2012 - THE INNKEEPERS DO AMSTERDAM - PART III

Happy Birthday, Queen Beatrix!

The Red Light District was our first stroll on our first evening and it proved to be exactly as advertised.  Prostitution and marijuana is legal and regulated in Amsterdam, but indulging in either is hardly necessary to appreciate the live-and-let-live attitude of this amazing city of canals.  Because of this, the Red Light District is a safe and colorful place to stroll in the evenings.  

Red Light District

Coffee shops = marijuana

DAY 10 - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - Amsterdam
Top on our list to visit was the Anne Frank House and after coffee, we set out on foot across the charmingly quaint canals, savoring the ancient and distinctive architecture and mix of diverse cultures.  Climbing the stairs and setting foot in those historic rooms that hid the Frank family from the Germans for so long was indeed sobering.  In a way, visiting this space was my way of paying homage to a young woman who shared both my ancestry and passion for expression through the written word.  I was surprised to find that their space was larger than I'd imagined, although it certainly must have felt like a tomb to be imprisoned without daylight for so long, the only glimpse being from a strategically placed mirror in the attic.

The Frankhuis

Just across the canal from the Frankhuis was a Delft museum and store that Ron remembered from a prior trip.  The importance of Delft-ware greatly rose on my interest scale after seeing the gorgeous variety and artistry of this craft ranging from reasonable to priceless.  It was impossible to walk away without one of the blue and white tiles with three colorful tulips.  When in Holland...

Delft Museum and Shop

We then made our way to find the Posenboot, a houseboat devoted to stray cats in need of a home.  We were missing our own felines pretty badly by then and hoped they hadn't given up on us.  Disappointed to find it closed on Wednesdays, we headed back towards the Dam Square, stopping along the way for a bathroom, which turned into another excuse for coffee and pastry.  By then, I was developing a suspicious cough, which I tried to blame on the abundant Spring blooms.  Ron's cough continued to rattle the hotel walls and he found plenty of company seeking cough syrup at the pharmacy across the street.  A stop at the Chinese restaurant next door for hot soup and a comfortable king size bed capped our evening.

DAY 11 - Thursday, May 3, 2012


On our last day in Amsterdam, high in spirit, but energy flagging, we had some choices to make.  After coffee and a chocolate pear muffin in Dam Square, we hopped on the tram to the Van Gogh Museum and I indulged some last minute shopping while Ron held our place in the long line.  Apparently it was a school holiday.  As at any museum full of masters, one could easily spend an entire day, but we selectively viewed our old favorites and made new,  delightful discoveries in an attempt to conserve energy and allow time for other sites.  

Something to do while you wait to get in the Van Gogh Museum

Ditto

We both wanted to visit the flower market and decided to have a hearty lunch there as well, enjoying the steady parade of visitors and displays of flowers through the windows.  I thought of my mother, who was incapable of passing a package of flower bulbs in the grocery store without bring them home, and what her reaction would have been to an entire city block devoted to her love of flowers.  I devoured a mushroom omelet while Ron made short work of a full English breakfast as we watched the steady traffic of people.  After the rest of our stroll home and some more good shopping finds, I repacked my suitcase for the trip home and finally succumbed to exhaustion.

The Flower Market

More Euro impressions:
We found that top sheets were not used in either Denmark or Holland, commas are used instead of decimals when quoting a price and bikes have their own designated lanes.  I learned that Denmark beaches are a common place to find amber and it's a popular type of jewelry there.  I was proud to have survived twelve days having packed lighter than ever before (one carry-on bag and my purse) and found I still could have taken less!  While Paris is a very grand and almost formal city of monuments, museums and ornate architecture, Amsterdam's urban residential neighborhoods seem more relaxed and inviting.  During our trip, I pondered why it seems so important to have pictures taken of both of us on our travels.  I find that when I go somewhere new, there is so much to process that I can easily lose track of small, but enriching memories until I am reminded again by seeing the pictures I took.  I don't think of it as seeing my vacation through a camera.  For me, I see places as pictures and then try to capture them.  The pictures afford a warm reality to a very dreamlike experience.

I never actually saw anyone wearing these.

DAY 1 - May 4, 2012 - Home Sweet Cape Cod
We found our home much greener and lusher than when we left, the lilac trees now in full bloom and sweet scent, and plants lining up in queue to make their grand appearances.  Home sweet home on Cape Cod provided the best place to ride out the wicked Euro virus.  The No Vacancy signs remain posted, but we'll rally in time for the next scheduled guest.  After being treated to three countries worth of eye candy, there's still no better place for us to be than our little B&B on Fort Hill.  Ron has often said that travel memories are some of the best and long lasting gifts that we can give ourselves to enrich our lives.  Mine definitely just got a lot richer.