Sunday in Amsterdam

After sleeping in until late we were out and about to explore a little more of Central Amsterdam. Our apartment is well located to walk everywhere so that is what we decided to do today.

Following one of the walks outlined by Rick Steeves we walked first down Kalverstraat to Dam Square which is the centre of Amsterdam. Kalverstraat is one of the many shopping streets we walked today. There were crowds everywhere and many types of shops that were brand names we knew. I was looking for a new pair boots before we left home but decided to see if I could find some here. Of course I saw and bought a nice pair for a reasonable price. Now to break them in without killing my feet!

                                           All of the streets were this crowded with locals and tourists

Dam Square is where the city got its' start in 1250 when fisherman built up the banks of a marshy delta along the Amsel River. They blocked it with a damme and created a small village called
" Amstel-damme". With access to the sea they began trading with other countries and the village eventually became Amsterdam. The square is surrounded by buildings such as the Royal Palace and in the center is the National Monument built as a WWII Memorial.

                                             The Square is a popular place for people watching
   

Amsterdam being also a city with lots of cafes provide us with our first stop of the day.

                                                      A pint and a hot chocolate

We saw a few strange sights as we walked including this one...

Don thought it was an unusual looking phone booth until he walked in to discover it was a public urinal!

Of course what would Holland be without these iconic symbols...

    Amsterdam is full of public squares or spleins. There is usually lots happening there as we saw in this one that had a modern art fair showing today.

We also happened on Rembrandtsplein with a statue of the famous Dutch artist...

The Netherlands is also known for its cheese which can be seen and sampled in the many cheese shops around the city.

And of course we had to finish our day with a good meal at a place called The Pantry which serves a typical Dutch Cuisine. I found it on Trip Advisor and it didn"t disappoint.

                                                Pea Soup with Rye Bread and Bacon

Hutspots  with Sausage. I had mine with a Meatball.One was sauerkraut, one was kale and the other mashed carrots and turnips served with gravy. A very satisfying meal.