Monday 29th March and Tuesday 30th March 2004
Hullo
The Soccer Pre-Game-Party-Night went off without a hitch last night although it wasn't really a party - just people picking up their shirts and tickets.
I told everyone that they had to be there last night or arrange someone to pick up their stuff so that I wasn't trying to get tickets and shirts to people tonight when I just want to go to the game and have a good time.
They all rocked up and it was good.
A few folks bought me a beer
and all money is paid off my credit card - or will be when I go to the bank....but at least I have it all!
There was 11 off us there as a few folks from the hostel had Johnathon pick up their stuff but it is all organised.
BTW - the shirts are really cool and very very very yellow!!
Apparently we are sitting behind one of the goals so you shouldn't be able to miss us.
You must make sure you tape the game to have a look for us....wouldn't mind you chucking that on a video for us too!
I am really looking forward to tonight.
The weather is good and this afternoon should be about 16 degrees which hopefully means a nice warmish night.
It is also good that daylight saving has started as it is lighter until later.
Tanya.
Wednesday 31st March 2004
Last night was on a par with Australia Day which I have said is the most fun that I have had here so far!
Australia won which was awesome and we all had a ball
#
Well last night was awesome!
I was excited all day at work.
I went and got changed at about 5.15pm so I could leave right on 5.30pm.
Caught the train to Hammersmith and the bus to Shepherds Bush.
Got to the Walkie and found our group.
The Walkabout was packed
and no one even looked twice at me dressed in my bright yellow shirt, aussie hat and scarf and wearning my Australian flag as a cape!
I wasn't the only one!
We had a few beers and headed down to the Staduim
It was only about a 10 minute walk but if you didn't know where to go you just had to follow the crowd - the streets were overflowing!
We were so close to the game and had really good seats about 7 rows back right in the middle of the Fanatics area
The teams were warming up but it was a bit dark to get any good team photos
The teams ran out and there was a really loud cheer
They did the SA National Anthem first and then ours.
It is really cool to have everyone sing as loud as they can.
The game started and there was a guy in front of us with a trumpet and he was playing Waltzing Matilda and the anthem and we were all singing and then we scored!
Yay!
Then the trumpet guy got ejected just for playing his horn.
They eventually let him back in but kept his trumpet...not very nice.
But we did let them have it by singing "You are a wanker" and "You fat bastard" - like you hear on the cricket but you can't always hear what they are saying on the telly!
Very funny.
We sang and cheered and were basically patriotic yobbos!
The game was just like you see on the TV
and everytime we got close to scoring again we all stood up and then there was a big "Awww" when we missed!
There was lots of cheering when the Sth African's missed too - yes Mum, we are bad sports!
Harry Kewell is mighty fine close up and Mark Viduka is not bad either - a bit of square face but I could handle that.
They went off about 10 minutes into the second half.
After the game finished the team came down to our end and gave us a big cheer/clap
and then we headed back to the Walkabout.
I walked in and walked straight out again - far too packed...
I ran into Tamara and Jonathon outside and we walked home...it only took about 20 minutes.
Jonathon was quite excited that we were walking over the Thames - he is like me and still walks around with a grin on his face giggling to himself that he is in London!
Tamara went home and Johathon and I went to the Porterhouse for a pint.
Then it was home to bed.
A lot of people thanked me for organising the night last night and I even got two emails saying what a good night they had...
it was nice and I am glad it all came off.
It was such fun.
Anyway...gonna list my photos tonight and probably send them on the weekend...
Probably going to Tower Bridge on Saturday or Sunday.
The weather is really lovely here at the moment - hopefully it stays nice for the weekend.
Tanya.
Saturday 3rd April and Sunday 4th April 2004
Saturday morning
I rang Dad and wished him a Happy "12th" Birthday!
I was actually surprised that he was up because it was 8.00pm at home in Cairns!
Then I went and put my money down on "Le Coudray" (The Grand National Steeplechase) but I think that horse must run and jump like a Coudrey cause it came nowhere
Never mind!
Caught the tube to Tower Hill Station and met Amanda and Stafford.
I thought that it was quite expensive to get in to the Tower of London - £13.50
Anyway, I expected just a Tower but you will see from postcard that the area it covers is huge
There was a lot of people and we skipped the tour and wandered around with our maps.
The first place we went was the Medieval Palace which was built in the reign of Henry I in 1272.
