I have come to realise that I am now one of those people who talks about the weather incessantly. I’m sorry. However when the good days seem few and far between, you tend to celebrate when it’s good! And the weather has been just spectacular! So we did like Netherlanders and got on our bikes and headed out to the local woods.
There we found a likely patch of grass next to a canal (of course!), and watched the passing traffic. Would you like to know more?
I am going to begin the end tale by ramping up slowly for you, as the day itself began quite slowly. Well, it did for me. Himself was off on his Conference and out the door early again. I woke up, and lolled for a while. Met the new boyfriend of the Hostess. Did some knitting … It’s me. I’m exciting.
But as the morning warmed up and the sun shone down upon us, we took action and headed for the Regents Park with some pieces of bread in a plastic bag. We were on a mission.
A thoroughly successful one if I do say so myself! Would you like to know more?
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?
When we have a spare moment (and we have to plan make them happen) Himself and Myself are prone to strapping our favourite wheels to our feet and heading for the park.
My wheels are different to His, because I’m a klutz and may at any point need to be suddenly stationary to not run into trees or other pedestrians. I know this about myself. I’m working with it.
Yes, I’m aware this photos is fuzzy. The problem is I wasn’t aware until after we got home.
The inherent problem with strapping wheels to yourself is that it limits the amount of photos one can take. We made great time though! 😀 These were taken the day before New Years Eve. The last Sunday of the old year.
New Years Day we decided to go back to the park but walk to see if we could find some of the devastation resultant from the explosions the night before. You see, fireworks are legal in the Netherlands. And though you are only meant to let them off within about a 2 hour period around midnight … they went off all day on the 31st December. They finally quietened enough for us to sleep around 2am I think. The cats just had the best day that day!
So we left the house on the first, and found this.
And when I read up on it later, apparently ex-christmas tree bonfires are prevalent on New Years Eve too. Though it looks like they couldn’t get this one to catch.
All those little red bits are the paper of cracker casings. Don’t fool yourself into thinking someone just exploded their mother’s rose garden!
The ducks seemed to be recovering nicely though, even with the odd bang still going off.
Vondel Park was a hive of activity. So many families all out promenading along the avenues, and the local dog walking crew were getting together for a New Years Day picnic.
We saw lots of bird life. I thought they would have flown South for the Winter, but I guess it’s not cold enough? I keep forgetting to take bread to feed them too!
As the sun was setting, and the temperature dropping …
we headed off to a nearby café that looked warm and inviting enough that it was packed! We were quite lucky to get a table!
After a hot chocolate and some kroketjes we headed on home to the central heating and three very anxious cats.
Next year I hit up the vet for kitty valium!
I have been checking out some of the local shops, as I am want to do, and discovering that I could spend an awful lot of money here, and need a residence ten times what we’re looking at living in!
We shall begin with de negen straatjes, the nine little streets. These are located on the West side of the Dam. And check it out!
One for Nita.
One for Naomi.
One for the fun.
And one for me!
Then, just as you find ducklings in the canal and think it can’t get any better …
you see that the canal is full of floating Nemos!
Damn I love this city!
I may have to go back and buy this little girl. She looks so lonely!
ghoti industries 