Who: Ron Taoka and Mary Lee of Lakewood
Where: The picture was taken after picking up our numbers for the Amsterdam Marathon. We actually went to Amsterdam to see the Rijks Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, to celebrate Rembrandt’s 400th birthday, see the Anne Frank House and the Ajax soccer team play. Coincidently, the marathon was to be run while we were there, and so we decided to run it. There were more than 22,500 participants from 61 countries.
Best meal: Stay in the Leidseplain area, which is south of the central part of Amsterdam. It is close to trams and buses, within a few blocks of the major museums and Vondelpark, high-end shopping, and possibly 50 restaurants within a 10-minute walk.
Best deal: The best bargain was a one-hour boat ride through the canals for only 7 euros.
Best time to go: We went during the first part of October when the weather was warm to cool. It was a nice time to be there and not crowded.
Best travel tip: A person walking in Amsterdam needs to be careful of not only cars but buses, trams and, particularly, bicycles. There are many bike lanes between the roads and sidewalks. You can get to any part of central Amsterdam quickly on the inexpensive trams and buses. Amsterdam is a fascinating city with people from all over the world but English is spoken everywhere.
