Amsterdam - Last stop before the UK!

Today is the last day of our tour, tonight we catch the evening ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle.  For the last 4 days we have been stopping with friends we met in Sicily at their house in Amstelveen, just outside of Amsterdam.  It has been lovely seeing them again and we have had a great time and lots of laughs.

Sonny, the motorhome parked up in the shadow of a windmill.  Note the bicycle shed in the front garden - everyone seems to own at least one bike here.

Only in the Netherlands do you find a windmill at the end of houses, which is now a restaurant.

Leaving Winterswijk on the way to Amsterdam we crossed the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem (John Frostbrug in Dutch) - named after Major-General John Frost, who commanded the British forces who defended the bridge during the Battle of Arnhem, September 1944 (and featured in the film 'A Bridge too Far').  Nearly 1800 men lost their lives and we visited the war cemetery at Oosterbeek just outside Arnehem where they are buried.  The bridge was rebuilt as it was.

Looking across to the John Frost Bridge, Arnhem

Richard and Carla took us into Amsterdam and we had a lovely day wandering around the streets, where we came across all these bikes parked up at the station - and this was a Sunday.  The problem you have leaving your bike in Amsterdam is you must remember exactly where you left it!

So many bikes parked up in Amsterdam

In the middle of this hotel is a house. The person who owned the house refused to sell it to the builders, so the hotel was built around the house!

Thought this was a funny - an omelette restaurant named after Mel - 'Mel Egg'

We had a quick walk around the red light district, where the women still sit in the shop windows to entice the men in. We also came across lots of 'coffee shops' - where you can legally smoke cannabis.

Cannabis Museum - only in Amsterdam!

Couldn't resist trying on some clogs

Rembrandt Monument

Outside Anne Frank's House - the queue to get in was massive and this was at 5pm!

Enjoying a lovely Italian meal in the heart of Amsterdam

It is with a feeling of sadness that we leave the Netherlands today but happiness in knowing that we will see family and friends we haven't seen for 11 months!

Sally x