Lost days on blog!

Can't even rely on blogger!!! Seems to have lost Day 1, & was unable to post Day 2 - so will try again, hopefully with photos!

Brain not functioning yet! But wanted to start on this, before it gets “lost”!

With hindsight Amsterdam was probably not the best place to start this saga after a long haul flight!

However, here I am, a bit shell-shocked, weary, in pain, but very excited on another level!

1^st a quick commendation to my ‘favourite’ airline. I lurve Singapore Airlines!!! In Sydney,had I known  they would have me wait in the 1^st class lounge - complete with smoked salmon sandwiches *grin* - , I need not have tried to while away the time outside - trying to avoid smokers!! But then too, I would not have had the bizarre experience of  a friend of Gill's  nearly scaring me half to death honking her horn @ me, having just dropped her son off!!!

Flying to  Singapore, I might have thought I was in Business Class if I hadn’t known otherwise! Front of Economy with all the leg room 1 could want, & the use of the 1^st class loo!! YAY!! Over the top with assistance!! Not quite as good with seating for the really long flight, but still the use of the loo!! Couldn’t eat the food, but no real problem as was prepared for that eventuality!

I bravely - I think - caught the ordinary route bus from Schipol to Museumplein, but you might have rolled about laughing if you could have seen me trying to negotiate my 1^st road crossing! Not just the tram tracks tipping my case & getting my cane caught in them, but traffic coming from everywhere in all directions it seemed! I thought I knew about the bikes, but no, I was not prepared for the volume, or the law that seems to govern them in relation to pedestrians i.e. they do what they like complete with talking on mobiles, girls wearing stilletto heels, & I even realised a boy was playing Nintendo or something riding along!!

Thanks to Google Earth I was able to find my accommodation - not plush by any means, but adequate. Mind U I was given a bum steer by a builder, but I was so convinced I was right……. I was, but it was a great help to have E-B’s beautifully written suitcase label, since I couldn’t pronounce the street!!

Managed to get in to the free lunchtime recital in the small hall of the Concertgebouw so @ least I can say I went there! Later on I finally found a canal - no not by falling in to it - & went on an hour long cruise! So I can tick that box also! Tried to get a tram back, but in my haze of pain & exhaustion couldn’t find the stop etc.

The boy in a café thought I was really weird when I asked for cheese, but in the end I found the underground supermarket (had gone past it 2ce but didn’t realise it) & pigged out for tea!!

Amsterdam - Day 2

Walked myself into the ground today, but worth every ounce of energy etc.! Started off catching 2 trams to get to the Hortus Botanicus, which is the oldest Botanic Gardens in the world. The tram driver did the vague “over there” thing, so I headed for trees!! Interesting when bells ring ahead & suddenly the road goes up in the air ahead - when I didn’t even realise I was about to cross a canal!!!!

The trees turned out to be Wertheim park - where there is a memorial for the Dutch Jews - & beautiful old trees, but on giving up on finding the Bot. Gdns., I finally found what I just thought was a big house/garden was it!!!! Really fascinating & peaceful, thanks for that tip-off & the Orangerie coffee shop was a delight also!!

Photo of butterflies meant to be inserted here, But don't know how to do that.

Then walked to Rembrandt’s house (I do find crossing roads very difficult here) which was equally fascinating in a very different way

& on heading for the Oudrkerk & thence to the Nieuwkerk - which was closed, having taken in various other places en route, including accidentally a bit of the Red Light district, & yes, the girls really do “display their wares” in “shop” windows (was given directions by an American guy as an easy short-cut when merely asking which way on the map I was facing!!!) & also saw the outside of the Palace when walking through the Dam.

I have discovered that if there are no bikes chained up beside a canal, chances are there is no way of knowing where the pavement ends & the canal begins, so am  pretty wary as well as weary.

Did choose the location of my hotel well as it is easy to find being near the Museumplein, down from the
 
It’s an incredibly interesting city extraordinary architecture, but far too many people for my liking, & the traffic is really difficult as it comes from every which way & cars do not always stay on roads! They go up & over median strips & on pavements, bikes are often going in the opposite direction to main traffic, & scooters & motor cycles (YIKES!) are also zooming along bike ways!! T’would be much easier to visit here with someone who not only can see to read signs etc. but with whom to share it’s fascinations.Rijksmuseum , & Van Gogh museum (which I will get to tomorrow) so even when people don‘t know the Concertgebouw they know these places.

An exhausting 3rd day

Walked to Anne Frank's hiding house, thence to the Nieuwkerk

& after getting lost yet again with everything hurting went to the Rijksmuseum  & just scrapped in too the Van Gogh museum just as my IAmsterdam card was running out, & only just managing to stay upright.

Sadly I haven't managed to get to the other places of interest that I wanted to - but them's the breaks.

I hasten to Delft tomorrow with no prospect of assistance from the railway there, but do have for the changes of trains.