Amsterdam Day one & two

Amsterdam Day one & two

Our first day in Amsterdam started when we arrived at the Amsterdam airport Shiphol with a very red sunrise at 6:30am. Once we got to Central Station and after a coffee and a croissant, we decided to explore the streets that eventually, after a few lost and confused moments looking into the canals, brought us to our hotel, the De Lantaerne. Four hours had to be filled in before we could book in to the room. Without our bags it was a good time to explore the neighborhood. Just around the corner was the Stadsschouwburg and the Leidse Plein, a large outdoor place for eating and drinking until the early hours of the next morning. The narrow streets around this occupied over a hundred Italian, French, Greek and other international restaurants, cafes and bars. After a meal and a few drinks we went back to the hotel and checked in, freshened up and had a rest. Later we went back to the Leidse Plein a waited for Dave who arrived at about 6pm from Utrecht.

It was so good to finally meet up with him. He looked well, relaxed and as excited to see us as we did him. After much talking, sharing stories, laughing and drinking we succumb to a much needed sleep.

Our first true continental breakfast was followed by formulating a plan for the next few days. David and Tim then went off to the Museum of Contemporary Art and I headed out to Koorn to visit Gusta, a friend I met in Brisbane and then again in New York at the INSEA Congress.

My day with Gusta and her partner included, lunch, a 10K bike ride to a pub, drinks of locally made beer and a wonderful meal of local asparagus and shrimp. I arrived back in Amsterdam at 10pm. Tim and Dave were already in bed.