From the windows in the Medieval Palace I saw the Tower Bridge properly for the first time
...kind of was like when I saw Big Ben I guess but it is so big and looks just how you think it should look.
Was surprised that it was blue though
Anyway I soon got used to that!.
There were ravens everywhere
The map said that one of the Kings was superstitious and said that if the ravens left the monarchy would fall
We also saw some in cages.
I guess that is one way of keeping them around!
There was so many people strolling around eating picnics or following the Beefeaters on the tours of the place.
Then we went into the White Tower which is the building right in the middle
It housed the armoury.
It was awesome.
I loved looking at the old armour of the knights and the weapons - old wooden shields and spears.
I saw the armour of King Henry VIII
He was a great big tall fat dude and his "package" was very big as well - he really has to have been kidding!
But he was King and could do what he wanted.
I also saw horse armour on a model horse with a knight in full gear on it too
Then I saw a lance that the knights used when jousting (think of Heath Ledger in the movie "A Knights Tale").
It is over nine feet long - how they held it, rode the house in full gear and tried to knock the other bloke off his horse while staying on theirs is beyond me.
Another floor of the White Tower housed the guns!
Lots of and lots of guns!
I took some photos so Dad could see but they were amazing...so old as well.
Then the Jewel House which is the reason I wanted to go in the first place
(even though I think the Knights room was the best after being there).
The jewellery was amazing.
The crowns and goblets and platters and spoons and the gold coronation gown were incredible.
Had to go into a massive strong room - the steel doors looked pretty strong.
We got on a little conveyor belt and went by the crowns.
We weren't allowed to take photos but I got one of the Crown of India as there wasn't a security guard around.
And I saw the Queen Mum's Crown...oh - she was so lovely!
I can't even begin to imagine how much it was all worth.
We had our photo taken with a Beefeater
He was cool and had a little curly moustache.
Anyway - we saw a sign for the scaffold site
We joked a bit about why there was a sign for scaffolding and then saw that it was the site where the executions took place.
Anne Boleyn was executed there as were a few other of Henry VIII wives...we reckon that maybe they threatened to tell that his 'willy' wasn't quite as big as his armour made out so they lost their heads!.
We went into the Torture Chambers and saw the tools used during torture.
They didn't look like much fun.
There was the manacles (where you hung from your hands) and the rack
The one I didn't like was the vice that you knelt down and folded the body like a concertina and they fastened a metal ring around you so you were stuck doubled up
Not nice.
We then went into the tower where the prisoners were kept before their execution
They had made carvings like graffiti into the walls.
They were covered in glass so you couldn't touch them but you could see that some had carved their names and others their family crests.
It was pretty cool.
Traitors Gate was nearby
They didn't parade the upper class or royalty through the streets when they were in trouble.
They took them by boat on the Thames to Traitors Gate.
You could see the entrance from Tower Bridge
We walked along the side of the Thames to the Bridge
We found a Hagen Daas shop so me and Amanda had a hot chocolate and Stafford had icecream...very strange cause it was cold.
We could look out the window at the Bridge
It reminded me of having coffee in Paris and looking at the Eiffel Tower.
We went up the Tower - it was only £4.40.
The views were great and I can't believe how close Canary Wharf is where I used to work
Then we went down to the engine room
The big boilers that drive the bridge are very cool.
Anyway, got some great photos.
The Gherkin is a building that doesn't quite fit the London skyline but it certainly stands out
I even saw a little beach and took a photo
I went out on Saturday night with Karen and Ellie and Jason to a pub in Parsons Green
There was a dog running around in the bar waiting for his owner
It was quite funny and no one seemed to mind.
Got a photo of that too!
On Sunday I met Amanda and we went to Camden Markets
She needed to do some shopping so I went with her and yes I did shop too.
Just a nice cream corduroy jacket and a new scarf.
I think am addicted to scarves...this one is a pashmina.
We had lunch at a nice vegetarian restaurant in Covent Garden next to Hair by Fairy - mum you would love this restaurant.
Then it was on to the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square to see the Cecil Beaton Exhibition
He took lots of photos of royals and society people and Hollywood stars.
The pictures were all black and white and lovely.
I loved the shots of the society ladies from the 30's and the movie stars.
The black and white shots of Marilyn Munro, Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, etc, were all fantastic.
Then we went to the Square and had a drink and sat on the fountain.
After all our walking during the two days of sightseeing and stuff we were stuffed so it was home to chill out a while.
Thats all folks.
