Grand European Tour in Freewrite: Amsterdam/Haarlam

How do you summarize a fifteen day adventure down the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers? It was a trip of a lifetime, and God kept saying "fly, enjoy, spend time with George." So I did, and we loved it. We were told we acted like newlyweds! 

So here goes. This is an abbreviated freewrite with no full sentences. 

AMSTERDAM/HAARLAM

Tall people everywhere. Fit right in. No stares or gawks or laughs like we do in Asia. Canals. Beauty of tightly fit houses.

Twenty minute train to Haarlam with the lifelong dream of visiting Corrie Ten Boom's house. Travel easy with help from an American behind us in line while buying tickets. Almost killed by a crazy bicyclist when crossing over to train station. BIKES EVERYWHERE - a "sea of bikes" with no regard for road rules. 

Back to Corrie. Made it with 25 people waiting in line, but we managed to make the English tour within five minutes of it starting. Five hundred year old house with rich history. Stood in "The Hiding Place." So worth the train trip.

Back to walking the canals of Amsterdam. No time to make it to the museums and I LOVE AMSTERDAM sign, but next time.  Beninghof was quiet and peaceful. Church where the Pilgrims worshiped before going to the new world. (Maybe attended once or twice because they were true "separatists".)

Walked to Anne Frank House exhibit. Glad I bought tickets on line ahead of time. Massive line in the hot sun, but we walked right in. Sobering. Empty. Tears. 

Walked to osteopathic appointment. Got lost in the maze of streets that changed name, but we found it after twice the time to get there. He was in the Red Light District! But it was not dark yet. YIKES! Went to the third floor and treated to two delightful hours (and charged for one) of OMT by a skillful Englishman of Indian descent. Awesome idea. He gave us an "insider" perspective. People killed daily on the bikes. I thought so! (We saw a crash.)

Late for our first dinner on ship but invited by four New Yorkers to come and dine. Chat and Dawn very chatty. Debra and Dean very quiet. Learned New York geography. Nice time.

Ran to catch the last canal boat cruise of the night. Enchanting view from the boat. Worth it! 

Room small but comfortable. Window seat and large picture window. We are third to the youngest people on the ship.

Embark late at night for Kinderdijk. 

Will write more tomorrow.