After resting up last night, the first order of business this morning was learning how to navigate the train system and the fare cards. Fortunately, the metro stop was right around the corner from our accommodations and with the help from a kind local and a fellow tourist, we were able to psych out the fare card system and board the train with plenty of time to get to our appointed tour of the original Heineken Brewery, aka the “Heineken Experience”.
The tour was well done with lots of information both directly from guides and exhibits. I was disappointed that they didn’t provide any explanation on how they carbonate their beer (which is one of the trickier parts of brewing)). They also didn’t describe how barley is malted and there was no one around who had any knowledge on either topic. The tour included three or four circus like exhibits which I thought didn’t add much value to the tour. At the end of the tour we had beer tasting (two beer beer styles – both lagers) which, being the beer snob I have become, didn’t quite make it up to my standards.
Following the “Heineken Experience” we were ready for our canal tour and enjoying the Amsterdam environs. We had a leisurely 1.5 km walk to the canal boat tour. Amsterdam is a lovely city with interesting architecture, parks and open spaces. 
You will probably get tired of reading our praises of European architecture, but we find it amazing how well preserved/restored these buildings are, some of which date back to the Middle Ages. The blend of new and old is terrific.
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Our canal tour was very relaxing as we lazily took in the scenery and learned a little bit of Amsterdam history. The city was first settled around the 1300s by farmers and fishermen. Henry Hudson sailed from Amsterdam in 1604. The canals were dug and built around the 16th & 17th centuries. The 17th century is referred to as the Golden Age when Amsterdam was an important trading center. The tax base for the homes was based on the width of the houses. Consequently, the houses were very narrow – usually only 3 windows wide. (Houses got wider as they went back from the canal). Because the stairs in the houses are so steep and narrow, furniture is usually hoisted in through the windows with the aid of hoists attached to hooks built into the gables. (They look like giant meat hooks.) Interestingly, the front walls of the houses slant slightly forward so furniture doesn’t bang against the walls on the way up and rain water doesn’t run down the walls and stain them.
Since we are so fascinated with the architecture and the city itself, we decided to skip the museum tours and learn and see more of the city via a hop on hop off (HOHO) bus tour following a late lunch at an outdoor cafe. It’s a small world. We were seated next to a woman from White Plains NY (just outside of NYC). At the end of the HOHO tour, the day part of the city appeared to be closing up, so we decided to settle in for the night and plan to spend an extra day in Amsterdam. 
Before we sign off, one word about traffic. Beware of the cyclists. They take no prisoners here in Amsterdam.