Bye.
Tanya.
Tuesday 6th April 2004
Tuesday morning.
Just saying 'hi'.
Feel like I am getting a cold which is no good for my holiday (Holland)
Just "one-more-sleep"!
I packed last night so I am going to have an early night tonight.
Have a half day tomorrow.
Then home to change,
then back on the tube to Liverpool St Station (30-40 mintues)
and then the train to Stanstead airport (45 minutes)
And then on the plane!
YAY!
Tanya.
Friday 9th April 2004
Just a quick one to say "hi" from Holland!
Having a good time - love this place - wanna live here but can't speak the language!
Everything is so beautiful.
Did a boat cruise and did the Anne Frank House today.
Off to shower and get ready to do the red light district tonight.
Love you
Tanya.
Wednesday 7th April to Sunday 11th April 2004
HOLLAND
Wednesday 7th April 2004
I left work at 12.45pm and went home.
I had packed already so I just showered and had some lunch and then caught the tube to Liverpool Street station.
There I had to catch the Stansted Express to Stansted Airport.
I was a bit early because I didn’t know how long it would take but I checked in and went through security and got a coffee and a magazine and watched the planes take off.
Easy Jet, the airline that I flew with, doesn’t allocate seats
You just get on the plane and pick your own.
I got a window seat which was nice.
You don’t get served food either.
I thought I recognised a lady on the plane as being from TV or something like that.
Then the announcement went over that there was a BBC crew on board.
They didn’t do any filming though that I saw.
Once we were up in the air we were basically on the way down again.
The flight lasted 40 minutes which I thought was quite funny as it took be about a hour and a half to get from my house to the airport!
I met a nice Australian lady in baggage collection and neither of us knew where to go so between us we managed to get the train and into Amsterdam without too much trouble.
I then pulled out my directions from the train station to the hostel.
I had to take a tram to a particular stop in the city.
The driver was very helpful and stopped and called out that it was my stop for me otherwise I would have been a bit lost.
It was a short walk then to the hostel and I checked in
It was about 11.00pm by the time I got organised.
I was in a mixed dorm and there are lockers in the hostel too.
I quite liked it as we all got a locker so all our bags were in the lockers and we basically just slept in the rooms.
It was handy particularly when people got up early to leave that they weren’t rustling through plastic bags and zipping zips at all hours.
It was all done outside the room.
The hostel has a bar so I went down and had a pint at the bar.
I met two very nice American guys - Skyler and Noah.
They weren’t travelling together but I think they both spent a bit of time at the bar.
They were quite friendly with the bar staff too so I chatted to everyone for a little while.
Thursday 8th April 2004
I got up bright and early (with a bit of headache from the three pints and no dinner) but I couldn’t let that stop me - I had things to do.
I got everything packed and showered etc and had breakfast.
Brekky was included which is very handy.
I then walked to the train station which isn’t far.
It was a lovely walk by the canals through a little square and more canals to the station which is very beautiful but very busy with trains and trams and buses everywhere!
I brought my ticket to Rotterdam which only took about an hour to get to.
I was quite excited to go by fields of daffodils and hyacinths - very pretty.
I again had instructions to the hostel and again everyone was very helpful with directions and tram stops.
I checked in to the hostel and told the receptionist I wanted to go to see the windmills - that was basically the reason that I went to the Rotterdam actually.
She handed me a printed piece of paper that has directions from the hostel, giving train lines and metro and bus numbers.
I guess they get a lot of people wanting to go there.
I headed off straight away.
It took me about an hour to get there and the bus driver was helpful again dropping me right where I needed to go.
The windmills were absolutely fantastic
There are 19 of them in the Kinderdijk and they are just beautiful
They are old and in such a beautiful place next to the water I really felt like I was in another world.
I will admit to having a pretty silly grin on my face walking down the path in the middle of two canals with windmills of either side thinking “I am in Holland with storybook windmills all around me!”
Pretty lame I know but I really couldn’t help it.
I could see a storm coming across and I had my brolly ready
There is a working windmill that you can go in and climb up
Just as I was crossing the bridge to get to it started to rain
It got really windy and then it started to hail!
I quickly paid for my ticket and ran inside
It was quite interesting seeing bedrooms and kitchens and bathrooms inside the windmill but they are much bigger than I expected them to me.
In fact, many of the windmills in this area are people’s homes.
Such a lovely place to live.
I came out of the windmill and it was sunny again.
