On to Edinbugh

Travelling is great but we are coming to realise that it can be quite stressful staying in hotels and being caught up with the timetables they impose.  We are in Edinburgh and for the first time we are feeling truly relaxed. This is mainly due to the fact that we can live for the next week slightly more normally as we have our own flat! It’s a spacious two bedroom place (come on Sophie get up here..), with a kitchen, full washing facilities, a bathroom with a bath and shower and we are paying a very reasonable price for the privilege. We’re also appreciating the fact we have a living room with a couch each we can stretch out on. Thanks to crashpadder.com (now airbnb) and especially Ron (the owner) who was there yesterday afternoon at Waverley Bridge with his car to pick us up after we had dropped our rental car off, had a bite to eat, picked up Fringe Festival tickets and organised our bus passes for the week.

Our drive down from Stirling was, as expected, very slow and not to plan. There’s a rule in Scotland, and probably throughout Britain, that all petrol stations now need a form of gutter for spillage. Consequently, we were not completely surprised, after navigating the current major road works around central Edinburgh, to find the station we had selected on the satnav had closed. People who live here are quick to point out that a new tram system has taken four years so far to build, the original contractors stopped work for a long period of time to renegotiate their contract, and now it’s costing many times more than budgeted.  Also, Waverley Railway Station is being remodelled and that is a long term, messy and a major disruption. As a consequence, the address where we to drop the car off didn’t exist and it was only by chance we found the small information booth where we were redirected by a rather frazzled woman with a map showing us where we were actually meant to go. I guess the biggest disappointment, when we finally were able to drop the car off, was discovering that our deposit will not be refunded for another 10 days. I can’t understand why a company with such a huge turnover of cars can’t just sort themselves out.

Anyhow, the rest of the day has been spent walking to the nearest supermarket and greengrocer and collecting food supplies for the next few days, cooking a meal, and watching the dramas of the Olympics unfold before our eyes using the choice of 17 live feeds through Sky Sport which has been provided to us as part of this accommodation package. If you ever want to come to Edinburgh, ask me how to get in touch with Ron. This is one of my good finds online.

   

Saturday and Sunday in Stirling

Saturday 28 July

We drove across the English-Scottish border some time before midday on Saturday and had our first glimpse of Scottish coastline some seconds later as our car continued to follow the undulating road. The shape and colour of some of the houses was changing to deep red and ochre.

Our host in a very spacious private b & b, Donald Cameron, was very welcoming and helpful in providing us with a map and directions to the sights of Stirling. “Everything is within walking distance so you won’t have any trouble…” and we didn’t. We decided that climbing to the Stirling Castle was a good idea as we’d see a bit of the town from there and get an overview of the place. We were glad we’d packed our coats as the showers of rain were coming down in spectacular fashion, and clearing as quickly as they’d arrived. Coats on…coats off…coats back on again.

I’ll leave the rest to the pictures:

 

We stayed until closing time then walked back down the hill to choose from the array of restaurant menus, a reasonably priced and delicious sounding meal.

Sunday 29 July

On paying for our ticket into Stirling Castle we were quickly talked into buying a three day pass to castles and monuments around Scotland. Consequently, visiting at least two places on Sunday, would make the purchase of the ticket worthwhile. We had a car, and visiting a bit of Scottish countryside was our plan for the day. Initially, I’d had the ambitious idea of driving between Stirling, Loch Ness and Inverness until it was pointed out to us that we would be spending a very long time in the car, and not much time actually exploring. So we changed the plan and headed first to catch a small ferry (actually a small motor boat) across the Lake of Menteith to the ruins of Inchmahome Priory. We arrived early and by the time we’d worked out how to summon a ferry, and returned to the car twice to add extra layers of clothing, another couple had arrived and we were finally ready to make the first journey across.

