Amsterdam!

As we were walking to the Italian restaurant last night I noticed this sign of course in honor of daughter Jennifer!!!!  It was about a 20" walk to dinner and I noticed bright red curtains on some big windows in a building and then noticed next door open curtains with a couple young women sitting in the windows with few clothes - ummm - we are not in the red light district but it definitely participated!  It is legal here and well controlled according to what I read.

Dinner was awesome and since in Europe the tables are about one inch apart we sat next to a young couple from Seattle who were celebrating their 3rd anniversary and had been dating since junior high for "20 years" as Greg said - his wife was Carrie and they were so much fun and they wanted to live a travel life like ours so of course we encouraged them fully!

So...finished breakfast at the Pulitzer Hotel Amsterdam where we spent last night and are soon headed out for a few hours on our own until we get picked up by the "coach" at 3pm to take us to the riverboat MS Grace to checkin at 4pm  - so since this is an internet photo I hope I am correct!  Now every day will be planned for us and Ross will be happy to not "schlep our bags" but he does admit he does like travel on our own except for the schlepping and "walking 25 miles a day" - not quite true!!!

Day one of actual tour called Rhine, Swiss Alps and Amsterdam - Southbound.  There weree 119 "guests" on the boat and 43 crew so we were well cared for and had an amazing team and they were from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Indonesia, Bulgaira, Phillipines, Slovakia, Serbia and one from Portugal and 2 from the Netherlands one of which was the Captain of the ship and the other the Hotel Manager!  We took the time to hear the stories of how they got there.  It is a 10 month job (no breaks) and 2 months off to go home.  Their meals and room are paid for so they send all they make back home and save the money.  Sweetest crew ever!  

This is the hotel we spent a couple nights in and it was a series of old rowhouses on the canal converted to a hotel....no big advertising and a tiny sign at the front entrance.

 A little toilet stop - not sure why but I love toilet signs and yes I do know where the toilet paper goes but we have been in countries with poor sewage limits and no toilet paper was allowed to be flushed - think about that!1

 Another beautiful curch and memorial of candles.  I did light one for daughter-in-law Amy and her mom Kathy.  Amy is almost 9 years out from a brain tumor (beating the odds  by far) and her mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery two days ago.

 My note along with many others:

 Statue of Anne Frank - since I am catching up on the stories and today is actually June 24 last night Lucy told me she is reading the store of Anne Frank and said "It is so sad" - indeed it is and hopefully never forgotten.

 The room on the boat - and it was very nice with plenty of room and each cabin had a view out the windows to see whatever we passed on the Rhine River - and we passed a lot of beautiful views.

 Our buddies from Pennsylvania Greg and Linda.  We met them on the Peru-Bolivia tour and hit it off so they suggested this trip and a few days after this we decided we would all see Africa together in September 2019.  Gotta plan ahead!!!!