Unbelievably fantastic Amsterdam.. Netherlands journey

content:
photos:
Vote this travel review

Here I am, just returned from fantastic trip to AMSTERDAM.
Starting May 22 - May 25, 2007 Return
Airline Meridiana from Pisa ..
We were both myself and other 2 friends ... So that all female holiday ...
Starting at 5 am to go to the airport ... check in and when we get on the plane the pilot informed us that due to bad weather we have to be an hour wait for them to give us the go ... good start! Pleasant trip and after 2 hours there we all'apt Schiphol. Beautiful and very big (inside there was also an exhibition of Rembrandt), many shops, cleaning and organization. To reach the central station in AMSTERDAM we get in line to take the train tickets (3.60 euros each way) and then we go down (the tracks pass under the 'airport ...) where there is a train every 15 minutes for center, we take the flight because they are very punctual and after 20 minutes or so to my Grand Central Station. Outside the station the sky was covered with clouds, temperature freschina but the first thing I fell into the eye was a ramp on various floors at the side of the station with hundreds of bicycles attached to another one ... great! We started walking towards the hotel trying to dodge trams, cars and bicycle .... bicycle paths, roads and rails for trams often intersect and you must be careful or I'll take away ... and having already wrong direction we got to our hotel. Y Boulevard in 10 minutes walk from central station on Nieuwezijdskolk, two stars, good breakfast, clean enough ... The only thing the impact ... are steep stairs to climb and descend .... you think you were dizzy with the bags ... and then without a lift ... tragic. We left our luggage at the hotel and we went for a first round because the check in was at 14.00.
First, you have to buy the "I AM STERDAM Card, a card with a chip that lets you go free or get a 25% reduction to visit many attractions, offers discounts on various restaurants, stores and allows you to take a number of times by public transport (tram - metro - bus). We have paid 72 hours for 52 euros ... If you plan to visit the city well do it because it will cost you sense any input on average 10 euros and spend much more than with the card. We begin to exploit the card by making a cruise on the canals to get an idea of the city ... guide? 1 hour by boat that did not end more (people were falling asleep!), Explained in plain English and then seemed incomprehensible to move always in the same channels ... a bore! Better to turn it on foot or by bicycle.
These days we visited the famous Dam Square with the monument in memory of the fallen buildings and stupedi around (in the square there's Madame Tussaud but we went because they told me that if you have already seen that in London it's not worth not even worth going there ...). Waterloo Plein, Nieuw Markt, Rembrant Plain and Leidseplein, surely centers of entertainment and nightlife, the market fiorni float (if you intend to buy tulip bulbs do them because there are many many colors, and then there are bellini trinkets as a gift). Unfortunately we could not go (because walking destroyed) the shopping mall Magna Plaza, near Dam Square
To see the Oude Kerk and the Nieuwe Kerk, the old and the new church and the many museums there are in town. Unfortunately I've only had time to see places that you can not see going Amserdam .. ie, the Van Gogh Museum (in the museum area) and the house of Anne Frank. Pe curiosity I visited the museum of sex ... but I did not like too .. absolutely vulgar!
I was stupid from the red light area, see the beautiful girl in the window it seemed strange as hell .. like going to buy smoking in coffee shop (in stores! even with the menu!) ... Them everything is in place, I like it, at least not in the streets are bad people or drug dealers who haunt you ... Oh well, criminals are but if you're in your nobody rompe.I Public transportation is very efficient, I have never taken the subway and unfortunately nance bike rental (mancanaza of time, then I was always on hand to see the map where to go ... I would be crazy!) We have often taken the tram ... it took me a while to understand but then when I took my hand was easy ... then the center is not grandissimo.Da underline FRIENDLY 'of the Dutch ... just saw me in trouble with map in hand had once asked me if I needed. Are courteous to die, we communicate well and are patient ... as in Italy eh!!
The 3 days we went to take a nice trip out of town ... destination Volendam, a small town a half hour by bus from AMSTERDAM. As soon as we arrived we were made to disembark from buses in the center .... He went down, we look and there was nothing ... small houses, a mini mall, a few cars ... panic! Then just as well by moving the bus dropped me in the eye near the tourist info office. We went there and gave us a map and explained that the shops (which are very much cheaper in AMSTERDAM) were all along the promenade along the harbor. Here we took a boat to immediately Merken (you can also arrive by bus, by boat but it was nicer, at least he visited 2 villages) and so on "island of tranquility. Merken is a kind of island now very touristy, but typically, there are a few souvenir shops, a small shopping center, a house where a little man with traditional clothing tells you what you can see in a house, a church, a museum, a bar ... in other words the least dispensable, but you can go here to detach from the chaos of the city and spend a relaxing day. Afternoon we went to Volendam, we have given to shopping (oh, if you look t-shirts as I buy them here ... in the center of less than 20 euros a nice shirt can not find it, I've paid 9.90 here and there ... a little shop full) and then we went to see a mill near ...
Fantastic journey, I would write more but I liked it so much that entrerei too much detail, however, remain at your service for any info ... and remember that I have also written some other destination like no other Corsica, Crete, Budapest, London, Prague, Paris, Fuertevenura, Lanzarote, Marsa Alam, Maldives, Mexico, Cuba ...