Day 9
We are nearing the conclusion of our trip. We lost an hour to French daylight savings time last night and couldn't get out the door before 11. After breakfast at a nearby boulangerie, I with my pain sportif and Clare with her pain au something, we walked along Canal St. Martin.
After walking breakfast, we discovered that Velobib, Velolib, the bikeshares wouldn't go for the chipless Americans. This was disappointing, though less so since it rained all day. We walked to Antoine & Lili with its cheery clothing and housewares and then pointed to 104, a Jen P. recommendation. We stopped along the way to snatch some quiche and then entered the warehouse, campus-looking cent quatre. I don't think we would have discovered this without the prompt, but it was enjoyable people-watching as promised. Youth abounded and much of that youth seemed to be practicing an art- dancing, singing, rehearsing a play. It was a neat space and we spent a good deal of time there. Clare returned for a nap and I returned for a refresher on where the heck we were now staying.
I then set my course to the Louvre. I was lost immediately, but followed signs to the Picasso museum, where I was scared off by the crowds. It's laughable now that I thought the crowds at the Louvre would be more manageable, but that was my plan. The Louvre was a Zoo-vre. I decided that milling about with thousands was not the afternoon I'd hoped so I made my exit on Rue de Rivoli. There a runner passed me. As I turned into the gardens, I realized that a run would be a fine thing to do. I wrapped my rain coat and sweatshirt around my waist, hiked up my new gray pants and began my jog.
I nearly left my hat behind, but jogged back to grab it from the ground. I circled the garden chasing other Louvre runners and then took to the streets with an eye on the Eiffel Tower. I jogged through a maze and past a host of people out for a Sunday in Paris. I made it past the tower when I was passed by a man in a semi-marathon Paris T-shirt. I gave chase for a while, but wore out quickly. I crossed a fine multi-purpose bridge- top for trains, bottom for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. I walked up a hill, down the street to the Arc de Triomphe then down the Champs Elysee's to the Metro.
For dinner it was Italian somewhere in the 11th. Tomorrow is the last full day. It may include a visit to Eiffel. It probably will include a patisserie. Au revoir.
Reflections on Day 10 more than a month later
It ended like the others with sleep, but before that there was the Eiffel Tower. We went at night and I eagerly waited in line to go up. The line was long, but manageable. I merrily headed to the elevator after the security check and then as we began the ascent I was gripped by fear. Do I have a fear of heights? Why yes, yes I do. I shakily made it out of the elevator and slowly regained a bit of comfort as we took in the sights of Paris at night. Then, we headed up to the top. I couldn't even look out on the way up this time. I could only stare up and let discomfort bubble inside of me. We exited the elevator into an enclosed area and I felt mostly ok. When we climbed the stairs to go outside 276 meters above the ground, my legs felt heavy. I gripped my backpack, now on my chest, and slowly made my way into the wind. The view hadn't changed much from the previous level and I again found some level of comfort in my discomfort. Then the hourly flashing lights threw me for a bit of a loop, but I was able to partly settle down again. We identified places we'd been and places we hadn't. We celebrated Clare's birthday with a macaroon and then we made our way back down. We found other Coloradans in our elevator and then took the stairs down the last part. My fear of heights remained, but self-talk got me through. It was a strange visit to the Eiffel Tower, but it was at the end of a filling day.
There had been hot and cold chocolate at Angelina's, strange taxidermy at Deyrolle, and more wandering to shops like Artazart and Laduree for last minute gifts and souvenirs. We revisited a few favorites, at least in memory, and again munched on a few delicious French treats. I'm sure there was more enjoyed but mostly forgotten. It was a successful vacation, though worries of bed bugs would remain for a week or two. We were ready to return home, but will want to return.