The priory was founded in 1258 by an Earl of Menteith, a landowner likely to founded the priory for the good of his own soul. It has had many distinguished royal visitors; Robert the Bruce came here three times in 1306, 1308 and 1310, probably for political motives, as the first abbot had sworn allegiance to Edward the I, the English King. The priory was also a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots, who stayed here in 1547. She was only four years old at the time, and stayed for three weeks, mainly for her own safety after the disastrous battle of Pinkie in September of that year.

Our second stop was Dumbarton Castle  which has the longest known recorded history as a site, dating back to the 5^th century. It’s placed on a volcanic rock overlooking the Firth of Clyde and Dumbarton. We climbed up and down many sets of steps to admire many different viewpoints as well as take in some of its history including a bloody Viking assault in 870AD. 

The castle was built in 1220, and has been a fortress against Norwegians, English and last used during the second world war. The castle’s geographical position, distanced from the political heartland of the country, reduced its importance somewhat, but it also made it a good postern, through which her rulers could come and go with comparative ease. David II (in 1333–4) and Mary Queen of Scots (in 1548) both sheltered here until ships could take them to France and safety.

Our good host had recommended we drive the West coast of Loch Lomond (and yes, the song has been in my head ever since). We stopped in and had a wander through the wee town of Luss and were amazed to see a few brave souls stepping out of the water in their togs, just as a small hint of sun appeared from behind the clouds. Such hardy souls, these Scots.

We ambled back to Stirling and caught the Falkirk Wheel in action. This connects the Forth and Clyde canal with the Union canal; a huge wheel which lifts a barge into the air 24 meters and places it perfectly in position, ready to continue its journey along the upper canal. It was opened in 2002, and replaced 11 locks which operated previously. It was well worth a visit and one of the main reasons why we had come to Stirling in the first place.

After stopping for a meal nearby, we made our way back to our accommodation and settled to another evening with the Olympics.

Alnwich Castle Gardens and Holy Island

It was great this morning to wake to blue sky. I was going to order kippers for breakfast (just to try them) but when I saw what S’s kipper looked like I decided a few mouthfuls would be fine.  For me, it tasted a bit like smoked eel but richer, as this was covered in melted butter.

After some discussion yesterday evening with the staff here about what we shouldn’t miss while in Northumberland, we decided to head to Alnwick (pronounced Annick) Castle gardens. We were rather surprised at the steep entry fee, but as we walked through the gates  and were greeted by a gorgeous fountain cascading its way down a hill in front of us, all was forgiven. Every now and then it would burst spouts of water in different directions, much to the delight of the many small children playing around it.

To one side, we were given a tour of the poison garden by a rather sinister guide who revealed tales of poisonous plants that through either eating, touching or smelling could kill. Many we recognised including one I had tried as a small child- deadly nightshade; but it was also interesting to hear that fifty apple pips chewed would contain enough arsenic to kill.

Around the corner was a zigzag path that in spring, would be stunning as it held tulip bulbs and hundreds of cherry trees. It was nice though just wandering up the hill and into a wooded area towards the ornamental  garden. This was a very formal garden with box hedging and plenty of variety in planting. There was variety in fact, wherever you went and surprises like the raspberry patch and the patch of white roses. One could spend hours here. Further on, was the rose garden then the serpentine garden filled with more modern-shaped fountains. 

The Tree Hut is also a gem with its boardwalks, staircases and swinging bridges.  Nestled up among the trees by the main gate, it also houses a small café and restaurant.

Our next stop was the Holy Island, only accessible at low tide. Once we’d paid for the parked the car, and feasted on our packed picnic lunch of cheeses, grapes, and crackers we walked all over this Island soaking in the expansive views across the estuary towards the extraordinarily perched Lindersfarne Castle and out to sea. 

 It wasn’t until we’d walked around the outside of the castle and looked back towards the main part of the island that we spotted the remains of the Abby which was equally spectacular. Thank goodness we have digital cameras nowadays as  together we must have taken a thousand pictures.

