So, with finding my way at night in a strange city using the local tram, and then getting from where I picked up the key to the actual apartment I'm staying in, I didn't arrive at the apartment until about 9:30pm - a very long day.
And that completes my northward heading, until I reach the UK again; also, from here it's westward bound.
Amsterdam, often called the "Venice of the North" due to its extensive canal system (why does somewhere need to be the somewhere of somewhere else, rather than just be itself?) is, of course, the capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; with a population of 810 thousand within the city-proper, around 1.1 million in the urban region and nearly 1.6 million in the greater metropolitan area, it is also the country's most populous city.
The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam (a 135 km long ring of fortifications around the city, consisting of 42 forts located between 10 to 15 kilometres from the centre, and lowlands that can easily be flooded in time of war to a depth of about 30 cm, insufficient for boats to traverse) are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world.
I have unwittingly landed in Amsterdam in a week when everything will be shut down on Saturday (26th), as it is the King's Birthday holiday - so I will simply have to make sure that I get out and about to sights that need going into over the next couple of days, and leave Saturday for wandering and absorbing. I'm sure that I'll cope!