We'd heard about the bike lanes and that there are sooo many bikes on the road at once that you need to stay out of their way.  Pedestrians do not have the right of way here.

We head toward the train station first. We buy a 24-hour train-ferry-bus pass, but will not start using it until later in the day, so we'll have some hours left for tomorrow.

The Amsterdam Central station is an impressive and imposing building.

Leopard boy with his cool hair-do and his mom run to make a train.

There are thousands of bikes chained up along the multi-level fence behind the "Amsterdam (XXX) loves bikes" banner.

To me this photo sums up the feeling of Amsterdam--bikes and flowers.

And then there are ancient canals throughout the central city area.

The iconic city buildings have the post and hook at their peaks because most of the oldest ones used to be warehouses and pulleys were attached to the hooks to haul up loads from the river barges. These days the buildings are businesses, hotels, or residences.  Note the Times Hotel above right. Most of the buildings are narrow, because historically, their tax was based on the width of the building, not the length or height. The city imposed this tax for the installation of standardized supporting pilings. Even so, today the majority of the oldest buildings are leaning one way or another.

Buildings that are not on canals still have the hooks.  A neighborhood jungle gym made from sticks could also serve as a small amphitheater. 

While the canal tours seem romantic, we decide that we have a better view from the street. We can go where we want, stop to photograph things we like, and all it costs is leg work.

Getting ready for a walk.

We see a few of these electrical plugs for cars.

Some things, like this bird in Egyptian garb, defy explanation. The face of this fancy red brick building curves as the road bends.

 
Laying fiber-optic cable may be easier under a brick walkway.

This hotel has a grand entrance with a fancy doorway into a courtyard with a footprint as large as most neighboring buildings. 

Verticality is lacking in many of the old buildings.

The answer to the question about whether the hooks are used these days, is probably not. We've seen several hydraulic lifts with large trunk-sized containers being used to hoist loads up to the upper stories--no hooks involved.

We walk through the tulip bulb market. Special arrangements need to be made to bring bulbs into the US. Of course, tulips don't do well at all in Florida.

Like many markets, you can purchase a wide range of items.

We continue walking. There were ship excursions to Delft to tour the town and the fine pottery, but we did not take any tours here. We also did not stop here at the Royal Delft Experience. Right now many people are using it as a rain shelter.

The University of Amsterdam has a video running in its central windows.

After hours of walking, it's time to start our 24-hour pass. It feels good to sit for a while.

We get off near a park and admire a tiny car on the way in.

We find another market.

The gal selling the pink-themed merchandise is pretty in pink herself.

There's a wide diversity of people shopping in this locals' market.

From retro products to fish...

Can you say cheese??

We find the cash-only sign on the tattoo parlor amusing. Of course, it's an old saying, but still...   Dean checks the routes of the buses for tomorrow while we wait for the tram back to the boat. Tomorrow is a shorter day.

The next morning, we're off the ship at the crack of dawn. We decide on a different route into the city center across these pedestrian bridges toward the science center.

We are being watched!

A modern library, and out on a dock, a huge Chinese restaurant. 

This handy facility is for men only.

Flowers are well-tended even in the tackier neighborhoods. Small cars come in handy here.

This building is made from stone, not brick like most others in the city and the detail in the peak includes gold plating of the weapons. See below. 

Queen Beatrix abdicated her crown to her son recently here in Amsterdam. The orange banner includes the whole line of Dutch monarchs.

Madame Tussaud is a clothing store, which is located in one of the old classic landmark buildings. We saw a couple of other large historical buildings for sale, but this seems weird to us.

Our bus tour takes us to some more residential areas that are dotted with shoemakers and restaurants with oodles of hibiscus shrubs marking the outside borders of the outdoor dining areas.

The garden has its own barge on a residential canal.

A draw bride seems unusual given the low nature of all the boats. We wonder if it even works anymore.

In an old city, a craftsman will never be wanting for work.

Hollyhocks grow like weeds. We head under a bridge in a park. Hansel is part of the drainage system.

Several sculptures in this well-used park are part of the Artzuid project.

The old man is set for a day of fishing with his dog who sometimes runs off to play with other dogs in the park, but comes back to sit with his person.

Coming back through the underpass, Gretel is manning the other side of the drainage.

We come out of the park and head for the city center. We have one more mode of transport to try.

As the ferry pulls in the ramp is lowered and people stream off on whatever means of transport they are using. We choose a ferry that goes across the river and past the Veendam.

These sleek, little ferries have only one operator and no other crew.

 
Not far from where the ferry let us off, there s a large community garden between the apartment buildings and behind what looks like a school.

Some of the gardeners have installed netting, which keeps out the bunnies, birds and maybe discourages the humans, too.

We're running out of time, so we head back to the ship.

Once we're back onboard, a GreenPeace banner is facing the ship. Note our reflection in the other windows.

 
As quaint as the city center is, there's no mistaking that this is a big, industrial city.

It seems strange to see traffic headed towards the canal. We find out that the black tube flying along with our other flags is a signal to other boat traffic that we have no leeway and must stay our course. 

We see a good-sized garden along the canal. Finally, we get to the lock and then we are on our way to Ireland. We have a day at sea and three stops in Ireland.