Today is our last day in The Netherlands, but it was a wonderful day. First of all, the weather was absolutely perfect which was really important today as we were outside all day long.
As I mentioned yesterday, I had been looking forward to the Keukenhof Gardens from the first time I heard about the cruise. Located about 45 minutes from Amsterdam, these gardens were begun in 1949 and attract almost a million visitors each year. It's impossible to portray the beauty of the gardens in words, but the picture is a start. We had 3 hours there and Tana and I were once again late to the bus. We couldn't stop taking photos.
Most of the passengers will have not leave until Monday, but Tana and I are flying home tomorrow. Realizing our time in Amsterdam would be limited to this afternoon, I had asked our Cruise Director to arrange a local guide to take us on a 3-hr walking tour of the city. Fortunately a guide he recommended was available. So, after a very quick lunch, five of us took off with Norbert to explore this fascinating city. I can't even imagine how far we walked along canals, over bridges, through courtyards and squares, but it was delightful. With the weather so beautiful most of the city was also out. We stopped for a drink of "local beverages" at an outdoor cafe in the Rembrandt Plein (square). It was quite an experience as there were about 10 guys from Ireland next to us having a Bachelor Party. We were about 2 blocks away at the Flower Market when I realized I'd left my backpack at our table. I raced back to the cafe, and was in luck -- a Brit who had taken our photo was holding my pack!
Tonight is the Captain's Farewell party and it's going to be sad to leave. We've had wonderful experiences, eaten delicious food and made many new friends. Once again, I highly recommend river cruising and Tauck is perfection!
Signing off from Amsterdam...
Linda
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