The weather cleared up over the weekend and we finally rented bikes. I can't believe I've been to Amsterdam five times and this is the first time ever to rent a bike. My recommendation to all visitors is to rent a bike immediately -- even if you're only here for a few hours. Do a bit of homework regarding how to distinguish bike paths from car paths from pedestrian paths and you'll be ready to go. (Many of the locals make no such distinction and are hell bent on running down any tourist who dares step foot in a bike path, but that's their privilege as locals.) Even if you just have a few hours layover in Amsterdam, you can easily take a train from he airport to Central Station (about twenty minutes); there's a Mac Bike rental right at the station.
So, we had a couple of great days biking around Vondel Park (Amsterdam's version of Central Park). We also found a great playground there and Olivia made a new friend named Elfie. She speaks little English and Olivia speaks no Dutch, so there are no words to get in the way of the pure language of play.
The last couple of days, it's been raining pretty much all the time. When it's not raining, it treatens to rain. Still, whenever it clears and we venture out, it is sometimes as much as 50 degrees cooler than Las Vegas! It's very much like being on another planet. The photo of Diana and Olivia below was taken on one of the famous "Seven Bridges," a beautiful, linear run of small bridges not far from Rembrandtplein.
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