The late start eliminated our morning plans, but we still managed to have a productive day of walking around the famous canals, feasting at some nice restaurants, and of course enjoying the midnight match between the U.S. and Portugal.
We started the day with a little art fair outside our hotel in Rembrandtplein...Greg sported his new U.S. kit, which was well received by local fans
A sunny Sunday meant folks were out on their boats cruising the canals including this dude who had a boat in the shape of an old wooden beer keg
Breakfast at Chipsy King, a fast food doner kebab spot...greasy, salty and fried, perfect after a night out
Greg making friends in Amsterdam
We've been told a main goal in Amsterdam is to meet people who own a boat and then go out on the canals with them...no luck yet, but we're starting to eye the folks with the nice boats so we know who to befriend
Matt enjoying the canal life. The canals are lined with trees, sidewalks and little cafes to pop into for a beer, coffee or snack, making Sunday strolls in the Canal Ring very relaxing.
Some canals are also lined with residential buildings. These buildings give a solid idea of the old traditional Amsterdam architecture with the pitched roofs.
We did manage to get lost a few times, but getting lost in Amsterdam can be a good thing
When in Rome...we stumbled upon The Bulldog Coffeeshop, but apparently it's one of the more
famous spots in Amsterdam
Be aware of the space cakes...they sneak up on you
Around every corner is a new canal, bridge, tree-lined walkway, cafe or shop to enjoy
We eventually made it to Winkel 43, a spot in the Jordaan part of town known around Amsterdam and beyond for it's apple pie and rightly so
We managed to actually see some historic sites as well including the Royal Palace in the heart of town
Since Amsterdam is built at or even below sea level in some areas, the ground is not very stable so what happens over time is buildings begin to tilt or slant. You see it here in this shot and you see it all over town walking down alley ways.
We kept it classy and had dinner at Kitchen + Bar in the Rembrandtplein. We both opted for the steak and frites...delicioso!
It was a couple hours until the U.S. v Portugal match so we made our way back toward the hotel where we knew an Irish pub called St. James that would be showing the match in English
We were nervous early when the U.S. went 1-0 down, but were pumped up at the comeback...until the last 30 seconds :(
None the less, we were pleased with the 2-2 draw so we did a little celebrating
Day 2 in Amsterdam was well rounded with food, shopping, exploring, site seeing, World Cup and a bit of celebration. Day 3 we're switching team jerseys and supporting the Netherlands as they take on Chile. It's going to be awesome to be here in Amsterdam watching with all the locals and hopefully celebrating a victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment