Delayed Gap Year: Amsterdam, Netherlands

We returned our rental car to the Frankfurt Airport, then made our way to the train station that is conveniently located in the airport.

Quacker Jack is along for the train ride.

This is a high speed train. J snapped a picture of this information screen with the kilometers per hour (about 180 MPH). We were making good time until we had to stop because there was a tree on the train tracks up ahead. We waited for about 30 minutes or so, during which time the conductor was nice enough to open the doors for folks to step outside and smoke.

Finally arrived in Amsterdam about 45 minutes later than planned. Here are some pictures of the city:

The smallest car award goes to this one.

This street sign is indicating there is a speed bump ahead, but we liked it because it looks like the car is flying.

Quacker Jack and the canals Amsterdam is so famous for.

We toured the Heineken Experience.

This is in the brewing room.

J took a turn at playing DJ in the Heineken Experience.

Here are some more street views:

Meatballs are a thing here - we had them on two different occasions, and they were delicious.

This city is so photogenic.

We visited the Van Gogh Museum...notice Quacker Jack hanging on in the corner.

He's so European.

We don't know anyone in this picture, but particularly liked the fellow posing with his bicycle. There are bikes everywhere.

It is the main form of transportation as far as we could tell. Here's a few cyclists at a traffic light.

There they go - these actually followed traffic rules and waited for a green light. We encountered some who thought they had the right of way no matter the signal.

A few more cyclists on a street already decorated for Christmas.

We found this blog that shows the bike culture a little better than the couple pictures we have of the cyclists in Amsterdam.

Just another cute canal house

We walked through the old part of town one evening.

Another pretty street at night

Based on a recommendation from the restaurant we ate in the previous night, we made reservations at Tempo Doeloe, and Indonesian restaurant that specializes in rice tables (we later found out Anthony Bourdain visited it on the Travel Channel). We ordered from the set menu and received ten little ramekins of a variety of foods. We were warned that the final two dishes were spicy; I couldn't eat more than a bite and J managed to eat most of it, but there might have been sweat on his brow.