Summer had a bit of a reprise last week, and so, after a series of events which had left us with a single bicycle for a while, and then suddenly being a two bicycle home again, we decided to head out on what might well be a final picnic of the season.
We made out way down to Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Woods), because when you live as close to Vondel Park as we (and the rest of Amsterdam) does, sometimes you want somewhere a bit quieter. Would you like to know more?
It’s easy to tell when it’s Summer in Amsterdam. Suddenly the populace is out in force in their boats on the canals.
It is the perfect opportunity to sit in one of the many canal-side cafes and watch the state of relaxation drifting past. Would you like to know more?
After throwing my back out and being rather useless all of last week (and under orders from my new and lovely physio, who we don’t want to upset) I took it easy on Saturday. Pulled out my paints, and floundered for a while making a great mess. But it was relaxing.
We had a quiet one this weekend. I don’t think either of us felt like going out much given that we’d had such a big day on Tuesday. Tuesday also really shook up our routine for the week and I’m not sure we ever really got our groove back.
We’ve found it interesting that when we got here we were told (and witnessed) that if there was any sun whatsoever the Cloggies would be out in it, and soaking it up. In our innocence we condescendingly thought “Hehe, how cute of them! Those zany Cloggies!” Now that we’ve survived our first Winter, we get it. And we join them!
The days have been getting longer and warmer, and we have gotten into the habit of sitting on out balcony in the afternoons. With the doors thrown open, and fresh air wafting on warm, gentle, breezes through the house, with novels, text books, or knitting in hand, we sit in the sunshine and soak up the much needed (and missed) Vitamin D.
What we did do this weekend, was something that we’d been planning since September. We got me my very own bicycle! It’s a long story, but the other bike we had ended up being adopted by Himself, and I hadn’t felt the lack of one until the weather warmed.
So with a mission in mind, we gathered up our wits and spare cash and stormed off into destiny!!! *cough* I mean, bought me a very serviceable second-hand bike.
Sometimes you need to be reminded to walk in a new direction. I know we fall into the trap of going the way we know. It’s a safe, it’s known, you know what to expect around each corner. Sometimes you need to force yourself out of that rut, and make a change! So today, we went off to appreciate Spring in Rembrandt Park.
We were repaid for this decision in a myriad of little ways. Starting with this beautiful family who were out enjoying the sunshine!
ghoti industries 