We joined the Viking Europe our second day in Amsterdam. Some of our fellow cruisers spent three days in Amsterdam as part of a pre-cruise extension package. Others flew overnight from the U.S. and arrived in Amsterdam in the early morning. We were all excited about the upcoming cruise and meeting new friends.
After a relaxing Sunday morning exploring the area near our hotel, Juanda and I took a taxi to the ship.

We had spent our time walking the streets and canals of this marvelous city and visiting the Anne Frank House. The tourist bureau near the Central Station had walking tours designed to take you through some of the most interesting parts of the city.

The Viking Europe was conveniently docked near the Central Station. We had a canal tour on Sunday. Although I had taken a canal tour in Amsterdam before, it was a good chance for Juanda to see more of the city. The architecture of Amsterdam is so interesting, and the stories about the city and its canals so fascinating, it's fund to see it over and over again.

At the end of the day, we made our way back to the Viking Europe for a "welcome aboard" cocktail reception and dinner. The Viking Europe stayed overnight at the dock, and we did some more touring of Amsterdam the next day.

The Viking Europe has 3 identical siblings, the Viking Pride, Spirit, and Neptune, and they were all built in 2001. The ships are 375 feet long, with 3 decks and 75 cabins, each with its own private bath with shower, telephone, TV, safe, air conditioning and hair dryer.

With 150 passengers and 40 crew, we met many of our fellow cruisers. The cabins are either 120 square feet or 154 square feet, so the space was adequate. We didn't spend much time in our cabin, since most of the day we were out tiptoeing through those tulips or seeing the Dutch countryside.

We stayed another day in Amsterdam and went to the Floriade horticultural fair and the Rijksmuseum via tour bus.

Floriade
I loved this special horticultural fair, which is only held once every 10 years. The Floriade opened in April and ran through October 2002. Three million visitors visited the horticultural exposition. We were there during "prime" tulip season, but tulips bloomed at the Floriade from the opening in April through to the last day in October. Tulip grower Dirk Jan Haakman used cold storage to protect these lovely flowers. In springtime he refreshed the tulips every two weeks, later on in the season once a week.

The theme of Floriade 2002 was "Feel the Art of Nature', and we got an opportunity to do just that. Visitors walked through a colorful valley of one million bulb flowers. Asian, African and European gardens allowed us to see flora from around the world.

Garden and landscape architect Niek Roozen designed the Floriade 2002 master plan. He incorporated existing natural elements, such as the Genie Dike, a part of Amsterdam's old defenses, and the 20-year-old Haarlemmermeerse Bos (woods). The glass roof in the section of the park near the roof was a spectacular attraction. There was even a pyramid in the Haarlemmermeer. It took 500,000 cubic meters of sand to build Big Spotters' Hill. On top of this 30-meter-high observation hill stood a work of art by Auke de Vries.

The Floriade Park consisted of three sections, near the Roof, by the Hilland on the Lake. Each section had its own character and atmosphere. In addition, each section interpreted the main theme of the Floriade in its very own way. The section near the Roof was located on the northern side of the park and connected with the northern entrance. An opening through the Genie Dike led to the second section, by the Hill, to the southwest of near the Roof. Further south was the third section, on the Lake. This section covered the northern part of the Haarlemmermeerse Bos, which was established well over twenty years ago.

Rijksmuseum
This wonderful museum is at the gateway of the Museum Quarter. Pierre Cuypers, the same architect who designed the Central Station, conceived this museum in 1885. Don't be surprised if you think the buildings resemble each other! The Rijksmuseum is the premier museum in Amsterdam, welcoming over 1.2 million visitors a year. There are 5 major collections in the museum, but the "Paintings" section is probably the most famous. Here you will find the Dutch and Flemish masters from the 15th to the 19th century. The huge Nightwatch by Rembrandt is the showpiece of this section. I never realized that this famous painting was almost a mural in size! The painting was not originally named the Nightwatch. It got its name because all the grime and soot it accumulated through the years gave it a dark look. The painting has been restored and is really special.

It was late in the afternoon when we returned to the Viking Europe. We were all tired from our day at the Floriade and the Rijksmuseum. We sailed from Amsterdam for Volendam, Edam, and Enkhuizen.

Page 4 > > More on Viking Europe Dutch Journey Cruise > >