Christmas Markets on the Rhine

I began my journey at 8 a.m in Missoula on Friday and arrived at 8 a.m in the Amsterdam Airport on Saturday. The journey brightened half way through as I was able to meet my best friend in Dulles and finish my flight with her. We ended up taking a nap at the hotel on Saturday afternoon and then went out to see Christmas lights in the city and get some dinner. There is a fun Dutch specialty called "bitterballen." It is little balls of meat that has been breaded and deep fried then served with sauce. It can also be breaded cheese. I ate my fill that Saturday night and couldn't get enough! If you would like to try bitter ballen visit "Bar Bitterballen" as they have more choices than any other restaurant in Amsterdam.
  Sunday morning was fantastic as we met up with Freedam Tours for our free city tour. They have sign ups available online and no registration fee is required. They simply ask that you give the guide a good tip. Our guide's name was Mike and he was fantastic! We walked through the city with him learning about the local culture and history. The tour brought so much depth and perspective to my time in Amsterdam that I can't imagine my trip without it.  We made our way to boat around 3 pm and ended up staying on board the rest of the evening relaxing and enjoying our fantastic 4 course dinner.