I suggested the Coastal route home as there were more castles to see. We were happy just to pass through Hudle bay, look out at the Farne Islands and admire the huge Bambugh Castle. 

We drove back into Alnwick and picked up some supplies, then headed back to Warkworth to settle down to Olympic madness on TV.

This morning we head to Stirling for a couple of nights and perhaps explore a bit of Scotland before we return the car in Edinburgh on Monday morning.

Warkworth

Our first task was to wish Sophie a Happy  26^th Birthday.  She was already on the train to work, but was happy to hear from us and looking forward to her time with us in Edinburgh next week.  Our second task was to eat yet another hotel breakfast and then we were happy to spend time catching up with Ems and Hamish on Skype.  It’s a dull day weather-wise, so after deliberating whether we’d take a walk or do the washing first, we decided the latter was a better plan. Warkworth doesn’t have a laundromat, so we had a short drive to another coastal town named Amble. We chatted to a couple holidaying from Leister while we let our washing do what it needed to do. Once we’d transferred the wet washing to the drier, we ventured over to an Illy café and had our first flat white since leaving NZ.  This afternoon we decided the rain wasn’t going to come (but took our jackets anyway) and headed out to take photos of Warkworth castle, and the environs. What a great walk it turned out to be. We found a path which led down to the river. We had a lovely amble alongside the river, it was very still and picturesque. We’ve decided this kind of peace is what we are enjoying most at this time. The path then led us up a hill and back beside a wheat field towards the castle. There’s something going on there today as there were heaps of cars. The castle is more or less in ruins, but there’s still a lot of great shapes and angles to photograph. 

Back around the other side of the castle we found a path which directed us towards the bridge. The path was bordered by an interesting array of stone and wooden walls, and behind these were interesting looking gardens.   The bridge had a plaque which told us it was more than 600 years old and probably replaced an even older bridge. We crossed it as we’d been told there was a path leading to a “must see” beach which turned off at the right hand end.  The path was actually a small road and apart from a few cars and few people walking dogs, there was very little activity on what turned out to be a very vast stretch of sand and water. There were still signs of concrete barricades left over from the war, and set to try and prevent the enemy from landing. I don’t think they would have much trouble now, as these are now almost completely buried and easily surmountable.

We walked back to the hotel and put our feet up for another few hours before dinner. I also made sure I got this blog up to date!

 

Travelling from York to Warkworth

Wednesday 25 July

We woke really early this morning, partly to get the shower first. We discovered quite late that two other guests were staying and there was just one shower and toilet in the bathroom upstairs (where we slept) and a bath and hand basin downstairs. This all made ablutions very interesting, when you think about it for a minute or two.

Gillian our host was still at work when we left (she does night shift) so we farewelled and thanked her husband (he was never named).

We decided to aim for a place named Castle Howard. I knew the gates wouldn’t open before 10, but I thought that maybe we would get a view from the road. Driving down a small country lane is interesting and this lane was no exception. It was narrow, and had tall hedgerows running beside it. As we came over hills we could see wonderful vistas including fields of wheat, barley and poppies. It was quite beautiful but nothing had prepared us for a huge monument with golden crown on top. On further investigation I found that this monument was restored in 2002 based on an original woodcut. Even in England it looked weirdly out of place and rather lonely.  A little further on was a wall with an entrance and exit we able to drive through. The wall was in very good condition and we took a number of photos for posterity. As expected, the gates to the Castle were closed, but because we had found these other two rather surprising erections, we were not disappointed.

We drove on through Hovingham, Helmsley, Kirbymorside, Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale, Snaiton, East Ayton, Seamer and on to Scarborough. I name all these places to recall which route we went. We might do it again one day.  We  stopped in Helmsley for a coffee, but nothing much happens there on a Wednesday morning before 9am. We were soon back in the car and heading for Scarborough. We took the route to towards the castle at the top of the hill, and parked beside Ann Bronte’s grave, then walked around the outside of the castle walls to take photos. We decided against paying to look through the castle ruins, and instead took a drive on to Whitby.

