Europe: Day 1 (Part 2)

September 22, 2010

Despite the fact that I loved being in a city where I could walk everywhere, both my brother and I needed a little rest and what could be more perfect than a lovely ride in one of the boats through the canals?

The ticket was quite pricey, but a trip to Amsterdam is incomplete without a canal ride in my opinion, as it gives you a unique perspective of the city.  There are ports where you can get on and off scattered all over the city and the ticket is good for twenty-four hours.

As we floated along, we talked about how lucky we were to be on this trip alone together in this moment, since both of our lives were about to completely change; as I am getting married and he is going off to University.  I could already see the travel bug starting to infect him and I loved being witness to it.  That twinkle in his eye was recognizable from a mile away!

While I found the capitol of the Netherlands to be completely charming, how could I not with its colorful 17th Century apartments, maze of cobblestone streets, and various neighborhoods each with their own historical flavor and mood, it failed to capture my heart.  I know that I was only there for a day, but I usually know instantly whether or not I am going to love someone, something, or someplace.  I was, however, still delighted that I had made the visit there and was greatly looking forward to seeing what the infamous Amsterdam night had to offer. . .

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Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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53 thoughts on “Europe: Day 1 (Part 2)

  1. Alex Papa

    It’s been a long time since I was in Amsterdam, but it is still one of my favourite destinations! You have some fantastic pictures of the canals. Thank you for this beautiful post.

    Reply
  2. Christy - Ordinary Traveler

    Love the pictures! The boat ride through the canals was one of my favorite parts of Amsterdam. Although, I was by myself and I remember the not so young looking boat driver giving me googly eyes the whole time through his rear view mirror. Eeewwww. lol

    Reply
  3. Camels & Chocolate

    When we lived in Holland, our common weekend (and weeknight) activities always involved canals: kayaking or canoeing usually. We’d rent a kayak, paddle a mile or so down the Oudegracht, park our kayak, head to the pub, and kayak back slightly tipsy. Those were the days!

    Reply
  4. Doug

    Great pix! Amsterdam aka Mokum is a great city. So many interesting things to see and do. The Metz & Co. store on Kaisersgracht 455, has a cafe at roof level for great views of the surrounding area. What would a visit be without stopping by the Begijhof Retreat for some tranquility is this busy city.

    Reply
  5. Angela

    Very evocative photos, I’ve never been to Amsterdam, I can’t tell exactly why but I’ve never been attracted to much to plan a trip there and always preferred other European capitals. I might change my mind when I get back to Europe 🙂

    Reply
  6. Adam

    Ahh, seeing Amsterdam by boat, what a great experience just puttering along through the canals.

    And isn’t it great to see that love of travel in your sibling? My 19-year-old sister visited us in Thailand during our RTW, and it was her first time out of the US, and seeing her adapt and enjoy and start to really love travel was just awesome, and now she’s hooked.

    Great post!!

    Reply
  7. Monica

    Such beautiful pictures!! I’m getting very excited about my first trip to Amsterdam in November. It’s great you got to do some traveling with your brother. I sometimes go solo but this year, my 80 year old aunt is traveling with me and it’s great because she’s my travel-mentor. We are fortunate to have family to travel with sometimes, eh?

    Reply
  8. Alouise

    Amsterdam was such a pretty city to visit. I did a boat ride as well, but it was in the evening and more of a booze cruise, a little to dark too get pictures. The ones you’ve taken are fantastic. I’d love to go back.

    Reply
  9. Sarah Wu

    I love these shots, they’re so sharp and crisp. Watch he’s going to caught the travel bug after this. I started mine last year in Sepetmber (1st trip to Disney World). Since then I love to go out of NY. hahah I bet he’ll have so much great memory form Europe when he’s back to college.

    Reply
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  11. Arwa

    Beautiful pics..Having lived in the Netherlands for quite some time now, I enjoy the boat ride and the maze of canals in almost all the cities here. Amsterdam is special though as it presents a completely different, cosmopolitan side of this beautiful country.

    Reply
  12. Natalie

    Your blog is so excellent and so important. I cant wait to read far more from you. I just really feel like you know so much and know how to make people listen to what you’ve got to say. This blog is just too cool to be missed. Terrific stuff, really. Please, PLEASE keep it up!

    Reply

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