By the time I finished wandering there was still an hour to wait for the next bus back to Rotterdam so I went for a walk and found a little pub and had a pint and some chips and then took the bus back.
I got back to the hostel and was a bit stuck as to what to do.
Rotterdam is a fairly modern city and it was flattened during the war and I didn’t really want to do much else except see the windmills.
There was also two under 12 Irish boys soccer teams in the hostel and they had basically taken over the place.
I was sitting in the lounge area writing about the windmills and I saw a notice for the Euromast
It is a tower in Rotterdam that is 185 meter high and you can climb it and get great views of the city and the harbour which is apparently one of the largest in Europe
The tickets at reception are cheaper than at the ticket office so I brought one and headed off.
It was only about a 10 minute walk.
I took the lift up about 2/3 of the way and it was a great view.
I could see another storm coming over too so my photos are quite good with the black sky
I didn’t know you could go higher but then some doors opened behind me and I went into a little pod type thing
It was completely dark with fairy lights on the floor and ceiling.
Then it started to go up and all of a sudden we were in the open - sort of, there was glass all around the walls and on the floors.
The pod was spinning around so I just took my seat on the comfy couch and got great 360 degree views of the city.
They have a great bridge there
I don’t know what it is called but I really like it and got some good photos of it
I went up in the little pod twice because the view was so great.
It hailed a bit while I was up there too
On the way back to the hotel I walked through Heg Park which was nice as well.
Lots of greenery and water
I had dinner at the hostel and talked to some of the soccer coaches for a while.
It was quite hard to understand them - their accents were very strong.
There was a soccer match on telly between an English and a Dutch club team so we all sat down at watched that.
It took me about five minutes to realise that the commentary was in Dutch.
We just heard the crowd noise and fast speaking commentators.
The Irish guys brought me a few beers and then I went to bed as I was heading back to Amsterdam early the next morning.
Friday 9th April 2004
I got up and packed and had breakfast - included again - with two of the Irish guys who were up that early.
Back to the train station and on the train to Amsterdam.
When I was walking back to the hostel I saw Skyler in the street.
I asked where he was going and he said that he was going to see the flower gardens.
I asked if he would be around that night and if he was I wanted to hear if they were worth going to see.
I had seen them advertised but didn’t want to use up half a day by going out there if there wasn’t much to see.
He said that he would let me know.
I checked back in to the hostel and then decided what to do next.
I headed straight to the Anne Frank House
It was a bit of walk and the line was around the corner but I waited anyway.
There was no way that I was going to miss that
It was definitely worth the wait.
The house was empty but so small
They had plaques on the walls with parts of the book on them describing the room we were in - first was her father's business - ie offices and storage rooms
and then when I came to the bookcase that had the secret annex behind it my heart really jumped
I had read the book and even though you know it is a true story it is still a story.
This made it very real.
I climbed the stairs and walked between rooms and then I came to the room that Anne had lived in
The pictures of movie stars she had put on the walls were still there.
They were covered in glass but she had put them there.
I brought postcards of those two spots - the bookcase and her room as they affected me the most.
I am very glad I had read the book before going there.
I then walked back towards the centre of town stopping off for French fries and mayonnaise on the way - I am sure you have seen "Pulp Fiction"
I went to a place called the Begijnhof
It is a lovely little garden surrounded by houses that used to be a convent
It dates back to 1465 at least.
I saw the oldest wooden house in Holland which is dated at 1465
It was quite strange to walk through a small alley with the hustle and bustle of the tourist area behind you and then be in this very quiet place with beautiful houses and sweet little gardens but still be right in the middle of town.
I then headed back in the general direction of the hostel and walked through a small book market which was full of old books (I couldn’t ready most of them) and then through the flower market
The flowers were everywhere and so many colours.
It was a bit touristy with souvenirs there as well.
There was walls and walls of clogs and magnets and tulips
We weren’t supposed to take photos but of course I did but I did also buy
I bought some tiny clogs and a little ashtray with a marijuana leaf in it saying “Its legal in Amsterdam” on it.
They go with my mini Eiffel Tower that I have on my computer at work.
I was walking back to the hostel for a coffee and a rest as I had quite sore feet and walked past a canal cruise company
It was only cheap so I jumped on
The cruise went for about an hour and we went past some beautiful sites - the 17th Century Skinny Bridge, 7 Arched Bridges in a row, the Mayors House, the Twin Sisters which both have the exact same neck gables, the smallest canal in Amsterdam, lovely buildings, the smallest house in Amsterdam that is one metre wide
Apparently the houses were taxed on frontage so the skinner the better.