Whitby is a town worth visiting. Despite its movements towards being a popular tourist destination, it was reasonably priced and enjoyable to just walk around. We took a bus tour for 4 pounds each, which took us up to another set of castle ruins.  We were able to take some quick snaps, without paying another entrance fee, and headed back into the town centre for some fish and chips.  We sat next to 78 year old man who had visited New Zealand 6 times, He was very happy to tell us some of his life story including losing his beloved German Shepherd dog in February, and also swore by Whitby’s fish and chips. “You can’t come to Whitby without trying them.” I accept that but can’t quite picture what a haddock looks like, and my mouth still waters when I recall that fresh herring we tasted back in Delft market.

Our 3 pound parking ticket was about to expire, so we set our satellite navigator so it would take us towards Newbiggin-by-the Sea without driving through a toll tunnel. This section of our drive was longer than we thought it might be, and I think that because we didn’t sleep that well last night, driving was starting to tire us. We were please we’d had a look though. We had originally booked a caravan here, but the booking had fallen through. 

Newbiggin-by the sea is a seaside English town (as you might expect)  with a promenade which appears to reach the entire length of the bay. The bay itself looks tidal but standing on a jetty, somewhere in the centre of the bay, is a couple standing on a large cylindrical jetty. Well, you think it’s a real couple just taking in the sea air, until you realise they must be at least three metres high. It’s just one of those quirky things you see wherever you go and the English seaside appears to specialise in this.

We got a bit confused as to where exactly our hotel was and drove to Alnwick, only to find we were actually staying in Warkworth. There is a High Street in every town, after all.  It really didn’t matter, as distances are very small between towns. We had a meal in, and met a couple of sisters who were on a walking tour of this area. They made some suggestions of places we might like to walk to or visit. They also had a cute schnauzer they were walking with named Lucy. S thinks this might be our type of pup one day. It’s great that people here are able to bring their dogs into the bars- the bar last night got quite busy with people and their canine buddies. It was quite intriguing watching both humans and their pets interacting with one another.

Our first day in the UK

Tuesday 24 July

I need to reiterate, the trip across the English channel was very smooth. We slept well in our cabin and we woke in time to enjoy more of our cabin munchies. The ride into Hull terminal is a lot longer than you’d think, and we had a good three quarters of an hour manoeuvring time before we final berthed. This gave us plenty of time to check our belongings and have a cup of coffee.

Immigration was also very straight forward and we were soon outside the terminal and hopping into a taxi that would take us to the hire car place. Don’t ever hire a satnav. We found that it was cheaper to buy one, than take 5 days hire (and we are going to need one for the next three weeks we are driving around the UK). We’re  pleased with our purchase…it even warns us about impending speed cameras! …and there are hundreds of them.

We have booked tonight in our first airbnb place. A simple upstairs room owned by a Mrs Gillian Lemon. She was there to greet us when we arrived, gave us a key to our room and a map of how to find our way around York. She did tell us it would be a 10 minute walk to town…it was actually a 35 minute walk to town and today it was very hot.

We enjoyed just wandering for a bit to start with, then found the tourist office and booked a ride on the sightseeing bus and boat ride. Both these were a relaxing way to learn a bit about the town and catch a little fresh air every now and then.

We walked through town some more, thinking we might see some museums. The two we stopped at- the Viking Museum and York Castle Museum were quite steep in price, and we only had 40 minutes left. We walked up the steps to Clifford’s tower, but again they wanted money we were not willing to pay. Instead, we decided to walk the town wall. This was a great choice and it was interesting looking at the rooftops for a change. The museum gardens were also a great place to wander through and watch all the people out enjoying the late afternoon sunshine on the grass.

We decided to stop and have an early pub tea- a salad each, before heading back on the 35 minute walk home. It was still really hot when we got back, and we were more than ready to put our feet up and relax for a bit.

