Sunday, April 2, 2017

These Moving Days are the Toughest

I was awake about 5:30 wondering if my alarm, still on "airplane mode" was going to deal with the time change between the UK and the Netherlands when finally the PA system announced that it was 7:00, time to have breakfast and get ready to disembark.

Everything is quite orderly, we eschew the elevator and make it to near the head of the line at the border. As not EU citizens we have to get our passports stamped. There is very little direction but we make it to the bus which takes us to the train station. Between the Hock of Holland and the train station we pass miles and miles of greenhouses. Everything neat and orderly. Tidy - very neat people these Dutch.

Once to the train to Amsterdam Centraal we see mile upon mile of tulip and daffodil fields. Just an amazing sight, very neat rows of bright yellow, purple, red and white.



Once in Amsterdam we are into the wait cycle. This time wait for your hotel to accept you. We walked around downtown but the cobbles are tough on a suitcases' small wheels and the crush of people is surprising. Worse that London. So eventually give up and figure out the tram system and head to the hotel. We have to figure out a better way but carrying around a backpack with computer, camera. lens etc is becoming problematic. My shoulders are beginning to hurt.

I do love this city though we are staying in an area of town I haven't spent too much time it on previous trips. We are in the museum district. When I was here in  Amsterdam in 1966 while in the Canadian Navy. At 20  I had other things on my mind. Then I was here about 12 years ago and although we visited the museums we walked over from a more central part of the city. I am having to get my head around finding my way.

We had lunch at the Rijksmuseum which is the National Museum of the Netherlands. They served what was perhaps the best tomato soup of mu life. Just great. Perhaps and old Dutch recipe.

Amsterdam Canal
This evening we walked through to the Jordaan area and eventually found De Luwte, a small but delightful restaurant on a side street. Our meals were very good. I had cod and Shelley has a couple of starters one of which was a mushroom Mousse which was superb. We are now trying to figure out how to make it.

Long day. We took the tram back and are ready to call it a day.

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