Amsterdam's Bike Parking Garage

I figured I'd start off my Holland images with a rare mid-trip blue sky day. We didn't see much of these while there, most days alternated between heavily overcast and actually raining. We did get lucky though the day we visited Amsterdam, and what a glorious day it was. We took the train in from Hoorn, where we'd rented a 2-bedroom cabin in a nearby campground (a great and very cost-effective option for families touring Holland by the way, fitted out with all the comforts of home - right down to the dishwasher!), and in just over half an hour we walked out of Amsterdam's Centraal Station, just across the street from this unbelievable multi-story parking garage - for BICYCLES! This place was crazy huge, holding some 7,000 bikes! (And as my cycling-fanatic husband discovered on his last trip to the city they also very helpfully give out free city maps.)

 

After leaving the train station we walked through town to Dam Square and then over to the Rijksmuseum with its mindblowing collection of Rembrandt's and other Dutch Masters, then it was time for lunch at a resto-pub and a very moving visit to Anne Frank's House before hopping the train back to Hoorn in time for a late dinner.