Amsterdam

August 22, 2009 Saturday
Amsterdam

I remembered to set the alarm last night so we got up at a decent hour and got on the road. Today was our longest driving day of the entire trip and Don didn’t sleep all that well last night so he wasn’t looking forward to the drive. Of course, he wouldn’t even consider allowing me to drive!!

I had forgotten about the European bedding and how difficult it is to manage. They use a bottom sheet but no top sheet---just a HUGE comforter that is stuffed into a pillow case like cover. And it is VERY warm. I feel quite certain that you could easily survive a -50 degree temperature with one of these coverlet’s and I’m not sure what one is supposed to do with them in the summer. Our friend Jake just swears by these things but I’m not sure how he copes. I find that I stick out a leg or an arm for a while and then that gets cold so I have to twist around and stick something else out. If I stay under the cover, I wind up in a puddle of sweat and feel like a drowned rat. Eventually I’ll again acclimate myself to them but it takes me a while to get them figured out so I can get a good night’s rest.

The weather is just perfect and we had an uneventful drive. The toll road that we were on for a short time cost €14.60. That’s about $20 US. These folks just do not mess around with tolls!! And parking is similarly priced. We paid € 15 per nite in Paris and will pay € 20 per nite here. There just isn’t anyplace to park on the streets and our car is marked as a tourist car because it has a bright RED license plate and those are reserved for folks with buy back cars!! We’ve been very fortunate that we have not had a break in to our car but we aren’t going to take unnecessary chances. Last year we didn’t know what the red license meant and ignorance was bliss but now we know and we’ve been warned that these plates target cars.

We got in to the same hotel where we stayed last year and it is like being home!! They didn’t have our same room but it is very similar and we are happy. The shower is like totally HUGE in comparison to the one in Paris……as is the room.

We walked down to the large town square and found a very nice place for dinner. The Dover Sole was to die for!! Then we wandered back with an ice cream cone in hand and we are stuffed and ready for good nights sleep!

In the middle of the town square are two structures that are about 5 feet tall and divided into 4 distinct quadrants. In each quadrant is what looks like a funnel. When I first looked at them I was mildly puzzled…..and then I looked again and there were two men in two different quadrants urinating!! Ah, the freedom and openness of Europe…and we haven’t even hit Scandinavia!!!

Tomorrow we are going to wander around the city because this is one of our favorite places.