It was also pointed out that as the stairways and doors were so small every house had a furniture hook on the outside so that moving can be done in and out of windows
There were some houses in a row that were all very crooked and leaning and I got some great photos of those too
Apparently one car a week also goes in to the canals so some of the edges have little barriers but many of them don’t.
We went out in the harbour area which to me seemed like the ocean but it was the North Sea Canal
There were big ships going past and it was a bit rough in our little boat.
I thought it was quite funny that the canals were just like streets in that they had no parking and give way signs.
There was also reversing mirrors at one place
We also went past the back of Central Station which has been in use since 1889 and was built on a man made island.
After the cruise I walked back to the hostel for a bit of a chill out.
I sat in the bar and had a coffee and wrote in my diary until it got a bit darker.
Then I headed out to the main tourist strip between Central Station and Dam Square
I sat for a while in front of the Royal Place and took some nice photos of that area
A guy came up and asked me to take a photo of him in front of this building.
I said 'Oh the Royal Palace?'
He asked how I knew what it was called and I said because I have a guidebook.
That is the way I found out about everything.
Read a book and ask at the hostel.
He didn’t know what a hostel was either.
How some people get around I don’t know.
How could you got to a city like that and not have a basic plan of attack?
I then walked down towards the station and visited a few tourist shops - everything was just the same.
There were heaps of restaurants and I ended up having Italian.
It was really nice.
I kept on towards the station and got a great photo of it at night - it is very beautiful
I went to the Sex Museum and I thought it was a big waste of time.
There was nothing exciting and it was all just pictures and totems etc.
Glad it was only cheap because it was quite lame!
Walked back towards the Square and had a look at the Palace a night which was lovely as well and went back to the hostel.
I went to the bar and ran into Skyler.
I asked him about the gardens and he said that there was so many flowers it wasn’t funny.
I am going tomorrow!
Saturday 10th April 2004
I got up early and headed to the station to catch the train to Leiden.
It was quite surreal being out as it was very misty over the canals and the houses.
It was a lovely walk to the station.
I then had to catch a bus to Lisse which is where the Keukenhof gardens are
I bought my ticket at the hostel because you get a discount.
On the train on the way there we went past bulb fields.
Mostly daffodils and hyacinths
I could see tulips in the distance but not really close up.
The bus to the gardens went through more bulb fields.
There were two American ladies behind me who kept taking photos with a flash through the window which I thought was a massive waste of time because we would be at the gardens in a few minutes and then she could snap away to her hearts content!
There were flowers everywhere - tulips, tulips and more tulips!
There were some viewing platforms that looked over the bulb fields and I got some more photos of that
There was a windmill that I went in but it wasn’t real - I know because I had been to real ones!
Anyway outside the windmill there was a set of big clogs that everyone was having their photos taken in so I did as well
It is really a funny shot but I like it.
I wandered around for ages snapping photos here and there and even got some taken of me
Everyone is very nice when it comes to helping out that way.
I was sitting down watching a family in the gardens.
There were two little girls playing near the water trying to get a duck to come over to them.
The next moment the younger girl fell in and started screaming - her mother was trying the pull her out but she was slipping.
The sister was rolling on the ground laughing really hard and the father was yelling and her to stop.
The mother eventually go the daughter out by the hair and while all this was going on I was trying to get my camera out but I missed the shot.
It would have been a cracker!!
There was a clog maker in the gardens too
He has been to the world championships every year since about 1974.
He had made Sunday best clogs, and high heeled clogs and even ice skate clogs with the blade down the middle.
He carved my name into a piece of clog wood and carved a tulip on it too and gave it me.
A nice souvenir!
It was such a big place that every time I turned around I was in a new place with new flowers
There is was an orchid display and a Japanese garden and a big lake with big stepping stones in it
I walked across them but was terrified of being pushed in by running and jumping children so I only did that once.
I was hungry and had sore feet from walking so I brought a hot waffle coated with icing sugar and sat by the lake and ate it and then went and got the bus and train back.
I stopped at the hostel for a coffee and a rest and decided to go to a diamond factory.
There was one advertised in the hostel so I headed that way.
I ran into Noah in the street and he asked what I was up to.
I said I had spent the morning surrounded by flowers and now I was going to see diamonds - a perfect day for a girl!
