Amsterdam

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The train to Amsterdam was good and easy. Cruised through France and Belgian all hooked to our iPods and arrived in this wonderful city late afternoon. Everyone was tired. No wifi but I discovered that the pub over the road has wifi so that is where I am. Very civilized sitting on the edge of a canal with a glass of Portugese red wine. Had dinner at the pub the first night as it was about as far as anyone could move (and I took Ken and Kates order and they came over when it was ready).
Yesterday wanted in towards the centre. Its very beautiful, more so than I expected. Masses and masses of bicycles - never seen so many anywhere. Best bit was the Hermitage Museum which is recently opened and has a huge display of things from the Hermitage from the era of the last Tsars. There are two huge rooms set up one with costumes for a ball and the other costumes for a formal presentation to the Tsar. Lots of paintings, shoes, toys all sorts of beautiful things. Ken liked it but the girls and I loved it. Dinner on the way home - Italian, very good, unfortunately not Dutch but we were at the stage of “the next place we come to that looks ok will be it”!

Today I went for a walk to a market while the others mucked around in the apartment. Then we all went for a walk annd the girls and I did a canal bike thing (boat that you pedal) itt was a good compromise between biking (tricky especailly with Lucy) and a canal boat ride. Lots of fun - and I was the worst at steering according to Sarah. Then a big walk through the city ending with a tram ride and dinner at what is apparently one of the few restaurants in Amsterdam selling traditional Dutch food. althought it was in quite a touristy area they said they were always about 50% local people and we arrived in perfect timing as there was soon a queue waiting at the door for a table.

Tomorrow we will go to the Rijn and Van Gogh museums which are very close to us, before a late flight to Korea.

Again, no photos.

See you all in Wellington soon.

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