i have about 9 and a half billion things to say about amsterdam. hmmm…where shall i begin? oh i know! how about with the apple pie? this was my breakfast the other day.
my friend melinda arrives tomorrow from nyc area and the first thing i'm gonna say to her is, "whadda ya wanna try first? apple pancake or apple pie?" then before she can even think about unpacking i'm whisking her out the door to tramp around amsterdam. if she starts getting drowsy i will poke her then ply her with gallons of coffee.
well. i MIGHT show her the ceiling of her bedroom first. maybe. it's the very best part of her room. the rest is a bit more shabby than chic, but i am almost positive she will not care.
my bedroom is next to hers and it's in the very back. at night i can see stars up through the old neglected back garden staircase.
and occasionally men with velvet capes and white frilly neck rolls straight out of rembrandt's the night watch glide up and down the stairs. carrying lanterns!
i'm sure you'll agree the loo has a most unusual flushing mechanism.
but enough about ghosts and toilets! let's go for a stroll in the jordaan.
here's where i had that apple pie. sitting at this window counter.
for the first time since i've been here i didn't wake up to blue skies and sunshine. i actually had to leave the house with my raincoat. usually i just have on a long sleeved shirt and a thin scarf, but today it rained. i was awoken before dawn by lightening and thunder. i leaped out of bed and ran to the tall windows to watch the storm. so thrilling! by noon it was sunny again.
the sunny weather and mild tempteratures have been wonderfully unexpected.
my favorite part of my day is around 11:30 at night. i leave the house and go for a long stroll along the canals. the streetlights shine out across the black canals. there are people out, but it is quieter. i stop and sit on a different bench each night. most of the canals have a bench or 2 in each block facing out toward the water. i make deposits into my memory banks for withdrawal later.
then i come home and sketch parts of the house or things i took photos of earlier in the day. when i get back to LA i'll share my travel journal/ sketchbook. but of course i'll be back with more installments before then.
amsterdam is an easy city to navigate. the central historic canal belt has a small neighborhoody feel to it. solo travelers will feel right at home. all the dutch i've encountered readily speak english once they realize you aren't dutch. people are friendly and helpful. if you've been thinking of taking a maiden voyage to europe by yourself (or with a partner) i think amsterdam would be a perfect place for you. the convenience level is high and exhaustion level is low. which…you know…is v. good for perimenopausal women prone to sudden mood swings. not that i know any of those. nope. not me!
Your wonderful photos bring back so many happy memories of our visits to Amsterdam and the Netherlands. It’s been decades since I was there but so much of it looks exactly the same as I remember it. I wonder, do the garbage men still decorate their trucks with plastic flowers? Can you still buy herring wrapped in a paper cone from street vendors? Thank you, MAM, for allowing us to see it again through your eyes.
I’ve been away several days – taking pictures of frogs, bobbing around in a kayak. And now I’m catching up with all your wonderful pictures and stories. And I’m grinning like the Cheshire Cat! It looks like Angeline shares your love of the color orange. Pie for breakfast – what could be wrong with that?? And a very civilized toilet arrangement. Awful American bathrooms, where one can sit on the “throne,” while propping one’s elbow on the sink and dangling a foot in the tub. Traveling with Mary Ann – all beautiful and wonderful!
” i make deposits into my memory banks for withdrawal later.”
perfect
thank you
Faced with a slice of pie that looked as scrumptious as that one, I’d be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! I love travelling through Amsterdam with you…many thanks for the ride along. Your never fail to amaze us with your gorgeous photos.
The apple pie looks so good, but I love the color and detail in your photos, they are such great fun.
As I prepare to fly home from a wonderful 2 weeks in France, I’m thinking Amsterdam should be my next European vacation. Or maybe Venice?! As usual, your tales of adventure make it all sound so inviting!
You really LIVE life! I’ve been subscribing to your blog for about a year or so and it’s really a joy. You find beauty in simple things. Your pictures are so large and crisp. Your art is so clean and colorful. Thank you for sharing your adventures. (I just felt the need to let you know)
The Dutch tourist board should be paying you big bucks for your accounts of this fabulous area! Certainly made my day tromping along behind you and I even had apple pie on hand! Keep up the good dream.
Perri-whoosa-paws-el? I especially love lux lace curtains in every window. The same in all European homes especially those near
The city shops. Love the hollyhocks sturdy and tall. How about the Jack-in-the-Beanstalk size sunflower that looks as though it
Is growing out of the concrete. Was your coffee brewed or instant.Our daughter lives in Wales and when we visit it’s difficult to
Get brewed coffee. An espresso is just a couple extra packets of instant, ha,ha.
