Wednsday we took a day off and got up early to catch the train to Amsterdam. First we had a quick brekky--I had to choose a new jar of jam....but WHICH one?!! I packed cookies and water and took the camera before walking out the door and heading downstairs to the bike shed. It was the usual nice ride to Amsterdam through the fields and along the lotties. Most of the cows are already indoors for the winter, so it was only birds, fields trees and windmills basically. It all looked very calm and pastoral as we slid along the tracks. We had a new train and it rode smooth and almost silently. At that time of the morning the work/school rush was just over so the compartments were not crowded...and all that you heard was the rustling of newspaper pages and here and there someone saying, "Hello, with me". --There'd be a pause-- and then she'd say, "I'm on the train". When people call with their mobiles they all say the same thing. It's almost comical how predictable it is. My bride buried herself in a newspaper and I sat with my chin in my palm gazing silently out through the window. I called her attention to our lotties as we passed them rolling out of town. After that enormous blast of excitement, I just went into a stupor as I watched the nature zip by, and thought, "What a joy train travel is". We rolled into Central Station and I reluctantly slipped my kolbert back on and pulled on the overcoat and my little hat...Time to hit the bricks. We could have taken trams everywhere, they are cheap enough, but part of the fun of enjoying Amsterdam is walking it. We came to shop, so after crossing the street and tram tracks which are in front of the station we dove into a side street and avoided the "strip". It was still early enough for some of the stores to be opening, so the street was relatively not busy. Well, I am not going to bore you rigid with all the things that we looked at and for that day, but I will tell you we had a disappointment-- There was with so much street-work going on over the whole centrum that there really wasn't any places to take pics from. Pics that would show some of the more interesting views the city off. What a shame. I shall have to go back sometime and do it again, but I believe that it will be some time before things are back to normal there. I will mention that we strolled alongside the floating flower market (which is always interesting, but it was in deep shade and there were so many people that one couldn't see the stalls properly). http://www.myamsterdamguide.com/floatin ... arket.html There is a tiny Chinese shop just adjacent to the floating market and we stopped in there to get me a new mug for tea in the garden. The reason was that I needed one with a cover (to keep the aphids and flies out...and to kleep the tea warm). I always get my garden mugs there, and I break alot of them--but my partner breaks more ) There was one place that I did take a picture of though....It is the front of a shopping "mall". They wanted it to have a "Roman" look to it and the architect quickly scribbled a bit of Latin across the front to give it the "Roman feel" on the blueprints. --You know, so that it wouldn't have to be empty, thinking that the `powers that be` will give the orders to put whatever they want there. Well, no one did that, so the playful text that the architect put on the blueprint stayed and here is what it says...How's your Latin? First a shot from a distance. Then a close-up to give you a chance at translation. We shopped and then took frequent breaks and sat at terraces and outside to have tea or sandwitches and watch the people. It was wise to do that, so that we didn't get too tired too quickly--that slow walking and standing really is a killer, you know. At the end of the day, it was time to go to the restaurant. It is called Rosa's Cantina, where the speciality is.....Mexican food. http://www.rosesamsterdam.nl/ We had not been here for some time. We more often go to the one in Alkmaar. We don't eat out that much, but this food is really good. There was an Indian restaurant that was our favourtite at one time, but that has changed radically and the food is not that special any more....I digress. After the meal we walked a few blocks and decided to treat ourselves to a tram ride to the station. Ahhhhhhh....nice. When we got there, we saw up on the board in the station that we had seven minutes to catch our train. Just time to bound through the hall and up the stairs...and my bride could have a puff or two from her cig before getting on board. We just collapsed, worn out completely. Those seats felt so good. The trip took about 40 minutes and it was good and dark when we got back to town. We had parked our bikes at the bike stalling and when we got those, we headed off home, where we took long, hot showers and donned our new jommies and house robes--lonnnnnnnnnnng over due. I made tea and we settled in for a bit of "dumb-watching" -- looking at the telly, completely knackered. :-o Yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... What a day.
Sounds like a very tiring day but some fun and good food along the way.I do not know Latin at all so you must tell me what it says.
Oh, My. Jim Croce sang that you shouldn't spit into the wind but the architect gave some good advice too. Amazing that no one caught it or they did but left it anyway. Glenda, loosely translated it is 'A wise man shouldn't pee into the wind'
I love the architects sense of humour!! So glad you took us on a trip to Amsterdam with you - this time I didn't even get sore feet.
Heh heh heh...Well Droopy, that text was never supposed to appear in public. Toni got that translation right. --Give that girl a gold star! I know what you mean, Eileen--I have a little foot pain at the moment...hahahaha. Well, it´s not bad--just a little bit of bruised feeling. All well worth it though. Yeah, I got a good laugh too at his sense of humour. I guess the cost of changing it was greater than the embarassment. I wonder how many people see it anyway.
That sounds like a nice day Sjoerd. I'd like to see the floating flower market. It sounds interesting. I like anything on water, I suppose. The latin saying made me giggle. I am imagining a meeting at which someone tells the head dude what the latine saying means... I just wonder if it was before or after the words were carved.