A bientot.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Day 7, March 27 and 8, March 28
The night's sleep was rough but we made it last. After a slow start we grabbed Metro and headed to Notre Dame, took some pics, searched but failed to find pont zero, and then wandered over to Shakespeare and Co. It was an excellent bookstore, but we resisted making a purchase (this time). From there we cruised the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was nice to see flowers blooming. Ah, springtime in Paris or something to that effect. From there it was on to the Pantheon where Foucalt's pendulum isn't (due to construction) and a stop for snacking quiche.
Wander and eat. That was the theme of today. We cruised the 6th Arr., Clare's phone died, we got lost and hungry, stopped off for some samiches (unofficial French) at some famous guy's boulangerie. They were not amazing. Neither was my orange Fanta. Remind me to avoid that tomorrow. We headed back by the hunchback's house and on to ile St. Louis. We stopped at first Bertillion ice cream dealer we could find. It looked seedier than I remembered, but there was a line and then an angry French proprietor and then a relocated line and then delicious sweet ice cream. It turns out Bertillion has overtaken the ile with dealers at nearly every entrance. My pistache was excellent though. Clare liker her tiramisu to the tune of pretty good.
After ice cream, we headed home for an afternoon nap. Post-nap we cruised the Champs-Elysees, took a jog to the ? Arr and had dinner at a creperie L'Atlier. I had an ok galette (grammelet?), a tasty cider and a superb butter and sugar crepe. We then took a walk on the Seine, passed by the art projected on the Royal Palais and returned by Metro to our un peu maison. A bientot.
Day 8
Fully embracing this schedule, we didn't roll out until about 11 AM. We headed to some shops on Clare's list in the 3rd. I was desperate for a pain au chocolate, so we snagged one before going to Musee Carnavalet- gratuie- a museum of the history of Paris. I found the decimal clock to be particularly interesting. As part of the revolution the rebels(?) devised a system of time in increments of 10. The clockmakers had a fit. I need to do more research on this. I also especially enjoyed the paintings of Paris in the winter. Fighting museum fatigue, we had a 2 PM brunch at la boehme.It was tasty, especially my carrot ginger soup and our almond cake dessert. We hit a few more shops including for tea at Mrage a Freer's and BHV which was teaming with people. We took a brief rest by the Seine, but Clare needed more. She left me at Hotel de Ville where I waited about an hour in line to see the photoreporter Photo Magnum exhibit. There were about 15 photos for each decade or so in Paris. Many were of people, powerful portraits, but some were of events and a few had strong diagonals and use of dark and light that were just amazing. I couldn't even put my finger on what made a lot of the photos great.
I returned to the apartment and Clare dramatically announced that we needed to leave because of bed bugs. Apparently the last guest had bits. Air BnB refunded money and asked that we get a hotel. The host was very concerned and generous. We laundered some and got out of the 10th. Clare had expertly located a hotel in the 11th and we walked over. We've gone from a tiny apartment to a room about the size of our bedroom at home. I'm seeing the benefits of Air BnB more clearly now, but I'm hopeful I will like this bed and shower better. Maybe the bed bugs will be a false alarm too. One can hope.
We had a late dinner at Cafe Gaston. I had a Bramble French. It was gin-based. I've decided that gin tastes like old ladies. I had duck. Clare had lamb. She was quite pleased. We then sprung for another dessert with Tom and Donna (Parks & Rec) flair. It feels a bit like we the walls are closing in here at Motel de Matello, but I think I can make it work for 3 nights. Here's hoping.
P.S. Espresso at brunch; Giant colon tour with a translator before noon.
Wander and eat. That was the theme of today. We cruised the 6th Arr., Clare's phone died, we got lost and hungry, stopped off for some samiches (unofficial French) at some famous guy's boulangerie. They were not amazing. Neither was my orange Fanta. Remind me to avoid that tomorrow. We headed back by the hunchback's house and on to ile St. Louis. We stopped at first Bertillion ice cream dealer we could find. It looked seedier than I remembered, but there was a line and then an angry French proprietor and then a relocated line and then delicious sweet ice cream. It turns out Bertillion has overtaken the ile with dealers at nearly every entrance. My pistache was excellent though. Clare liker her tiramisu to the tune of pretty good.
