Amsterdam

We continued cruising the Rhine toward Amsterdam and stopped in Kinderdijk.  There, we toured a windmill, including a climb to the top.  People actually lived in the windmills and were responsible for making sure the arms were turned into the wind so that they continuously pumped water out of their living area and back into the sea.  Today, people still live in them, but they pay rent for a 2-year option.  It's like staying in a lighthouse back in the states, only lots more work.  We left Kinderdijk and woke up in Amsterdam.  Transfer to our hotel, the Moevenpick, was uneventful and we immediately met our guide and went on a walking tour.  It was Sunday morning, so the streets were very quiet.  The weather was cool and overcast with a brisk breeze.  Our tour was quite interesting and informative and ended in the main square (the Dom) about noon.  The clouds were just beginning to break up and the day started looking promising.  Amsterdam exploded in people.  Suddenly there were people and boats everywhere.  Ray and I found an unremarkable place to have lunch and walked until we found the Flower Market, where we ran into Mark and Lynn.  We had arranged to meet them for dinner, and they were doing a Rick Steves walking tour.  We confirmed our dinner aarrangements and went back to our room to refresh.  After a nap (we'd already walked 8 miles),  we opted for a cab to Rembrandt Square to meet Mark and Lynn for dinner.  We found a small restaurant/pub beside a canal for dinner, which turned out to be sandwiches and beer.  It was really pleasant watching the canal traffic and relaxing over a bite and a brew. 
Today, we're looking forward to a canal cruise with Mark and Lynn.  Maybe we'll get to the Reichsmuseum, maybe we'll do something else.  ttfn...