Prost - Heineken Experience

I had no plans to start my day early.  My one and only pre-booked ticket at the Heineken Brewery was booked for 11 am.  I woke up at 7 am feeling refreshed because I went to bed at 11:30 the night before.  Oh gloryI  I can bum around in my pajamas, do a bit of work on the NEMO blog, take a shower, get dressed and head out.  I've got plenty of time.  Hah!  Have you ever noticed how time flies when you're using or surfing on your computer?  At nine, I realized I'd better get my butt in gear otherwise I'd be late for the tour.

I was out the door by 10 and made it to the brewery with 10 minutes to spare.  I was pretty happy with myself because I took a tram to a different area of town.  I listened to Ms. Google too.  She took me right to the Heineken Brewery for the Heineken Experience.  Again, the tickets to this had to be pre-booked.  I entered the building, the guy took my ticket and directed me to a holding room.  About 10 minutes later, the holding room was full!  My legs were feeling tired so I thought I'd lean against a pillar.  They were made of hard plaster.  I lean over and the wall gives!  It's the one pillar that has a thin cupboard door on it. I feel the door flex and make a groaning noise.  Oh no!  In a matter of microseconds, I manage to straighten up.  I look up and see two people grinning as they had just been entertained.  I look at them and laugh.  I said "Of all the places to put a cupboard door!".  They laughed out loud.

The Heineken Experience is a self guided interactive journey though the world of Heineken.  The tour is in the original building that beer was originally made in.  The brewery opened in 1864 and was housed where there until 1988.  The working brewery closed and moved to a new location because the smell from the brewing beer spread throughout the popular De Pijp district.  The Heineken company decided to create a museum which is now in the old brewery building.  You can discover the history of the company, the 4 naturals ingredients of the beer, the brewing process, a tasting room and the Heineken brand.  At the end of the tour you can enjoy two Heinekens and learn how to draught (pour) the perfect beer into a glass.  Four people line up at beer spouts and draught beer into a glass.  The one who draughts the best beer gets a small pin in the shape of a glass of beer.  I made friends with a young girl, Rayna, who like me was travelling solo.  She lives in Maryland.  I convinced her to compete in the competition.  I said "You have to do it.  You won't have this opportunity again."  She did.  I got her camera from her and recorded a video of her competing.  I took pictures too.  She won the competition!

Rayna was a real peach.  She is in her early twenties.  She was so happy to have someone to talk to.  I quite liked it too.  We had each other to take pictures of each other.  It was interesting to learn what she had seen.  It seems we were crossing paths with each other because we were seeing the same places on the same day.  Tomorrow, she is going to Anne Frank house.  I am too.  We won't see each other because our tickets are booked for a different time slot.  I did tell her, however, that we might end up seeing each other now that we know each other.  She said that would be great.

See the woman with her arms crossed and the man beside her?  They are the couple who watched me lean against the cupboard door.

It is really difficult to explain how great the Heineken Experience is.  It is not your typical brewery tour.  There are interactive experiences.  You go into a room and a video starts to play.  You're surrounded by the images.  It comes to a scene where beer bottles are on a conveyor belt.  The floor starts shaking as if you're moving like the beer bottles.  You leave that room and go to other rooms where it's all about the soccer team Heineken sponsors  You can play footie (football table), there are Heineken commercials playing, you can sit on the team bench as if you're at a soccer game.  It just goes on and on.  It's an arcade for adults.

After you're finished playing, you go down to the basement to have your two free drinks.  It actually ends up being three.  In the picture above of me holding the beer, it was given to me after we came out of the video room.  A worker talks about the beer.  We all raise our glasses and say "Prost!".

You know even the section of the plant where the copper kettles are was interesting.  When you looked inside, a video was set up showing you what it would have looked like if it was working.

The saying in the following picture was on the wall.  I really liked what it had to say.  It's true!

I really enjoyed the tour and highly recommend it.  You won't be disappointed.

I leave the brewery.  I plan to go to the Albert Cuyp Market.  It turns out it is just a short walk from the brewery.  By now it is raining hard!  All I can think of is that I'm glad the market is indoors.  Ms. Google directs me to where I need to go.  I see some market stalls but ignore them because I'm looking for the entrance to the building.  I keep walking back and forth to follow the blue dots.  What is up with Google?  I ask a man where do I find the market?  He laughs and says you're in the middle of it.  I'm so shocked, I say "I am?   Isn't it inside a building?".  He laughs and says "No, I'm afraid you're stuck outside in this rain.".  I don't let him see the single tear that runs down my face.  On a nice day, I would have been in heaven.  When I got home, I looked for information about the market.  I learned it is a street market!!  It began in 1905 and was held the, first, only held on Saturday evenings.  In 1912, the market became a daytime market open six days a week.  The picture below is the market when it is fully up and running.  The day I visited, it was pouring rain.  Not every vendor was selling their wares.  That's why I didn't clue in that I was in the middle of the market.  At this market, you can pretty much by anything.  I know this because the one thing I couldn't find was a bicycle bell.  That's another story!

By now, my backpack is soaking wet as are my feet.  Note to self:  When you travel to Europe, have a pair of walking shoes that do not have mesh on the top.  Buy shoes that will keep your feet dry when it rains.  I have been on the look out for a bicycle shop.  I couldn't find one in the downtown core.  Weird, eh?  Millions of bicycles in the city and I can't find a single one.  I decide to Google "bicyle shop near me".  Success!  There is one around the corner.  I find it, go inside and ask if they sell bicycle bells.  The fellow tells me they just have one type.  I tell him that's not what I'm looking for.  I want a bell to go on my granddaughter's bike.  He says they are a high end bicycle shop but the store around the corner will have what I'm looking for.  Out I go, round the corner, walk and walk and finally see the next bicycle store.  I squint because it looks rather dark.  I get to the door to find out that it is closed on Mondays.  *wahhh wahhh*  Okay, I'm done.  I'm taking my ball and going home.  I turn the corner to catch the tram and there's another bicycle shop.  It's open!  I now have a pink bicycle bell for Leila's bike.  That's one of her favourite colours.  The other is purple.  What better souvenir to have from the Netherlands than a bicycle bell for her bike!

I get on the tram and decide to stop at the flower market again.  There is a little something, can't say what, that I need to pick up for my Auntie Theresa.  What's at the end of the flower market is my new favourite restaurant, Asian Kitchen.  I was happy to have found it again.  I picked up food to go to have for my supper tonight.  I bought chicken soup, chicken dumplings and some egg fried rice.  I have enough left over for supper tomorrow.

Time to catch a tram and head for home.  It's only four o'clock.  I am going to have a nap.  I napped for two hours.

Had my dinner and started working on the latest two blogs.  I am now caught up.  It's 1:45 am.  Six hours of work putting the blogs together.  Man, tablets make things trickier to do.

Hope you've enjoyed the read.

Tomorrow, I'm off to another city, Haarlam, outside of Amsterdam.  Anothe ride on the train.

Steps today = 16,626