We arrived via the Jewel of the Seas and quickly learned that taxis are expensive in Amsterdam. We dropped off our luggage at the Crowne Plaza airport and met our tour driver Wynand from Senior Holland Travel for our first look at the Netherlands. As we drove throught tulip country to the Kekunhoff gardens, Wynand explained about the gardens and how the bulbs were harvested, he answered all our questions about everything we were seeing and bought our pie and coffee once we arrived at the gardens (admission was included also). We strolled around the gardens and returned to find Wynand waiting for us a few hours later. Back in the car, we visted the mural which is being painted close to Kekunhoff. I thought this was going to be a big tourist trap but it was fascinating. The artist has been working 12 years and it will be finished soon. You have to see this to believe it. He made pictures and took input from locals and it is something to be seen. After that we went to Lisse and had a great sausage roll which was unlike anything I have eaten in the states but I am looking for a place that makes them now, We took a canal cruise through the lakes around Lisse and all you can say is how beautiful it was. Sailboats and people were out enjoying the sunny day as we enjoyed the trip and all the scenery of Lisse. The it was back to the hotel to check out our room which was on club level. The Crowne plaza may not have the ambienance of the older hotels downtown but the staff were friendly and knowledgeable and the rooms were spacious and clean. The bed was hard but we could handle it for 2 nights. When we checked out, we discovered that all food & beverage was half price for us. We had received a note about this but paid no attention to it. I had bitten balls for the first time. Great but not as great as my sausage roll. We told Wynand to pick us up at 10 the next morning and he was very punctual. We went to Dam square, the red light district and took a canal cruise through Amsterdam. I am totally convinced I that everyone should do this tour. The buildings and history were fascinating. We were there on Queen's weekend so it was quite crowded. After some frites, we left downtown Amsterdam and Wyndand took us to Zaanse Schans for a look at windmills and wooden shoes. We watched how the shoes are made after driving through some of the most beautiful country I have seen. All these baby lambs grazing in the fields were precious, the lanes with one lane for cars and 2 for bicycles, and the rows of trees marking the lanes. After shopping and indulging in a farmers pancake (which my husband thought was a gift from God), we left for Edam and a walk around the town with a little history thrown in for good measure. Around 6, Wyndand dropped us off at the hotel and we said goodbye until our next trip. He is such a gracious, caring person that one forgets he has been hired. We kept thinking we were with an old friend. He made our memories of Amsterdam.