The big news is - we whimped out!!!! No other way of breaking the news to you gently. When offerred the choice of a long bus tour, a short canal tour and heaps of people constantly bragging about how much more travelling they did than anyone else, we chose to stay on the ship and cruise gently up the river. The day is rather wet and windy and the lounge on board is luxury itself (left).
...and as we've been in Holland a few times before, but never on a European River Boat before - we decided in favour of the boat. It's wonderful, and after 2 days of energetically popping about London, this total relaxation is such a luxury. The big decisions include - fruit tea or coffee.... toast or pastry... or perhaps a delicious biscuit... someone has to do the hard yards!! Sorry Ali, no mince pies! (And Annie and Bill, I know why you put on weight on holidays! - so much absolutely delicious food.) However, we are missing you, T and C!!!! If you were here we'd have the crazy, funny conversations instead of competitions!!
The breakfast buffet, as expected, is sensational. However, Tony, we are in Europe now - marmalade is off, cherry jam is on... and it's pretty terrific!!
The Dutch sure know how to do canals. Even in a largely industrial edge of city development, the banks are lined with grass and trees, and the bike paths of course are all along them. The bikes! - SO dutch. Not like ours... and they ride them differently, too. Sitting straght up. Suits and briefcases, or skirts, boots and coats.Off to work or wherever looking just right. And huge bike parks instead of car parks.
Its three or four hours since the above and we have just turned out of the Amsterdam-Rhine canal and into the Rhine river itself. Not very different to look at really. The weather is a little more wet and stormy so swimming in the outdoor pool on the sun deck has been postphoned for a short time.
We have just completed our first fire drill exercise - must say that these orange floatation devices are not an ideal fashion accessory! Though now we do have pictures of Jillienne actually wearing the colour orange!! (Sorry, we just could not publish such a horrible thing. Instead, we bring you a picture of your friendly "blogger" hard at work in her cabin).
Going through the locks has been fascinating... first one was the "princes irene sluzen", ...and we've met several more people. Now we're happily having a warming cup of fruit tea.
Lovely reading about Amsterdam! The European food sounds delicious! I hope this message is successful, yesterdays wasnt! I wont write anymore until I know.
ReplyDeleteLove to you both! Happy cruising! Tand C
Oh it was successful! Just met a man yesterday who did the same river cruise you are on and he said he was thoroughly spoilt and how relaxing the whole thing was. He loved it! The multistorey bike park buildings are amazing arent they, 4000 bikes in one, they told us. How many locks have you been through so far? Glad you are finally on the cruise and resting and relaxing. Sip some hot fruit tea for us please!!! And I was just thinking if you did swing the cat would there be cat-a-walling??
ReplyDeleteT and C