After ice cream, we headed home for an afternoon nap. Post-nap we cruised the Champs-Elysees, took a jog to the ? Arr and had dinner at a creperie L'Atlier. I had an ok galette (grammelet?), a tasty cider and a superb butter and sugar crepe. We then took a walk on the Seine, passed by the art projected on the Royal Palais and returned by Metro to our un peu maison. A bientot.
Day 8
Fully embracing this schedule, we didn't roll out until about 11 AM. We headed to some shops on Clare's list in the 3rd. I was desperate for a pain au chocolate, so we snagged one before going to Musee Carnavalet- gratuie- a museum of the history of Paris. I found the decimal clock to be particularly interesting. As part of the revolution the rebels(?) devised a system of time in increments of 10. The clockmakers had a fit. I need to do more research on this. I also especially enjoyed the paintings of Paris in the winter. Fighting museum fatigue, we had a 2 PM brunch at la boehme.It was tasty, especially my carrot ginger soup and our almond cake dessert. We hit a few more shops including for tea at Mrage a Freer's and BHV which was teaming with people. We took a brief rest by the Seine, but Clare needed more. She left me at Hotel de Ville where I waited about an hour in line to see the photoreporter Photo Magnum exhibit. There were about 15 photos for each decade or so in Paris. Many were of people, powerful portraits, but some were of events and a few had strong diagonals and use of dark and light that were just amazing. I couldn't even put my finger on what made a lot of the photos great.
I returned to the apartment and Clare dramatically announced that we needed to leave because of bed bugs. Apparently the last guest had bits. Air BnB refunded money and asked that we get a hotel. The host was very concerned and generous. We laundered some and got out of the 10th. Clare had expertly located a hotel in the 11th and we walked over. We've gone from a tiny apartment to a room about the size of our bedroom at home. I'm seeing the benefits of Air BnB more clearly now, but I'm hopeful I will like this bed and shower better. Maybe the bed bugs will be a false alarm too. One can hope.
We had a late dinner at Cafe Gaston. I had a Bramble French. It was gin-based. I've decided that gin tastes like old ladies. I had duck. Clare had lamb. She was quite pleased. We then sprung for another dessert with Tom and Donna (Parks & Rec) flair. It feels a bit like we the walls are closing in here at Motel de Matello, but I think I can make it work for 3 nights. Here's hoping.
P.S. Espresso at brunch; Giant colon tour with a translator before noon.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Day 4 to Day 6- A metaphor for life?
Day 4: When Brian C. says, "Visit the Sex Museum," you visit the sex museum.
We started the day early biking in bike rush hour traffic and then standing for about an hour to get into the Anne Frank house. The line just kept growing while we waited. The house and the words from the diary are dramatic and powerful, but the crowd is sizable and at times made it hard to focus.
From Anne Frank, we wandered a bit and finally settled on some snacking croissants. We ate and walked, every bit an American, back to our bikes which we then rode confidently to the sex museum. The museum was as advertised, odd, amusing, and not terribly informative. My biggest takeaway was that not that much has changed, well, ever. We had lunch at the Pancake Bakery. It was something we could agree on. Clare tried poffertjes and I stuck with pannekoekn. Yum.
After lunch it was on to the red light district. It was about 2 PM on a Tuesday and the vibe was still odd. There were packs of men roaming the streets. The red-illuminated windows were lower and more prevalent than I'd expected. I found it odd that most of this took place in the shadow of a church. Clare started a short list of what women in the windows were doing, some smiled and flirted, many were texting, one was eating a banana, some seemed to avoid the windows and others just stood there. It was all very strange and left me with many questions. None I was prepared to ask.
From the district we returned to our bikes and tried to outrun the rain. We stopped in a cool screen printing shop and then went home to nap. We napped into the evening and had a night at our faux-home including Clare walloping me in a game of cribbage.
