The Netherlands: Amsterdam - Iconic view in March

The previous day, we arrived at AMS from YVR, completely exhausted . So, this day (2019-03-18) we decided to just acquaint ourselves with Amsterdam. HSR and I had been here several times before but, for the others this was totally new. 

Amsterdam (2019-03-18) 

Portugal: Lisbon: Cruise Ships Dock at Alfama

Our early morning tram ride (on the #12 line) had taken us to a small plaza with a commanding view of the Targus (various spellings: Tagus. Tejo) River, the rooftops of the historic Alfama district, and the cruise ship terminal. On this morning, the Queen Mary 2 was berthed at Alfama. Scanning the riverside, we spotted two more cruise ships. No wonder Lisbon was seemingly filled to the brim with tourists!

Viewing the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship over
the rooftops of Alfama  2014-05-06

Germany: Bremerhaven: The Ketch HF 244

So far our trip had taken us from Amsterdam to Bremen, via overnight stays in Leeuwarden and Ostfriesland. A few days stay in Bremen had us on the road again. Our short term destinations were Denmark and Schleswig Holstein. First stop: Bremerhaven.

After visiting the emigration museum in Bremerhaven (Deutsches Auswandererhaus) we strolled around the docks a bit. Almost immediately my camera was drawn to a fine collection of "antique" boats. One of many that caught my eye was the HF 244 (aka "Astarte").

The HF 244 is a ketch-rigged vessel built by the August Albers shipyard in Finkenwerder, Germany and is registered in Bremerhaven. The "Astarte", built of wood, has an overall length of 24 metres with a width of 6 metres and carries 234 m2 of sail.

HF 244 is a ketch-rigged vessel  (2012-04-18) 

The Netherlands: Edam: Keizersgracht

We picked up our rental car at Schiphol, Amsterdam's Airport and managed - thanks to our car's GPS - to get out of the bustle of the city's traffic. Some time later we took a break at what all signs indicated was Edam. After a bit of driving and some considerable time searching for a parking spot we got out and walked about this cute little town. In our postcard, we're taking a look down the Keizersgracht.

Keizersgracht in Edam, 
The Netherlands (2012-04-11)

Keizersgracht in Edam, 
The Netherlands (2012-04-11)