Brugges and on to Zeebrugge

Monday 23 July

There were no real plans made today except we knew that by about 4pm we would need to be heading towards Zeebrugge to catch the ferry to the Hull, UK. Beware of any advice hotel staff and people working in an Information office tell you. When I asked the question, what was the best way to get to Zeebrugge ferry terminal this morning at the hotel, the woman behind the counter investigated a taxi (for 50 Euro), or a train (leaving every hour at 9 minutes past). We thought the second alternative sounded better, but thought we might (for our first task of the day), just fully check this out (since we had time).

There’s a huge orange building known as the tourist office and also the entertainment centre which we’d seen in post cards. It looked architecturally interesting and also practical, in terms of finalising how we were to travel later in the afternoon. It was certainly getting warm as we walked back along the edge of the canal, and through town in the direction indicated on the map. The woman we spoke to in the new tourist office told us that a bus left from behind the supermarket in front of the station at 5.15 and that we’d need a ticket. She rang P & O, and booked us a ticket and told us we’d be able to pay 17 Euro (for the two of us) at the ferry terminal.

We now felt fairly confident we’d sorted the next stage of our journey. Our next mission was to find the famous De Halve Maan Brewery- famous as it is now in its sixth generation; also Trip Advisor recommended it as a place to visit. We were within 100 meters of the entrance to the brewery when a woman slipped from under her feet, S caught her and slowed her fall, and I was holding her head. She was a little confused, but fortunately a doctor turned up and he was able to check her out for further injury. She seemed to calm down quite quickly, so we left her in good hands and continued on. The tables at the brewery were quite full but a gentleman waved us in and we were soon seated with an English chap who was quite pleased to have some company, while his wife was on the tour. We sat in the sun and drank a glass of beer before our own tour started. The highlight of the tour was the way our guide revealed stories as we travelled up and down the narrow staircases of the brewery. I liked the huge vats, and the story of the cleaners who would stay inside all day scrubbing these and appear wasted at the end of the day, drunk with the fumes despite wearing oxygen masks. What tiny wee holes they had to climbing and out of. The view from the rooftop was also amazingly stunning.

Next stop was the church which housed a statue of Michelangelo’s. We didn’t stay long…but this small Madonna and child was worth seeing.

We bought a coffee and a waffle on the way back to the hotel. The trip to the station was fine, and I had time to choose some food for us from the supermarket to eat on the overnight boat ride. S sat and had a beer by the unmarked bus stop. Within thirty minutes, the crowd of 3 or 4 had grown to well over forty, and we needed to get ourselves in line.

Everything else went really smoothly…the check in to the ferry, our comfortable cabin complete with our own shower, toilet, fruit and tea making facilities. We checked out the facilities, we watched the boat manoeuvre out through the canals and into the English Channel, and then settled down to our light supermarket meal of bread, salami, tomatoes, cheeses and beer.

Brugges

Sunday is a slow start day, and today was no exception. Hotel breakfasts so far have been full of mind-boggling choices- anything from a standard cooked breakfast with bacon, eggs (scrambled or boiled), mini sausages, cheeses of many varieties, fresh cucumber, tomato, chopped capsicum, cereals, fresh fruits, salmon, salami, and breads of many types . There’s always an offer of freshly brewed coffee (which has become a favourite), or tea and choices of fruit juices. After yet another hotel breakfast, we packed our bags and headed for the main station. Don’t trust what the tourist office tells you. After asking the where I should go to buy a train ticket (she told me it was Sunday and ticket offices were closed), I discovered the ticket office was open. Again, another very helpful ticket operator was available to show us where to go and what time our train was expected toleave. On the platform, there was another crowd waiting. We were a bit worried, but it all turned out fine. The conductor showed us where we could store our bags without getting in the way of others, and we settled ourselves to a comfortable hour and a half ride to Brugge.