Tomorrow is it. I feel like there is so much still to do, although there's only a few things I really plan to do. A metaphor for life? my own lack of ambition? Perhaps Van Gogh will know.
Day 5/ March 25: I did not want to wake up today. I'm not sure what is going on, but I didn't get up until 9:45. We hopped on our bikes in some classic grey rainy Netherlands weather. We hightailed it to the Van Gogh museum and hardly had to wait in line. The museum was crowded, but well organized, yielding insight into Van Gogh's process and outlining his life. We had lunch at nearby Mem's (or Allen's if I'm reading the signs)- paninis and teas before walking around the neighborhood called Pip. We finished Pip off at FOAM, the photography museum.
The first exhibit was enjoyable, memories of flashbulbs, the photographer used large sections of black or white in his compositions. The other exhibits were interesting in theory. Post-FOAM, we shared a croquette at Holtkamp, said to be the best. It did not disappoint. It was like eating a delicious stew in a fried bowl.
We returned to our apartment, but all my sleep must have left me with energy. I wandered again through Westerpark, the gas works, and circled back through neighborhoods. I decided walking is good when you want to explore at a slow pace, but biking is good to cover more distance when your direction is clear(er). Clare will vouch for this since a bus nearly ran us off the road today. Our left turns need work, but I remained amazed of biking in Amsterdam.
I had takeaway shoarma for dinner. It wasn't as good as I remembered, but the place I remember seemed fancier. We leave tomorrow. I'd like to return to the Netherlands, but I'm not sure I need much longer in Amsterdam.
Day 6: We woke up early and took efficient public transit to Amsterdam Centraal. There we waited for our train to Brussels that was a train to Paris. Poof, we were in Brussels. We cruised by the Grand Palace, had some seafood at the recommended Nordeeze (not bbq). I had shrimp croquettes. They would have been amazing without the shrimp. Clare had fried mussels (in Brussels). She was pleased.
From there we pointed our peckers to Mannekin Pis, but were waylaid by waffles. We chose leige with Belgian chocolate. Ooh la la. I could have had waffles for days. Notice a theme?
We joined the hordes at Mannekin Pis. I knew it was small, but I still remember being considerably more amused at age 6. More amusing these days were the references- Mannekin Pils, Mannekin Bis(tro)and Mannekin Frites complete with peeing fry logo. The rain was falling and Clare elected to return to the station. I hated to wait so long for a train, so chose to wander Brussels. This didn't really pay off except I found a great playground with various levels and rooms. Also, I got lost several times. For a while I used bikeshare maps to navigate, but then had to turn to Clare's phone. It's good to get lost and have the heart racing now and again.
Poof, we're in Paris. Our studio apartment is small, but should be suitable here in 10 Arr. The traffic is loud now, but will hopefully settle. We've headed out to cruise the canal and discovered a wonderful bookstore, Artazart. I wanted several items that I will probably resist- pinhole cameras, satchels, and some neat design books. We then landed at a cafe, Cafe Marine and ordered drinks although we really wanted dinner.
I made a triumphant return to Pelforth Brune and then played the game of 'catch-the-waiter's-eye'. After losing a while, I found my confidence (in a Brune?). I asked about dinner, we ordered and ate delicious rabbit and then I asked for the check. Perhaps I made up for my bumbling in Amsterdam. My French isn't conversational, but my hunger was serious.
We started the day early biking in bike rush hour traffic and then standing for about an hour to get into the Anne Frank house. The line just kept growing while we waited. The house and the words from the diary are dramatic and powerful, but the crowd is sizable and at times made it hard to focus.
From Anne Frank, we wandered a bit and finally settled on some snacking croissants. We ate and walked, every bit an American, back to our bikes which we then rode confidently to the sex museum. The museum was as advertised, odd, amusing, and not terribly informative. My biggest takeaway was that not that much has changed, well, ever. We had lunch at the Pancake Bakery. It was something we could agree on. Clare tried poffertjes and I stuck with pannekoekn. Yum.
