Along our journey we decided that we should splurge in Amsterdam. We had been exploring options on AirBnB and the houseboats looked amazing. We didn't go wild as far as cost, but we settled on a houseboat (where else can you do that and still be in the heart of the city?) for the three nights we would be in town.
We arrived at the door a little after 11 and were greeted by the host. The houseboats are simply tied to the sides of the canal and have running water/ electricity coming from the street. Our door was right off the ledge of the street on a simple wooden platform. From the outside the boat itself looked like a double wide set on top of a barge type platform.
Our canal Prinsengracht appeared to be one of the few with houseboats and there were some beautiful ones around us. WALNOOD was the perfect spot for us.
We had planned to drop our bags off and go see some sights, but it turned out the boat was ready for us. No complaints on our end and we took the time to relax and take in the AWESOMENESS of the houseboat.
Upon entering (boarding?) the houseboat there is a smell that immediately catches your attention. A pleasant musty smell that reminds you of the fact that you are on a boat. The hardwood floor gives a gentle creak as you walk from the door to the kitchen area. From this point you can take in the entire home.
To the right was the living room furnished with a great couch, a large chair, a TV and a coffee table. To the right was the bathroom with stand up shower and the bed room with a queen bed. Directly in front was the eating area. A small deck lined about one third of the boat on the canal side. The inside was everything we needed, but it was the view and sounds that set it over the top.
Much like the row houses I spoke of earlier, the houseboat had large windows to allow as much light in as possible and to see as much of the canal as well. The windows opened up like a door to create a completely unobstructed view. The noise of the passing boats and ducks on the canal made it easy to leave the TV in the off position.
We were also featured in many a picture including iPad photos (how on earth is that the most convenient way for people to capture a moment) as the tour boats passed by about every three minutes. With a max speed of 4mph, we quickly began to pay them little mind.
It didn't take us too long but we suddenly realized that this boat had begun home. The main living room had the same layout and feel as our old apartment in NYC, but instead of a brick wall we were looking at sun setting on beautiful canal houses and listening to the traffic of the boats.
My mom had sent us a few notes saying that she had expected to receive a call from us where we would inform her we weren't leaving Amsterdam. We fully understand where she was coming from.
We had planned to drop our bags off and go see some sights, but it turned out the boat was ready for us. No complaints on our end and we took the time to relax and take in the AWESOMENESS of the houseboat.
Upon entering (boarding?) the houseboat there is a smell that immediately catches your attention. A pleasant musty smell that reminds you of the fact that you are on a boat. The hardwood floor gives a gentle creak as you walk from the door to the kitchen area. From this point you can take in the entire home.
To the right was the living room furnished with a great couch, a large chair, a TV and a coffee table. To the right was the bathroom with stand up shower and the bed room with a queen bed. Directly in front was the eating area. A small deck lined about one third of the boat on the canal side. The inside was everything we needed, but it was the view and sounds that set it over the top.
Much like the row houses I spoke of earlier, the houseboat had large windows to allow as much light in as possible and to see as much of the canal as well. The windows opened up like a door to create a completely unobstructed view. The noise of the passing boats and ducks on the canal made it easy to leave the TV in the off position.
We were also featured in many a picture including iPad photos (how on earth is that the most convenient way for people to capture a moment) as the tour boats passed by about every three minutes. With a max speed of 4mph, we quickly began to pay them little mind.
It didn't take us too long but we suddenly realized that this boat had begun home. The main living room had the same layout and feel as our old apartment in NYC, but instead of a brick wall we were looking at sun setting on beautiful canal houses and listening to the traffic of the boats.
We took advantage of the view and enjoy breakfast, happy hour and even stayed in for dinner one night.
My mom had sent us a few notes saying that she had expected to receive a call from us where we would inform her we weren't leaving Amsterdam. We fully understand where she was coming from.
Thanks for sharing. We were one of those tour boats and wondered what the house board were like. Great choice.
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