Amsterdam to Vilnius

Our last day in Amsterdam!  Cool and rainy!  First stop, just Round the corner from our hotel, was the Birdlocks quilt shop to add to the stash (only one piece).  Next door was a shop that sold reproduction fabrics of vintage Dutch prints--- gorgeous but pricey.....they had a real “Dutch door” 

A Dutch door in Holland

After a quick stop to drop off the fabric and don our rain jackets, a tram ride to the southeast of the city garnered 5 more caches.  This area was more residential with a mix of old and new buildings. 

While caching on the Skinny Bridge, a bicycle tour group stopped beside us.  The guide was wearing very high heeled snakeskin boots...see photo.  She spoke English so we were able to learn a little more of the history of the bridge and area. 

The beautiful Skinny Bridge

Bicycle tour guide

She rides her bike in those!

We wandered around the streets and following the canals and caches to new interesting parts of Amsterdam that we hadn't seen....the zoo, the Resistance Museum..... When the rain started again we hopped the tram back to central station and the hotel.....I (Pam) lost my 72 hr bus pass and had buy a day pass duh! 

House boats

Apartments

Plugged in!

After a little rest at the hotel (we had walked a lot) we went across the street to catch a canal tour for the next hour.....it was teaming down with rain when we got on but the sun came out near the end. The tour took us out in the harbour where we passed some river cruise boats (another trip perhaps one day?!?) and then into the maze of canals, past fancy houses. It was a really entertaining ride.

All Aboard!

7 Bridges...?

Our last evening consisted of repacking, dinner, another last walk of the area and an ice cream cone?

Saturday was sunny when we left the hotel and caught the train to the airport....met a nice couple who had just got off a river cruise and where headed home to.....Victoria!

Our flight to Helsinki and then to Vilnius went smoothly and we were picked up by the hotel service....a young man holding a sign with Carol's name.

Vilnius, Lithuania is a city coming out of the shadow of communist rule for many years. Many of the of the buildings and streets are wanting attention....attention that needs money. Some buildings dilapidated and others have been given a coat of paint and some TLC. Our hotel is very nice....they're calling it a rock and roll hotel/ a damn good hotel! Very busy. This is our joining hotel for our tour that begins tomorrow....actually we meet formally and go out together for dinner. 

Our room

Sign in our bathroom

 

Picture above the beds! Anyone know who this is?

After we got settled we went for a walk....to find a cache in this new country....then continued further into town.....still not finding the “old town” but finding a city that is working hard to capture some of the tourist market.

Old & new

A bachelor party?!?

When we got back to the hotel, we went downstairs where there is a restaurant, a lounge/meeting area, computers for use and 14/7 coffee & tea, we were hoping to meet up with some of the other people on our tour....but didn't have any luck.....we will try to find some of them tomorrow morning at breakfast.

PS as we were getting off the plane there was a big US military plane!