After lunch it was on to the red light district. It was about 2 PM on a Tuesday and the vibe was still odd. There were packs of men roaming the streets. The red-illuminated windows were lower and more prevalent than I'd expected. I found it odd that most of this took place in the shadow of a church. Clare started a short list of what women in the windows were doing, some smiled and flirted, many were texting, one was eating a banana, some seemed to avoid the windows and others just stood there. It was all very strange and left me with many questions. None I was prepared to ask.
From the district we returned to our bikes and tried to outrun the rain. We stopped in a cool screen printing shop and then went home to nap. We napped into the evening and had a night at our faux-home including Clare walloping me in a game of cribbage.
Tomorrow is it. I feel like there is so much still to do, although there's only a few things I really plan to do. A metaphor for life? my own lack of ambition? Perhaps Van Gogh will know.
Day 5/ March 25: I did not want to wake up today. I'm not sure what is going on, but I didn't get up until 9:45. We hopped on our bikes in some classic grey rainy Netherlands weather. We hightailed it to the Van Gogh museum and hardly had to wait in line. The museum was crowded, but well organized, yielding insight into Van Gogh's process and outlining his life. We had lunch at nearby Mem's (or Allen's if I'm reading the signs)- paninis and teas before walking around the neighborhood called Pip. We finished Pip off at FOAM, the photography museum.
The first exhibit was enjoyable, memories of flashbulbs, the photographer used large sections of black or white in his compositions. The other exhibits were interesting in theory. Post-FOAM, we shared a croquette at Holtkamp, said to be the best. It did not disappoint. It was like eating a delicious stew in a fried bowl.
We returned to our apartment, but all my sleep must have left me with energy. I wandered again through Westerpark, the gas works, and circled back through neighborhoods. I decided walking is good when you want to explore at a slow pace, but biking is good to cover more distance when your direction is clear(er). Clare will vouch for this since a bus nearly ran us off the road today. Our left turns need work, but I remained amazed of biking in Amsterdam.
I had takeaway shoarma for dinner. It wasn't as good as I remembered, but the place I remember seemed fancier. We leave tomorrow. I'd like to return to the Netherlands, but I'm not sure I need much longer in Amsterdam.
Day 6: We woke up early and took efficient public transit to Amsterdam Centraal. There we waited for our train to Brussels that was a train to Paris. Poof, we were in Brussels. We cruised by the Grand Palace, had some seafood at the recommended Nordeeze (not bbq). I had shrimp croquettes. They would have been amazing without the shrimp. Clare had fried mussels (in Brussels). She was pleased.
From there we pointed our peckers to Mannekin Pis, but were waylaid by waffles. We chose leige with Belgian chocolate. Ooh la la. I could have had waffles for days. Notice a theme?
We joined the hordes at Mannekin Pis. I knew it was small, but I still remember being considerably more amused at age 6. More amusing these days were the references- Mannekin Pils, Mannekin Bis(tro)and Mannekin Frites complete with peeing fry logo. The rain was falling and Clare elected to return to the station. I hated to wait so long for a train, so chose to wander Brussels. This didn't really pay off except I found a great playground with various levels and rooms. Also, I got lost several times. For a while I used bikeshare maps to navigate, but then had to turn to Clare's phone. It's good to get lost and have the heart racing now and again.
Poof, we're in Paris. Our studio apartment is small, but should be suitable here in 10 Arr. The traffic is loud now, but will hopefully settle. We've headed out to cruise the canal and discovered a wonderful bookstore, Artazart. I wanted several items that I will probably resist- pinhole cameras, satchels, and some neat design books. We then landed at a cafe, Cafe Marine and ordered drinks although we really wanted dinner.