There is a bus ticket office at the front of the station. By buying return tickets for 1.20 Euro each, we have our transport between the station and our hotel sorted. We also found that we needed to catch one of two buses to our hotel. What a stunning city. I am now going to hand it over to my camera to give you an idea of what we were taken by.

 

We took a walk up the 366 steps of the Belfry in the city hall, now known as the Brugge-museum; this gave us a panoramic view of the city.

We had a ride on a canal boat for under 8 Euro each. Our guide was really helpful in orientating us more to the city. We took a walk through the town’s winding alleys and bridges and fell upon a free harp concert being advertised. Why not? It was well worth the 35 minutes.

We were starting to feel a little peckish. S had noticed an Italian restaurant on the way into town. We found it was quite busy, but this was a sign that it was good. We were patient, and were soon served with our choices. Best choice today? cassata ice-cream. Mmmmm

Antwerp

Friday 20 July

This is another travelling day. We woke to another good breakfast. Cathy had kindly organised for Frank to drop the three of us at the station as the town was now fully closed off for the annual fair and parking was going to be problematic. We drank another Dutch coffee, and soon enough she had bundled us on our train bound for Antwerp. We needed to change trains at Rosendaal. Anyone who has travelled by train in Europe will realise that not every train station is blessed with escalators. So it was at Rosendaal, that we hauled our bags from Platform 1 to Platform 4, Although we arrived at an empty platform, within twenty minutes before the train appeared, the station had become packed with people. By the time the train pulled in we realised we were not going to get on as people were virtually hanging out the doors. Just as the doors were closing, a very kind man on the inside pointed out that another train would be leaving for Antwerp from Platform 1 in three minutes. So it was, we ventured again down a flight of stairs, under the tracks and up another flight of stairs hauling our bags just in time for a far more empty train to Antwerp.

The Linder Hotel is just behind the railway station…but we needed to first feast our eyes first on this amazing Railway building. The railway tracks are stacked four storeys high and the building itself is a wonderful blend of very old and very modern architecture.

After checking in, and finding we had vouchers to spend through town, we decided we would take a walk. Our route took us through the Jewish area, and down the main shopping street. It started to rain so we sheltered under a canopy and sampled our first Belgian waffle. As we walked further into the town and it got wetter and wetter, we decided it might be sensible to take a look through the cathedral. That was an excellent decision. We hadn’t done our homework so hadn’t realised this church was full of paintings by Rubens. Not only that but artwork also by  Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Marten de Vos, and wonderful carvings in both wood and stone.

 

We later walking into a medieval square, we found a bar which was offering us a free beer with another one of our vouchers. We decided to head back after this, stopping at the market for a few nibbles including cheeses, an olive bread, salami and wine.

Saturday 21 July

The Mas is a modern architecturally designed building and Antwerp’s Museum, housing artefacts and stories from her past. I was keen to see this side of town and delve a little into this place I really didn’t know very much about. We were not disappointed by this piece of architecture as shown by the zillions of photos we took.

 
The MAS  has the most extraordinary views from the rooftop. Here's a photo from about the third floor. We climbed to the 10th floor to see the whole town and enjoy views across the whole city.

Inside we discovered the rise of Antwerp in the Middle Ages, the fall from the Spaniards, the rise again with Napoleon and the building of her port during the 19^th century; then her massive destruction at the end of World War 2. This helped in part in understanding the strong contrasts in architecture you see here.

We decided to take a bus ride in the afternoon to a sculpture park advertised in the Mas. This meant a ride to the outskirts of town on a Number 17 bus, and the help of a bus driver to show us which way to walk for the next ten minutes.  The Middleheim Museum, is a huge outdoor museum with both very modern and very old sculpture. The weather had cleared and it was lovely to be out in the fresh air with so many stimulating sculptures.

We headed back to the hotel about 7pm and settled for a meal in and another relatively early night so that we would be prepared for our next adventure!

