Europe Trip Pictures #9: Downtown Amsterdam During A Downpour

Okay, I couldn't help myself. :-D It didn't rain the entire day, and the drizzle added to the experience!
Tuesday, September 2nd found Grand Dude, Grand Jean, Aunt Jill, Jon, and me waking early to catch the train into Amsterdam.
This train came right up to our hotel, so we didn't have to walk very far. :-D

The train station in Downtown.

Uh huh. (I actually really like the colors this picture has.)

Breakfast in the train station. :-D

Now THIS was a sight!!! A Bycicle Parking Garage! It was astounding how many bycicles there were.

Oh, and they weren't just in the garage, they were chained to every available railing for blocks around the station!

Those are BIKES!

The best way to travel in Amsterdam is by boat (if you don't have a bike sitting around). They were nice-- you sat around tables and were level with the sides of the canals, which was fun.

The bike garage viewed from canal boat.

This was a cool looking church. It was right next to the Anne Frank House, which was our first stop of the day.

Sorry I can't remember the name of it!

Grand Dude and Grand Jean waiting patiently in line. :-D

GD decided to immitate me taking self-portraits. humph. (Random side note, I had to *finally* change my SD card here for the first time during the trip!)

Oh, sorry this picture's out of order. The train station as seen from the bridge of the bikes.

Waiting in line at the Anne Frank House. It was worth it!

This was the last picture I got before going in.
No pictures allowed inside, sorry!

We did get a picture of lunch, though. :-D

My really yummy lunch! I had hot cocoa, too. :-D

More canal bussing!

We then went to the Van Gogh Museum. Pronounced Van (like mini-van) GOCK (sorta like duck). :-D

Our view was slightly obstructed during our rides on the bus by these pretty drops.

I think that's a draw-bridge out the window.

Note to self: Don't raise one eyebrow, smile, and take a picture at a 45* angle from another photographer who's photographing you. It's evil looking. }:-}

GD taking a picture!

Wet and tired, but happy!

Likewise.

Okay, I admit, it wasn't a self-portrait. *sigh*

So we were tired, hungry, and soaked to the bone after walking around Amsterdam in the rain, but it was our last day in Holland, so we wanted to have some Hollander(??) food before we left. But there weren't any native resturants! So we had to settle for a mexican resturant that served Dutch (that's the word! :-D) food. :-D It was so good! (so was my second cup of cocoa that day)

The manager. :-D

Our group with half the manager. :-P

The stylish hats I didn't try on... GD took this picture with his camera...

... and I took this literally a split second before with my camera! I caught the red light his camera uses before the flash. :-D

*smile*

Wet dog- deer-in-the-headlights-look. :-P

Auntie Jillie!

I won't explain why I was taking pictures of myself eating the weird dried bread cracker cake things...