I made a triumphant return to Pelforth Brune and then played the game of 'catch-the-waiter's-eye'. After losing a while, I found my confidence (in a Brune?). I asked about dinner, we ordered and ate delicious rabbit and then I asked for the check. Perhaps I made up for my bumbling in Amsterdam. My French isn't conversational, but my hunger was serious.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The Quinquennial Celebration- Spring- Day 1-3 - March 21-23
We flew from Denver to Iceland. The flight wasn't bad. I knocked out 3 movies: Birdman, Whiplash, Shawshank Redemption. They got better the closer I got to Iceland. We were in Iceland with the sunrise, but only had time for a pit stop before it was on to Amsterdam.
I struggled on that leg of the trip, but finally got a few winks. We arrived starving and tired; ate wraps and drank smoothies at an airport store and boarded a train to Central Station. After a little searching we then boarded a bus to our AirBnB apartment near Westerpark. It's a cute 2-room join on the third story. The bathroom is a closet, but there's plenty of room otherwise. We're getting comfortable.
Clare took a nap; I wandered a bit. Ask me about the Polyp Party. No, don't, it's a carnival ride shaped like an octopus. I returned for a short nap and then we headed to the old gasworks for dinner. Our first choice place was busy and we were too spent for inquiries, so we moved on to Pizza Pazzani. The meal tasted good in its averageness. We felt guilty about our lack of Dutch, although everyone has been very accommodating of our English. A few Dutch phrases have come to mind, but I lack the confidence to wield them. Perhaps sleep will help. Let's go find out.
Day 2- March 22
At about 3 AM it seemed that sleep might be used up, but this proved untrue. We finally got up at 8. After sprinkles for breakfast, we began a modified reverse walking tour of Jordaan. We passed the long lines of Anne Frank, popped in the Cheese Museum, window shopped and took photos of shudders, canals and bikes until lunch time at the Screaming Bean. After lunch we rode some trains out to Maarn where Jolieke and Pim met us at the station .Wis and Bart were still napping, but we soon scooped them up and all headed to the Amersfoort zoo. Pim learned to say "I want to show you the lions," but was otherwise unconvinced that we could not speak Dutch. We looked at animals, slid on slides, and rode the train. It was an enjoyable afternoon with good company and good catching up. We had pannenkoeken at Jagershuys. If I'd been there (and I suspect I had), like the zoo, it had probably been remodeled in the last 30 years.
J took us through Doorn and for a quick look at my old house. The yard had been re-done and it looked as though Theo was long gone (he is), but from the outside the house looked very much the same. It failed to stir many memories; a bit of badminton, a time locked in Becky's room, but I was still pleased to see it. We returned to Jolieke's for tea and then headed back to our temp home in Amsterdam. It will be good to see them all again in July when they visit the states. Almost 15 years without a visit, now 2 in 1 year. Life is funny.
Best Pim story: Pim gave us licorice and stroop wafels. J said Pim wanted to eat the licorice, but she was able to explain that we couldn't get it in the states. Pim now thinks that all his suitcases for their holiday should be filled with licorice. This seems pretty wise to me.
Day 3- March 23
I woke up dead today. If that wasn't jet lag, I don't know what is. Once Clare got me going, we headed to catch a boat- a canal boat. We toured the city by waterway, eventually stopping for club sandwiches at Homemade. We boated on back toward home. I took out one of the apartment bikes and set my course for Sloterpark disc golf. It took 3 trips around the block, but I finally found my way. At least until I got lost again. Despite my troubles, the bike ride was heaven. It's amazing that cars yield, that there are bike traffic jams, and that there are so many good bike paths. It's like a dream.
I had a tough time navigating the disc golf course, but managed to hand on to my disc and only skip 4 holes. There was no one on the course. No one. People stared at me in awe. They had no idea what I was doing. The course was ok, ignoring the difficult to follow layout, but narrow in a lot of places. I could have used a guide and some more familiar discs (not the Roc).