Tilburg

Wednesday 18 July

Today is another travelling day. This time to Tilburg to see Cathy and Frank. As we were leaving the hotel this morning we met a couple who had arrived the night before and were looking for the nearest tram station. We got talking to them. After making the embarrassing mistake of asking them which part of Australia they were from, we found they were, in fact, West Coast farmers enjoying a few weeks break. Oh well. We were helpful and could show them a few things we had enjoyed during our five day stay,  as we trundled towards Amsterdam Central Station.

It was easy enough to find tickets and the right train. Again we found ourselves travelling through a town we’d seen before. This time Utrecht. We changed trains at some point and didn’t even need to change platforms during a ten minute break. The train that was to pass through Tilburg came on time; perhaps even slightly early.

The Train trundles in ...

Cathy and Frank picked us up in their car and took us to their home on the outskirts of Tilburg- another quite forested area of The Netherlands. We took a walk after lunch through a nearby park. In the centre was a piece of artwork known as the grotto. It’s actually a tearooms, a dark glass structure with impressive reflections of the park which makes it almost disappear. Inside is like a real grotto, a cave-like structure. We stopped and had a coffee and watched the dogs playing for a while. We walked around a pond and headed back along the forest trail.

We settled to a very convivial meal together this evening which both Cathy and their son Mark had prepared. We listened to selections of Diana Krall and Elvis Costello. Later on, we retired to the attic room, conscious of the very narrow and typically Dutch winding staircase. It’s a sweet room with traces of Mark’s passion- his guitars and mixing gear.

Thursday 19 July

We decided today we’d head to the renowned Pont Gallery. It’s a modern art gallery built in an old textile factory. We’d been dropped off early by Frank, so we decided that instead of waiting in the cool wind and showers, we’d head down to a textile museum. What a great idea. Here we found old working looms, spinning wheels, design machines, vats for dyes, samples of carpets, fabrics and blankets and even a modern laser cutter.  Now this factory operates on a smaller scale and also appears to allow volunteers and hobbyists in to design and create their own fabrics and carpets. We came across a man, for example, who was gluing the backing to a mat based on a painting his daughter had drawn when she was five. This was a major factory for blankets between 1910 and 1940 so I guess had a large part to play during both wars. I was particularly impressed by the fineness of the linens so bought a wee souvenir sample.

The Pont Gallery is impressive in quite a different way. We loved the space and the way some of the exhibits interacted with the environment. I've taken a few shots to give an idea.

After two museums, we had worked up an appetite. There was a lovely lunch place where we ate turkey salad (Cathy and me) and seafood salad (S). The weather wasn’t trustworthy enough to sit outside, so we found a window seat which looked out over the deck and large kiwifruit vine.

After lunch we walked towards the centre of town where the setting up of a large fair was in process. Very large. There were people setting up at least two roller coasters, a ferris wheel, a number of merry-go-rounds, a ghost train, dodgems, and many other playground rides; all of which looked rather incongruous against the 400 year old church and various other buildings making up this historic part of town. Cathy lead us to a small van Gogh museum where the artist trained as a young boy. Up another windy Dutch staircase we entered the actual room where he would have sat and learned some basic drawing skills.

Cathy had a last favourite café to show us before we met Frank and headed back “home.” Cathy has suggested pizzas tonight. A great idea. We’re finding things very relaxing and are looking forward to another convivial night in.

More of Amsterdam

Sunday 15 July

We woke in good time, and headed to find the nearest “Politie” (seems polite) station. Julia and Sophie came with us and we waited while Sophie lodged her police report and rang her Bank to report her missing Debit card as well. Everything takes longer than you’d expect, but I can report, that our experience with police in Amsterdam has been a polite one.

We chose the Hermitage as our Museum of choice today to see the Russian collection of the Impressionists. The Hermitage specialises in sharing art from the museum of the same name, at St Petersburg. We weren’t disappointed. There were some gorgeous Monets, portraits by Renior, sculptures by Rodin and I loved Cezanne; however, my choice today was Charles Hoffbauer for his play with light and colour and very art nouveaux style. I could almost hear the music.

