Days 1–2 of 63
Our flight from Seattle to Amsterdam was easy, just a little delayed, and Schiphol was calm enough that we were in a taxi right away. We reached the hotel before check‑in, so we walked around and found lunch while waiting for the room.
We had planned to clean up and take a quick trip to Rotterdam on arrival day, but the timing didn’t work. A short nap and a walk through Amsterdam felt better. We took the tram toward the Rijksmuseum and wandered into Vondelpark. It’s a big, green park with cyclists and runners everywhere. We made our way west and found Lokaal van de Stad, a small neighborhood spot along a canal. Quiet, local, and exactly what we needed.
Day two started slower than we hoped. Jet lag lingered, but we still headed to Amsterdam Central for the train to Rotterdam. The direct train was canceled, so we followed advice from locals and took an intercity train to Delft Campus, then a bus. With less time available, we focused on the Market Hall and the Cube Houses. Market Hall is huge and colorful inside, and the Cube Houses look like they’re balancing on one corner.
We needed to be back in Amsterdam by 3:15 for the start of our ten‑day boat and bike tour. The trip back didn’t go smoothly. We missed a transfer, ended up on the wrong train, and realized we were running late. After a fast walk through Amsterdam Central and a scramble to the tram, we reached the canal boat about thirty minutes behind schedule. We were those ones holding up the cruise.
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