Movements

Posted on by ghotiindustries

For the past few months we have been living in the centre of it all.

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Very near here in fact.

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And on the other side …

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For the hell of it, this is a photo of garbage night in Amsterdam. This takes place twice a week, and the piles of rubbish along the tiny narrow streets average 5’ high, 3’ deep, and 20’ long. It’s an experience! Especially when you’re surrounded by pubs, cafes, and restaurants!

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In one hectic weekend, we went out of town to a wedding. This involved driving for the first time in Continental Europe. It was an experience! Sorry for the blur, but my eyes were having trouble focusing on the drive back at 1am!

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We caught up with some more tourists who I took for a brief tour around Amsterdam. (though this wasn’t technically on the weekend, but a few days later. They were at the same wedding on the weekend… does that count?)

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We also moved all our stuff to a new, and yet still temporary, abode. This is now what’s down the road from us. Still a canal, but just a touch greener!

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I can’t wait to discover what’s at the end of this path!

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I’ve also been getting lots of fabulous old fashioned post! So now I just have to write back to you all! Thank you so much! I’ve missed having pen pals! 😀

Tourist Season

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Now that we have begun to get our bearings and this beautiful adopted city is feeling more and more like home, we’ve had some guests come to visit! Showing them around has been a real experience!

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We took them on a canal cruise. The same canal cruise that we went on on our first weekend. It was an entirely different experience now that we actually knew where we were going, knew the buldings we were looking at from walking past them every day, and have a better idea of the city.

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This is a copy of a bridge in Fance, and is decorated in slave ships.

This is a place in the canal where you can look through seven bridges all at once. Though you have to be on the water to truly see the spectacle.

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This is a replica of a floating restaurant in China. Though theirs seats 2500, and ours only seats 700. You can see the city Bibliotheek in the background 🙂

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Being tourists, we then headed off to the Bloemenmarkt. I love that place so much, and showing it off is fun too!

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The number of bulbs is awe inspiring. All those sleeping little bulbs, just waiting to wake up and burst forth all that colour!

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As we wandered around, we realised something was on at the palace, though we didn’t figure out what. Though the spectacle of the roads being closed down to let the motorcade through was an experience!

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Finally on Sunday we headed up through the Red Light District. Now you’re not allowed to take photos of the girls in the windows, and I’ve seen people try, and the girls will just draw the curtains on you. I appreciate the fact that the girls are accorded respect, and there is a statue next to the Oude Kerk (that a lot of windows circle) that reminds tourists to respect the girls too.

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As our guests come back next weekend, I now have to think of a whole new set of adventures for them! Any suggestions?

Football Season

Posted on by ghotiindustries

This has been an eye opener.
It’s a bit like State of Origin, only, it goes for more than three games.
Most of the streets are decorated in some manner. Some more than others.
The Orange is back on.

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Then there’s what they’ve done to Dam Square …

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It is now host to “Beach Football” or Sand Soccer as I have newly dubbed it.

This takes up valuable real estate that could be filled with living statues!

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My favourites so far have been the White Rabbit, Death, Freddy Krueger, and Kali! Though, one day I did spy Batman …

Loving where we live

Posted on by ghotiindustries

So much has happened, and continues to happen. Yet it’s all settling down and shuffling itself into a routine now. We both have local mobile numbers and Skype has been set up to keep in touch with those slightly further away.

Letters and postcards are being, and have been, sent to people we love, and with the abundance of beautiful cards available, will continue to be sent too! If you’re so inclined to return the gesture, leave me a message and I’ll email you our postal address! 😉

Himself heads off to the office each day, while I maintain house & home, and work at having merchandise in my store before it re-opens.

Things that continue to take my breath away and bring massive grins of disbelief to my face when I see them are the swans floating down the canals in the centre of town. Doing what swans do, just swanning around. Getting in the way of the boats.

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There are so many little alleys to explore, all with hidden secrets and gems to be discovered.

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So many times (to the frustration of Himself) we’ll be powering at speed down a street and I’ll stop and veer off to one side to get a closer look at a marionette,

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some intricate masks,

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or a shop where the entire theme is ROOD! (red) (I’ll take one of everything!!!)

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I could spend a lifetime exploring these streets. Everyday there is something new and different to find, explore, and experience.

Oh! And I’ve been knitting too! I’m finally on the edging of the shawl I began on Boxing Day back in Robinsons Bay!

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Just 44 more repeats to go!