He laughed and asked what I was up to that night.
I said that I wanted to do a canal cruise at night and he said to let him know what I found and he would come with me.
Anyway the diamond place advertised by the hostel was crap - it was basically just a shop and I wasn’t buying.
I walked past another one and went in there.
That was much better.
The girl was great and had lots of say and we saw diamond cutters working and then we went and had a look at jewellery.
I tried on a ring that was worth 6,684 euro.
Very nice but the woman was trying her little heart out to sell it to me.
As if!
I went back to the hostel and had dinner in the bar and a drink too.
I asked at reception about a cruise and they said that the one I went on yesterday was a good one.
The last boat didn’t leave until 10.00pm.
I told Noah when I saw him and he said that he would come.
When it got dark which wasn’t until about 9.00pm we headed down.
It was lovely.
I didn’t take my camera - I just sat and floated by.
Noah asked me if I had been to one of the coffee shops yet and I said that I hadn’t.
I was bit nervous about going on my own as the places were not very inviting and I had no idea what I was doing!
He said that he would take me if I wanted after the cruise.
Yes please.
Really I couldn’t not if I was in Amsterdam!
The place was quite nice…chill out music and low lighting and big cushions all over the floor.
I don’t think I need to spell out what we did there' do I Mum?
When in Rome…
Anyway we got back to the hostel in time for last drinks at the bar and then I went to bed.
Tomorrow I was going home.
Sunday 11th April 2004
I got up and packed up my gear and checked out.
The hostel has a day locker facility so I didn’t have to cart my case around with me all day which was good.
I organised my bike hire and Van Gogh Museum ticket at the hostel because again it is cheaper and headed to the bike shop.
I got my bike which was quite old fashioned with back pedal brakes - not on the handle bars - but you will see that in the photos
I rode straight to the Van Gogh Museum because I had heard that the line is massive and it was
I happened to see a sign that said if you had pre-purchased tickets you didn’t need to line up - handy!
It was only small and it was in a pretty boring building too but it didn’t matter.
I went and stood in front of “Sunflowers” for about five minutes.
It was quite amazing.
Right next to Sunflowers was “The Bedroom” which I now really like as well.
They are really nice paintings.
However my new favourite painting of the moment is by Monet who I love anyway.
It is called “View of Pins Hendrikkade and Kromme Wall in Amsterdam” - bit of a mouthful but it is a perfect picture of the way I see Amsterdam.
I bought postcards of that one to keep.
It was lovely.
Reminded me of the morning I was up early and it was misty.
After that I rode to the Heineken Brewery
There is no beer actually brewed there anymore as they moved to a bigger place just outside Amsterdam but they have tours.
My guidebook said that it was a waste of time but a few people at the hostel said that I should go as it is actually good so I went and I am glad that I did.
The tour is very modern - one of my favourite bits was looking at all of the old TV commercials.
About halfway through there is a bar and your ticket has a voucher on it to get a glass of beer so I did.
After that you go into the technology room where I sent the video and the picture from.
Then there is more history and information about how they make beer.
Once you get to the end there is the shop and another bar.
I went into the shop and brought a bottle opener but I did really like the t-shirts.
Anyway I went into to the bar and had another beer - there were two left to have!
I then went back into the shop cause I really liked the shirts and I brought it!
It is green and very cool.
Back to the bar for my last beer and my free gift
You get a Heineken glass the same as the ones that you get in pubs but this one has on the back “Heineken Experience Amsterdam”
You can only get them there so it is another nice souvenir
Then it was back on the bike for another hour of riding around before my time was up!
I rode back past the Anne Frank house and around the back streets looking at the beautiful canal houses
It was lovely and a nice way to end my trip.
Then it was back to the hostel to collect my bags and take the tram to the train station and then the airport.
The sun was out when we took off and the scenery was beautiful.
The coast line with the blue sky and blue water looked just like home but I bet it was really really really cold!
The views of the bulb fields when I was flying out were gorgeous as well.
So much colour.
I landed and got home at about 7.00pm Sunday night with Easter Monday to recover before going back to work.
I had a fantastic time and got another stamp in my passport.
Next stop Turkey!
Tuesday 13th April 2004
I am home and at work - blah.
Would rather be back in Amsterdam
It was such fun...
So many flowers and windmills and beautiful houses.
Gonna start "My Diary" at lunch time today.
I think it will take about three days to put it all together!