectives.
Not just landscapes, but lives.
I’m going to see the world.
With open eyes, an open mind, and an open heart.