Our Europe Trip Report, Day 20!
Posted by
Mop🧹 (aka rburriel)
Nov 15 '24, 14:04
|
We're almost home, folks!
I had considered using day 20 to go to The Hague and visit the Mauritshuis where Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes is on display. In retrospect, I think a train ride through the Netherlands and a visit to another town would have been nice, but at the time, as much as I wanted to see the painting, I figured it'd be 2 minutes in a museum, and then a lot of just standing around.
Instead, I figured one last rest day before travel would be great. I booked us on a canal cruise as the boats depart from pretty much across the street from the hotel. Booked online, which paid off since it looks like their booking system at the dock was out of order. After breakfast, we leisurely made our way across the street and boarded the boat. I don't think they ever checked out pass.
As cliché as it seems, a canal cruise in Amsterdam is obligatory and quite pleasant. You get to see a lot of the city, and you learn a bit more about the place you're visiting. The weather was gorgeous - as it was throughout our time in the Netherlands.
I think the trip was about an hour, ending where we started. Afterwards, it wasn't quite lunch time yet and I was pretty much out of things to do in Europe. I suggested we go for a walk through some of the side streets nearby. One of the kids jokingly said "Oh, we can see the Red Light District!" But the others didn't know what she was talking about. Oh honey...
So the Red Light District was maybe two blocks away. There isn't exactly street signs pointing to it but you know it when you see it. The sex shops are the first thing you see, with the BDSM gear and toys. Then there's the windows which are pretty much the size of phone booths. Given that it's before noon, most of them have their curtains drawn. Maybe twice I spotted someone standing in a window, but mostly I just looked straight ahead. I figured we could walk through it quickly and be done. But suddenly it felt like we couldn't get out. You'd turn a corner and there'd be more. I was trying to steer us to an ice cream shop or snack shop we'd seen before and suddenly you realize that place is in the Red Light District too. That weird little shop with all the tourist trinkets? Red Light District. The hotel you walked by that you thought seemed very affordable? Red Light District. I felt trapped! But we did make our way out, and grabbed some snacks at a snack shop before making our way back to the hotel.
The remainder of the day was largely uneventful. At dinner time, I went to the McDonald's just downstairs from the hotel and pretty much ordered the menu.
It's been a long three weeks and tomorrow was the last big payoff.
|
Responses:
|