Tuesday July 7

This Amsterdam thing keeps on going. Back on the Metro and tram to Dam Square where the Royal Palace is located. Originally built as the town hall in the early 1600’s, the building was open to and enjoyed by all the citizens, until 1808 when Louis Napolean, Bonaparte’s brother, took it over as the Royal Palace.  

     
    
     
   
It was interesting to see the world, both hemispheres, as they knew it then along with the celestial map, embedded in the marble floor of the central hall. The astounding part was how much of Australia had been mapped by 1600. Only the east coast of NSW and Qld is missing. We should all be speaking Dutch!

Spent the next two hours wandering through this magnificent building adorned with paintings and sculptures. Left the palace a tad peckish, so found an eatery with outside seating for some serious people watching. After a couple of hours of this, eating and rehydrating we headed back to Myrtle.