I like Amsterdam. Frank has been walking around afte the rest of us crash, and then musing about how he could really see living here (the fantasy has him working for Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Red Cross/Red Crescent, or something like that). (Emma says it's "skeazy" which I think refers to the litter around town. How can it be that the town is so neat and clean in some ways but there's litter all over the park?) It could use more parks, I think. But Vondelpark has a parakeet colony and a bunch of other birds which I assume are local natives but which seem more exotic to us than the parakeets. There's something like a crow with huge white splotches on it. What is that? I think at least one of the pictures I took will come out okay.
Bicyclists say "ting ting" when they don't run you down. They don't wear helmets. Most of the streets have effective divisions into bike, car, transit, and pedestrian areas, some very clearly marked, and the locals ignore the divisions anyway.
The Vondelpark Stayokay hostel is a really fine place to stay. We're walking distance from the museums, and from a neighborhood called Leidesplein which has places to eat and a tram stop and mysteries to explore. I want to rent a canal bike, which is not a bike but a pedal boat.
That adapter I bought at Fry's after spending a half hour trying to figure out which one I needed? It doesn't work. The pins are correct, but you need a round plug head, and the adapter is flat. So we rented one from the hostel. Also the phone service we purchased for the trip? Doesn't seem to work in the Netherlands. I'm holding judgemenr until we get tp Berlin, but I am not holding my breath.
We just saw "Rembrandt -- the Musical" -- in the cheap seats. It was . . . remarkable. Mostly the nmusic was serviceable but the acting and especially the stagecract were magnificent.
We saw the Van Gighs this morning, and an exhibit of Japanese material of the Van Gigh era, and that was pretty maginificent too. I think it was one of the cornfield paintings that made me cry because my mother never saw these thing. Tomorrow -- Rembrandtm, Vermeer, Hals, and I imagine more tears for me. Also I still want to get on the canal and I want to see the Hortus Botanical Garden and Frank wants to go to the zoo, but when I suggest spliiting upo I usually gert voted down.
LAter, we'll be on to Berlin.
I'm hungry, falling asleep, and achy in the feet, so goodnight.
Bicyclists say "ting ting" when they don't run you down. They don't wear helmets. Most of the streets have effective divisions into bike, car, transit, and pedestrian areas, some very clearly marked, and the locals ignore the divisions anyway.
The Vondelpark Stayokay hostel is a really fine place to stay. We're walking distance from the museums, and from a neighborhood called Leidesplein which has places to eat and a tram stop and mysteries to explore. I want to rent a canal bike, which is not a bike but a pedal boat.
That adapter I bought at Fry's after spending a half hour trying to figure out which one I needed? It doesn't work. The pins are correct, but you need a round plug head, and the adapter is flat. So we rented one from the hostel. Also the phone service we purchased for the trip? Doesn't seem to work in the Netherlands. I'm holding judgemenr until we get tp Berlin, but I am not holding my breath.
We just saw "Rembrandt -- the Musical" -- in the cheap seats. It was . . . remarkable. Mostly the nmusic was serviceable but the acting and especially the stagecract were magnificent.
We saw the Van Gighs this morning, and an exhibit of Japanese material of the Van Gigh era, and that was pretty maginificent too. I think it was one of the cornfield paintings that made me cry because my mother never saw these thing. Tomorrow -- Rembrandtm, Vermeer, Hals, and I imagine more tears for me. Also I still want to get on the canal and I want to see the Hortus Botanical Garden and Frank wants to go to the zoo, but when I suggest spliiting upo I usually gert voted down.
LAter, we'll be on to Berlin.
I'm hungry, falling asleep, and achy in the feet, so goodnight.
no subject
If it was in the UK, I would say the bird was a magpie. Perhaps there are magpies on the Netherlands too?
no subject
MKK
no subject
no subject