The Prequel - Amsterdam

Our port of entry into Europe was Amsterdam, so we decided to stay 2 nights there. I hadn't been there since the 60s and I wanted to rediscover it. What a providential decision! We had time to get over our jet lag, and me to recover completely from my strep throat, before we started our exertions on our bikes.

We arrived to a cloudless, warm summer evening, even though it was early September. It was bright and sunny at 6pm, and stayed so until 8 -- such a friendly welcome! It was so bright, in fact, that Charo was convinced it was 6 in the morning and was all set to spend the day touring until, after having unpacked and dressed, she looked out the window and saw it was dark! “Why is the sky dark all of a sudden? There must be a typhoon coming!”

Learning that it was 8 at night didn’t deter her for a moment, and she went off on the evening canal cruise. I, meanwhile, stayed to revel in our wonderful bay-windowed, canal-view room, for which we had decided to pay an extra E30 a night. Later on that evening, however, I cursed our new expensive location because right outside us on the street was a temporary stage from where they were playing loud music. So I couldn’t sleep despite a deliciously soft and comfortable bed. To my relief, they stopped before 11 and all was quiet after that.

We were staying in the Eden Amsterdam American Hotel. It was right on a canal, very charming and old-worldy, with a spectacular dining room and an outdoor restaurant that faced a square and a fountain ... I loved it. The trip was off to a great start!