Adventures in Amsterdam, or the Accidental Vacation

Our friends and we have been planning a northern European vacation for months.  We are so excited. A few days in Amsterdam before the ship departs on a 10-day Baltic cruise.  

This is a 60th birthday present for my girlfriend and me. We visit museums, the VanGogh, the Tulip, the Houseboat, the Rijksmuseum, the Diamond, to name a few. We take a canal cruise and walk the streets of the red light district. It is lovely. I know now, though, why Dutch cuisine is not among  the world's greatest.  

But there were some highlights.  It is white asparagus season, and each of the three different asparagus soups we had were delicious. We had a subtle mustard soup that may become a favorite. I am going to try to recreate it at home. The cheese is very good too. We especially liked the "old" (aged) goat cheese.

I am not a fan of beer, but I think I might be converted by the end of this trip. Everything is going well until Monday night. We find out that a cruise ship died in the Baltic and had to be towed to Stockholm.

Turns out this ill-fated ship is ours, and the cruise is cancelled. The cruise line is sorry for the inconvenience.  They are reimbursing us for our cruise, but with airline tickets that are nonrefundable, we are "stranded" in Amsterdam. What to do?

Our friends go home, but we decide to make the best of a good situation.  None of my friends on Facebook extended any sympathy for our plight, not that I could blame them. We extended our stay at the hotel another day—all they had available. We made plans to visit the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, but found out they had cut the tulips that day, so we visit the surprisingly interesting Pocketbook and Handbag Museum, walked around the flower market and art section and found Leidseplein Plaza with its plethora of cafes and restaurants.

I try another beer. From what we are told, Ghent in Belgium is a lovely place to visit. We make plans.  More to follow.