On the way to Cairo Saturday we had about 12 hours in Amsterdam. After some trial and error understanding the public train system, we made it to Amsterdam’s Centraal Station.
Central Amsterdam has canals and bike lanes everywhere. The bikers are quite aggressive. Our waiter at the Hard Rock Café gave us the following tip: When you hear a bike horn or bell, stop, and let the biker decide which way he wants to go, rather than move and bump into him.
On our way to the HRC, we made it to Dam Square. We took a quick tour of the Nieuwe Kerk, a 1400’s church used for coronations and royal weddings. Wood and marble was being restored, and scaffolding was everywhere. The church was built by Roman Catholics, but Protestants took it over in the 1500’s. The Protestants installed a large pipe organ with a nice façade, but they removed the altar and turned it into a burial site for a Dutch war hero. The pulpit wasn’t near the altar but in the middle of the church, where everyone could hear. The wooden decoration of the pulpit extended two stories above the elevated pulpit. The tour was worth the 8 euros because we had a guide on part of the trip. The church is currently being restored by a local artist. Sadly, we did not get to hear the organ.
