France, Belgium and Netherlands (8) - Arrive in Amsterdam

From Brussels Central train station, we took an InterCity train to Amsterdam. Unlike the high speed train we took from Paris to Brussels, InterCity train has many stops. The last stop of our train was supposed to be Amsterdam Central train station. But for some reason, we stopped just short of Amsterdam Airport train station (the stop before Amsterdam Central train station) for a long time (like 10, 15 minutes), before the train finally pulled into the Airport train station. There was some announcement in the PA system (probably in Dutch), and people started to get off. I remembered sitting there and thinking: "wow, there is a lot of people getting off at this stop", until someone who walked past us and told us in English, "you need to get off here, the train is not going anymore." Not really knowing what's going on, we followed everyone getting off the train, and boarded another train on the same platform and made it to Amsterdam 20 minutes later.

1. Amsterdam Central train station.


Amsterdam has great tram system, but they are really expensive comparing to Paris (12.7 euros for 10 tickets) or Brussels (13 euros for 10 single journey Jump Card). Amsterdam public transportation system doesn't sell tickets like that. Here an one-hour ticket cost 2.7 euros, and a 24-hour ticket cost 7.5 euros!

From Amsterdam Central train station, taking either tram 2 or 5 can get us to our hotel, which is one of the most memorable hotels we have stayed.

2. Our hotel only has 14 rooms, and it occupies the top half of this corner building that was built at the end of the 19th century. The room with the awning down (the lower one) was our room.


3. Stairs to the check-in desk.


4. From the check-in desk, we have to climb another set of stairs to reach our room.


5. From our room, we could see the famous Rijksmuseum (Dutch national museum) on the left, and the giant “I amsterdam” letters straight ahead.


6. The giant “I amsterdam” letters with Rijksmuseum in the back. It was fun to people watch here.


7. The other side of Rijksmuseum.


8. Magna Plaza just west of Dam Square.


9.


10. House boat with beer bottle trees.


11. Mural.


12.


13. Another mural.


14. Floating flower market on Singel canal.


15. Floating flower market looking from the other side.


16. Giant chess board near Hard Rock Cafe.


(To be continued)