Once finished I headed home on the glorious bike paths and into bike rush hour. C made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner after a frits snack. We took an after dinner walk to get some Amsterdam-at-night photos. We capped off the evening with Stoelen, some sort of apple croissant-like treat. Tomorrow we're going to try to beat or brave the line at the Anne Frank Huis.
I struggled on that leg of the trip, but finally got a few winks. We arrived starving and tired; ate wraps and drank smoothies at an airport store and boarded a train to Central Station. After a little searching we then boarded a bus to our AirBnB apartment near Westerpark. It's a cute 2-room join on the third story. The bathroom is a closet, but there's plenty of room otherwise. We're getting comfortable.
Clare took a nap; I wandered a bit. Ask me about the Polyp Party. No, don't, it's a carnival ride shaped like an octopus. I returned for a short nap and then we headed to the old gasworks for dinner. Our first choice place was busy and we were too spent for inquiries, so we moved on to Pizza Pazzani. The meal tasted good in its averageness. We felt guilty about our lack of Dutch, although everyone has been very accommodating of our English. A few Dutch phrases have come to mind, but I lack the confidence to wield them. Perhaps sleep will help. Let's go find out.
Day 2- March 22
At about 3 AM it seemed that sleep might be used up, but this proved untrue. We finally got up at 8. After sprinkles for breakfast, we began a modified reverse walking tour of Jordaan. We passed the long lines of Anne Frank, popped in the Cheese Museum, window shopped and took photos of shudders, canals and bikes until lunch time at the Screaming Bean. After lunch we rode some trains out to Maarn where Jolieke and Pim met us at the station .Wis and Bart were still napping, but we soon scooped them up and all headed to the Amersfoort zoo. Pim learned to say "I want to show you the lions," but was otherwise unconvinced that we could not speak Dutch. We looked at animals, slid on slides, and rode the train. It was an enjoyable afternoon with good company and good catching up. We had pannenkoeken at Jagershuys. If I'd been there (and I suspect I had), like the zoo, it had probably been remodeled in the last 30 years.
J took us through Doorn and for a quick look at my old house. The yard had been re-done and it looked as though Theo was long gone (he is), but from the outside the house looked very much the same. It failed to stir many memories; a bit of badminton, a time locked in Becky's room, but I was still pleased to see it. We returned to Jolieke's for tea and then headed back to our temp home in Amsterdam. It will be good to see them all again in July when they visit the states. Almost 15 years without a visit, now 2 in 1 year. Life is funny.
Best Pim story: Pim gave us licorice and stroop wafels. J said Pim wanted to eat the licorice, but she was able to explain that we couldn't get it in the states. Pim now thinks that all his suitcases for their holiday should be filled with licorice. This seems pretty wise to me.
Day 3- March 23
I woke up dead today. If that wasn't jet lag, I don't know what is. Once Clare got me going, we headed to catch a boat- a canal boat. We toured the city by waterway, eventually stopping for club sandwiches at Homemade. We boated on back toward home. I took out one of the apartment bikes and set my course for Sloterpark disc golf. It took 3 trips around the block, but I finally found my way. At least until I got lost again. Despite my troubles, the bike ride was heaven. It's amazing that cars yield, that there are bike traffic jams, and that there are so many good bike paths. It's like a dream.
I had a tough time navigating the disc golf course, but managed to hand on to my disc and only skip 4 holes. There was no one on the course. No one. People stared at me in awe. They had no idea what I was doing. The course was ok, ignoring the difficult to follow layout, but narrow in a lot of places. I could have used a guide and some more familiar discs (not the Roc).
Once finished I headed home on the glorious bike paths and into bike rush hour. C made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner after a frits snack. We took an after dinner walk to get some Amsterdam-at-night photos. We capped off the evening with Stoelen, some sort of apple croissant-like treat. Tomorrow we're going to try to beat or brave the line at the Anne Frank Huis.
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