Have you found any specialty paper shops? Will you be bringing Ms. Carol a ceramic goody?
Yes, I am full of questions this morning.
Have a lovely time with Melinda, you may not be able to get her out of that lovely bedroom.
Lots of love.
Oh what nice memories you will have! I haven’t been to A’dam for over 30 years and your posts make me want to go back again next time I travel… drooling over the apple pastries! As always having a fun time traveling with you vicariously!
Have you seen the picture windows in the red light district yet? Or are they a thing of the past as well?
Mary Ann, if you have not yet tried the stroopwafel (sp?), and you like caramel and crunchiness…recommended. And the Van Gogh museum is a different kind of treat.
Enjoy!
What a lovely place and thanks for the pix and info.
So are you going to take home a sample of Amsterdam canal water? Inquiring minds ….
Thank you for another lovely day. What is the best time of year to visit Amsterdam? I’ve now added it to my MUST SEE list.
You are the best tour guide EVER! That’s all, I am speechless at all that beauty. Oh..except for the pie, give me pie for breakfast instead of dessert after dinner anytime.
I hope you find my favourite cafe, in the museum district, with big fancy cakes on every table and kitch kitchen – a silly shop full of silly things – you are making me want to visit again! It’s only a night ferry for me, I could be there tomorrow!! Oh and the markets and that vegetarian resteraunt – the bowler hat …… I must go again soon! Enjoy!
Oh that toilet! And the boat! They are awesome!!!
Again with a houseboat photo. Can’t stand it. Wanna go on one of those houseboats. Even more than I want the dang apple pie.
I need to see England. London. The gardens. The tiles in the bathroom remind me of Ann Frank’s house. They had beautiful tiles and a fancy sink. It surprised me. Her living space looked like a house of good means. I was imagining poverty but it was totally different than what I saw in my mind’s eye. I was in Holland in March and April. Ten days with only one day in Amsterdam. Japan has totally different plumbing. It keeps the thighs wonderfully limber and strong. Of course, they do accommodate us Westerners, though. They drink lots of tea. I consume coffee. Culture is a beautiful thing.
Wow! Another happy day. Thank you!
Dude (ette) : There’s nothing shabby in any corner there . When our family went to Europe many years ago my husband made me and the kids get out of bed after three hours of sleep.. and go outside because we “didn’t come to Europe to sleep” .. and Melinda will thank you.
(I had a flush like that in Brooklyn NY when I was a kid)
The food is making us all drool. The sights are muy cool , and I would definitely tegen de ramen with you if I were there. (and if I had a clue)
I’m currently in the land of giants…Orlando, FL wishing I had a picturesque walk to take. But alas there are only convention centers and huge hotels out my door. I’ll live vicariously through you.
Drats…can’t stop thinking about apple pie and try as I might think eating this apple might help it doesn’t. Love all these photos.
It is so lovely to feel like l am in Amsterdam along with you. Loving the photos and of course your words. Thanks Mary Ann
I WANT THE PIE. NOW, please. A BIG, BIG piece. With coffee….
So happy you are so happy! You are sparkling, Miss MA. You bring such fun to all of us, even those of us who are just twiddling their thumbs, waiting for 24 hours to pass so we can fly to Africa! Yes! Tomorrow! Reading about your adventures in Amsterdam makes the time go more quickly and makes me grateful we peri-menopausal (or maybe post menopausal, just perhaps….) dames voyageur are blessed with the most amazing gift of travel.
Continue to have fun. Continue to keep us informed of all the fun. Sparkle as only you can!
XO
I love travelling along with you…you know which photos to take! It is wonderful how you are passing on the feelings of the place with only photos and entertaining banter! Now I feel like I could love a visit Amsterdam too!
continuing to drool…
It’s always a “find” to hear about someone else’s favorites…..like your 1130 pm nightly stroll to a new bench. Especially for me, since I am deeply asleep at that precious moment.. Dawn and sunrise is more likely my adventure time….. How have the sunsets been? Have fun with Melinda…..tomorrow will be hot 90* F in the mid-Atlantic region. Holly
I love apple pie for breakfast. Historically pies were savory pastries and it was quite acceptable to have pie for breakfast. Cheers and here’s to more pie.
Am loving your adventure posts. thanks
Hugs,
Catherine
that pie is making my mouth water. OMG Your strolls sound so inviting and your photos make me feel like I’m almost there enjoying the views right along side you. I’m feeling pretty lucky knowing I’m tagging along inside your cozy pocket. Please drop a few crumbs in from that pie. I’m just a wee bit hungry.