Where have I been? Well after a week long break I returned to shed loads of moderation, meetings and college work. All of this is still going on and will do so for the next two weeks, but I need timeout so have returned to post some photographs of Amsterdam.
My memories of this city were golden, but that was 25 years ago and time has taken its toll on this once beautiful city. The city remains beautiful of course, but the heaving tourists flocking to ogle the hard core window porn and smoke various illegal or otherwise substances have tainted the view.
I was even more conscious of all this with an 11 year old in tow, but despite grown men on their hands and knee's throwing up in our path we managed to find some of the quieter places to walk.
And therein lay another problem, it rained and rained and the wind blew a bitterly cold gale. Emin was ill shod and kept wandering off by himself, leaving me to deal with Leyla. We queued for hours to shelter in the Van Gogh Museum which was lovely but full to the brim. I saw my most favourite Van Gogh painting, and realised it was probably the last one he painted before he died, and I just wanted to cry.
But despite this the view across the canals remains a delight, as does the ability to gaze longingly inside those huge windows, coveting those amazing rooms they live in.
Bicycles were not always welcome, but we did rent some the one day it stopped raining and cycled out of town.
Gorgeous views.
amazing windows
interiors to covet
This birds nest was a work of art.
Far from the madding crowd was this haven of tranquillity
...and delicious food at Momo.
All so we could escape this, which was a shame as London is looking very festive and despite the whole city trying to complete 10 years worth of repairs and renovations for our big day it was good to get home.
1 comment:
For the first day we were there, I wasn't sure if I liked Amsterdam -- so dirty! and the colours overall, like the weather, were dark. But as you seem to have been, I was won over, although I didn't have a competing memory of what the city used to be like. What a coincidence that we seem to have found the very same nest!
Good luck with all the work you surely have piled up now -- I'm curious to see what difference that home computer will make to your overall daily schedule. I couldn't be without mine, although I sometimes think it would be good to have an Internet-free zone. . .
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