Today we sent our teams out to scout for the best Amsterdam experiences, and then reconvened to share the discoveries over a 4 star dinner at a Margeaux find. Nick and Margeaux now are also authorized to update blog so I will let them provide their reports. Amy and I decided to bike over to the Het Schip Museum housed in one of the original housing complexes that were built for working families, who moved from the country to be employed in the rapidly developing industrialization, happening in Amsterdam. Amsterdam school of architecture. The government made loans at a low interest rate to collectives that banded together to build these housing units. The pictures below are of a building that houses the museum, as well as residents to this day.
To instill pride in the workman ,to save their money, and not engage in dissolute behavior with their hard earned wages, the collective with the architects designed a postal office on the premise that also acted as a savings bank and a communication hub for the residents. Check out the phone system, most likely and early model of phone system form the German conglomerate, Siemens AG.
The architects had a bit of whimsy in their designs. Look closely at the stain glass in the postal office that was decorating the out side of the phone booth, where the residents could go to make calls, as the attendant set the call up in one of the booths and listened in to make sure the connection went through, but did they really hang up or listen in? Thus the birdy on the wire get the scoop on the goings on among the residents. No FISA warrant required!
Oh and yes we finally found a windmill not a modern one but the real deal.
Later we met up with Margeaux and Nick to climb The Westerkerk Church tower, which has excellent views of Amsterdam. The huge Bells and the Carillon are pictured here as well as shots above of Amsterdam.
As addendum to the day, see the pictures from The Het Schip Museum of artistic creations inspired by the Amsterdam School architecture movement.
Oh one more picture that sort sets the stage for why in the early part of the 20th century the Dutch needed to help improve the living conditions of the working class in the country. The whole family lived ate and crapped in the same place no privacy at all but better than a tent but then they were working…
And now really the last post for our second day in Amsterdam it on to Venice tomorrow.
Davitte Blog 
Looks like a fun trip so far
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