Travelling in Cyberspace: Amsterdam

I joined a virtual tour of Amsterdam this afternoon with Stephan as the tour guide. I have been to Amsterdam three times in the past, but this is the first virtual tour. Our guide was very nearly attacked by a nutter who then chased after him. But Stephan emphasised that, generally, Amsterdam is a very safe city, and he should know, having lived in the city for many years.

The guide took us to the underground cycle park and rental where people can rent bikes for a reasonable fee. Amsterdam is a very cycle-friendly city.

He also took us to see the canals that crisscross the city and Centraal Station and told us the history of Victoria Hotel, which was built to accommodate travellers coming in on the newly built Centraal Station in the late 1880s. However, the architects had a problem. Two existing home owners didn't want to sell their properties. To cut a long story short, the builders built their hotel around the houses, and this apparent anomaly is still there today.

I enjoyed this tour all the more because it's a place I've been to in person, in 1978, 1982 and 2004. Unfortunately, this tour did not include the Anne Frank House or the van Gogh Museum. They have a tour of their own. Here are some postcards I took on the tour.