Day 2 - Sunday in Amsterdam

Got up early after being awake for 36 hours (what a night of sleep!). Slave drivers Wendy and Keith had the girls gather at 8:00 am for another tortuous run through the streets of Amsterdam. All the while, hard-working chaperones Candy and Chrissy were sleeping soundly in the comfort of their penthouse accommodations in the StayOkay.




After the gourmet breakfast, we proceeded to the Gray Line Boat Tour through the man-made canals of Amsterdam. Most of us saw several historical sites dating back to the 15th century (some of the girls kept their eyes focused on the U-14 boys next to them rather than the history in the streets.

A little taste of Americana followed as we stopped at the Al’s French Fry’s of Amsterdam. Shopping followed and Chrissy’s group held up the bus and led to brutal tongue lashing of the girls on responsibility later in the day.

This was all a prelude to the day’s highlight – the match of Ajax versus Feynoord in Game 1 of the Dutch League Championship. Fabulous seats (thank you local congressmen for the strings pulled by the Embassy). An exciting game as Ajax scored twice within 43 seconds of the first half and held on for a 2-0 victory. Our kids got their first training in How to become a hooligan.

Then, the bus ride. A multiple hour drive from the stadium to drop off the U-14 boys in Valkenswaard (what a relief!) and to arrive at our destination in Maastricht near midnight. Our dedicated chaperones pumped up the soccer balls until 2:00 am using nothing but a hand pump (they both complained in the morning of sore wrists).