After, we found a sunny bar near the Opera House and another canal.

This evening we booked into a private hotel a day early. Sophie and Tim came around and we had a light meal together before retiring to bed.

Monday 16 July

We arranged that Sophie would come around 8am so that we’d be on our way early to Den Haag (The Hague). After a tram to the Central Station, a fifty minute train ride, another 15 minute tram ride and a ten minute walk, we were standing beneath the impressive No.77 Eisenhauerstrass pressing the buzzer and asking to be beamed up to the NZ Embassy. A further 15 minute wait and we were seated in the office. What a nice young man. Sophie had done all the right things and had all the right paper work which made things a lot easier. Going early was the right thing too as we needed to fill in about three hours before it was going to be completed.

We decided to head for the museum. This large building houses a delightful children’s museum downstairs (we skipped this) and a most informative selection of exhibits upstairs; anything from ancient history to the Arctic to children in wartime to animals and sea creatures. We all found something to amuse each of us.

We could have gone to the beach or port but the weather was really miserable and there was a cold wind blowing. Not very summer-like at all!

After a brief visit back to the Embassy to pick up a much needed Emergency Travel document, we reversed our morning trip, and made it back in time to have a quick drink with Sophie and Tim (he was waiting at our hotel on our return), before they headed out to the airport.

S and I found a very reasonably priced take out kebab place down the road and came back to the hotel pretty tired and ready for a quiet night in.

Tuesday 17 July

I realise I have been a bit slack with my photos so today’s blog has more. I should also explain that I don’t have an easy way to download all those photos on my camera so the photos from my  or S’s phone (when I remember) will have to suffice.

I was curious enough today to want to find that book wall I’d posted on my Facebook wall many months ago. It wasn’t hard, just a ride on a Number 7 tram, and there we were! It was nice just seeing a more local part of town, a little away from all the bustle of tourist town.

Next stop was the wonderful Eye building known as the Film Institute. To get to it, we discovered the free bike, motor scooter and pedestrian ferry that travels across the harbour every ten minutes. It’s an easy walk from there to the museum. Inside The Eye (it looks like one too) is a film museum and four cinemas and a magnificent foyer. We were able to go into the building at no cost to see the foyer. We skipped the museum part and headed instead back on the ferry and towards FOAM the fabulous photographic museum. On display was a major exhibition of work by Ron Galella, pioneer of paparazzi photography. The exhibition featured photos of stars including Mick Jagger, Jackie Onassis, Greta Garbo, Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando, Andy Warhol, Sean Penn, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Penélope Cruz and many more.

Galella is famous for his 1972 court case with Jackie Onassis where a restraining order was placed to keep Galella 50 feet away from Mrs. Onassis and 75 feet away from her children at all times. There’s a great film that runs at the exhibition where he talks about the case as well as other aspects of his work.

Check this link to see some of the pictures we saw

                                             
                                                            FOAM

Next stop was some food. We chose an Italian place. Somewhere we could fill up and not worry about eating for hours…it worked! I chose a filling risotto and S chose a mixture of pastas. All very tasty.

There were a couple of places left to see. One was NEMO, the technical museum, its name is short for: New Metropolis Science and Technology. It’s not so much the museum but the building which needed exploring. From a distance it looks like a part of a giant ocean liner. You can walk right over the sloping roof (and we did) where children are playing in a water feature, and parents are seated in deck chairs- rather like a piazza. From the top you can look across the city. It’s a great outlook. Renza Piano designed this. Another outstanding piece of the incredibly diverse modern architecture across this city.

We’ve walked our feet off so have now come back to the hotel to rest, catch up on some sleep, and perhaps repack for tomorrow. 

I’d also failed to mention that first thing this morning we’d found a Laundromat so it’s really nice to have some clean clothes. Now we are looking forward to leaving Amsterdam in search of new adventures.