Boat tour through Amsterdam, Anne and meMy husband Ron has a company, taking people on a boat tour through Amsterdam. He teaches them how to navigate the boat (if they want to) and shows the sights. More information on amsterdamboatcompany.com if you forgive me this blatant advertising haha. I want to promote his business because he really enjoys doing this. As he gets 5 out of 5 stars ratings, I can only conclude, so do his customers.

When Anne and Kirk contacted me they were spending a week in Amsterdam, could we meet, Ron immediately suggested to take them on a boat tour. Which they gladly accepted. I know Anne and Kirk from their blog Music and Markets Tours. They take travelers on exciting explorations of life and music in Europe. They are in Europe (and Amsterdam) many times. Anyway… as it so happened the week they were in Amsterdam was chockablock for me. All lovely outings and dinners, but hardly any time left. Fortunately we agreed on the Saturday and fortunately the sun was shining that day.

Below: picking up Anne and Kirk near the Scheepvaart Museum, which you see in the background. Captain Ron is preparing to “sail” away.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: Kirk wanted a good view and sat next to the captain. (Doesn’t the tea towel give you a domestic vibe??) It was only after a little while that I realized he hadn’t unfolded his chair.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: Anne relaxed with me in the back. She was wearing a very fashionable off-the-shoulder top with gorgeous ballerina’s. As she forgot to bring a hat and needed one, I brought her one of mine (never wear it myself). Doesn’t it look terrific on her?

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: off we went. If you look closely you can see the top half of a mannequin inside the boat. Ron used that (once) for the manoeuvre Man Overboard haha. In this case Woman Overboard. I thought I’d better explain this, in case you think we had some funny things going on aboard.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: you are about to see some lovely pictures of Amsterdam, viewed from the boat. Like the adornment of this old building.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: at a particular point in one of the canals, you can see seven bridges in one view. There are better photos of this, but you will have to do with mine.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: watch the round tower-like part of the building in the middle. See that little white thing above the window?? I drew a (crude) circle around it.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: that is a stone cat, climbing the building. Isn’t that cute?

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: we passed the Knopenwinkel (button store) on Herengracht. We had no time to stop and go in. But please click on the link in the previous sentence. It is a gorgeous place which will leave you in awe.

boat tour through Amsterdam, Knopenwinkel

Below: three photos with examples of the gables which make Amsterdam famous.

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Below: Anne and Kirk had brought champagne and all sorts of goodies for lunch. That shut me up. It was delicious. They bought everything in Haarlemmerstraat the day before. The plates were designed by a friend of mine and carry the name of the boat: ‘t Meindert, named after and christened by my father.

http://www.knopenwinkel.net/index.php/nl/

Below: oh yes, enjoying the sights.

boat tour through Amsterdam

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: while enjoying the wonderful lunch, we passed a boat which had been converted into a playground for children.

boat tour through Amsterdam

Below: the things you see on the water… Sing with us: “….We all live in a yellow submarine…. a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine…”

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Below: by this time we were cruising around Prinseneiland (island of the prince) which is like a beautiful village within Amsterdam.

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Below: on our way back to the station, we passed café ‘t Smalle (= small) which has a jetty with a terrace. I always find it a scream to moor the boat there: “Sir, can you please lift your foot, so I can tie this rope?” Such decadence.

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Below: one last view of Amsterdam and Ron let us disembark at the train station, where we hopped on the train to Haarlem (only 15 minutes by train).

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It was such a shame that Kirk had to work that afternoon (little emergency thing). Because they wanted to see Haarlem and it was a perfect day for it. There was a lovely antique / brocante market near the centre and in our street we could have been part of a Street Party from 4 p.m. onwards. But no, nothing of all that, we only had very limited time.

Below: we arrived in Haarlem. This used to be the house of the mayor of Haarlem in the old days. It even holds a dungeon. Nowadays it is a clothes shop and the dungeon is where the stock is kept.

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Below: detail inside.

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We strolled through Haarlem, which is a lot smaller than Amsterdam, but also very old and well preserved.

Below: such a lovely picture I could take.

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Below: three more picture of picturesque Haarlem.

Haarlem

Haarlem

Haarlem

When we got to Jansstraat, Kirk took a picture of my outfit. After all, a blogpost on No Fear of Fashion has to have at least one outfit. Althought Anne qualified as well, of course.

Below: wearing a sleeveless high/low top by Eileen Fisher, bought last year when I was at the blogger meet-up in Vancouver. Blue and white striped trousers which you have seen many times before, here , here and here. The necklace was made by my friend Anja (Curly Traveler). The shoes are my city stroll shoes. I bought them at one of Anja’s clothes swap parties for € 5,- and they are the best. Bag is my Obag from Turin, but with different handles than you saw last week.

Haarlem

Below: close-up of the blue and pink necklace. Never mind the wrinkles, they are there to stay. Focus on the necklace.

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Below: we walked passed the big canal through Haarlem, called Spaarne, where I spotted this boat passing the bridge. See the bridge moving back sideways? Haarlem

Below: near the market square, where our big church is.

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Below: one last coffee on a terrace near the church and we had to say goodbye.

Haarlem

Anne and Kirk were lovely people to spend time with. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and hope to see them again when they are back in Amsterdam.

Greetje

Linking up with Not dressed as lamb: I will wear what I like.

no-fear-of-fashion

 

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