Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

Halloween and Thanksgiving 2008

Okay, with Italy and everything I'm a little behind, but this should catch everyone up. The plan which formed a week or so before the 31st was to meet at a pub/bar that was having a Halloween party hosted by an expat organization not far from Central Station. Plenty of costumes would be on display and even prizes were to be awarded. Radhika and I, Jamie and Elena, Brad and Natalia, Szolt, and other friends were in on the plan. Radhika and I were going to pull out our punk rocker garb and getup from several Halloween's back. But I really wanted to do something different, but wasn't sure what. Besides, my hair didn't have 3 years of growth which was "the 12 inch spiked cherry on top" of my look back then! Luckily, there is a costume shop not far from the apartment where most of us ending up going to get what we needed. As I walked around the small, multi-leveled store squeezing past the mostly female 20-somethings, I wasn't getting a strong reaction on my "idea factory" from any of the costumes of props. I was leaning in one direction and then saw a pair of pointy ears. From then it was downhill. As a kid I went as Capt. Kirk 1 or even maybe 2 times trick or treating. But lets face it, I'm more Spock looking than I am Kirk. So, with a little work with the material I had on hand back at the apartment, I was set. R was "punking out" again, so all that was left was the night we "geared up" and went out.

I got way more compliments on my outfit then I expected (which was zero). The Dutch really like Star Trek here, with the original series and Next Generation on their Sci Fi channel. Radhika and Natalia really covered the details in the costumes, as did as Elena. They looked really great. Brad was "demonic", as was Szolt, and Jamie was Aussie Elvis. We enjoyed ourselves at the expat function, but were a little suspicious of the "winners" of the contest. We kept asking how we would enter, hearing you fill out a form (which we never saw even one of), people vote, and you go up onstage (basically a small platform where the guitarist/singer was stationed) and people applaud for their champion. Well, all of a sudden, while the entertainment was on break, they arbitrarily announced 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners! How they were determined we'll never know!! But the costumes that won were not better then some in our group. We left soon after, heading to another bar towards the Jordaan. That one was much smaller, and was populated by several GE employees. We stayed there for quite a long time before calling it a night, with me (walking back), Radhika, and Natalia (weaving back). When we were somewhat close to Natalia's place, one guy hanging on the street asked that I share one of the ladies I had in my company. It was a tough decision, but I had to say they were both mine for that evening. He looked quite sad. He tried the request again, being the persistent little Dutchy that he was, but I just could not share the "funky punky" or the pirate who was going to "shiver me timbers"!! ;) We got home, my guess, around 3am, which ended a fun evening.

Thanksgiving was a much more subdued event. A little strange when you first hear of it - - Thanksgiving dinner at a Greek restaurant. However, this is somewhat of an Amsterdam GE tradition. Someone who worked at GE who has since taken a position in London arranged this some years back, and it continues on. The originator even came in from London to attend, as he has become close friends of the restaurant owners and staff. About 30 or so people were there, including Natalia (Polish Pirate), a mutual friend Szolt (but NOT to be confused with the Halloween Szolt who is a GE employee but didn't come to the dinner), Dave Conover, Jamie Harrison (Aussie Elvis) Denis, so the food and company was very good. People from the US, Argentina, Hungary, Spain, Netherlands, and more, were enjoying turkey (first time eating turkey in Europe!!!), stuffing, white and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, rice with gravy, salad, beer, wine, and I started a trend at our table (go figure, me of all non-alcohol-consuming people!!) by ordering a glass of Bailey's. We have NOT seen turkey in any grocery store or restaurant - - not just here in Amsterdam, but in our travels here since arriving. The 4 turkeys served last night were possibly flown in, as turkey seems to be fowl only found in the US. Dessert was an apple/raisin and some other ingredients I didn't identify - pie with a scoop if ice cream. STUFFED!!! I couldn't even finish all of my pie (and many of you know of my deep affection for pie!). Once everyone was finished eating and some had left the restaurant (about 11:20pm), so Greek dancing behind the bar started and soon dishes were being tossed to the floor. I wondered how the Greek Pilgrims managed to break their wooden bowls or steel plates at the first Thanksgiving. Come midnight after about 5 hours of Thanksgiving festivities, when the numbers had dwindled down to about 10 GE folks left, I was ready to head back to the teepee to see what football teams were playing (unfortunately it was Dallas and Seattle). Radhika, as usual, still had 2 more hours of socializing in her, so she stayed on with Natalia while Szolt rode his bike and I walked home. After several minutes of boredom watching the Seahawks do their best impression of a high school team, I called Thanksgiving 2008 over a little before 2am! Hope everyone had as good a Thanksgiving who celebrated one!! Pictures to follow shortly, so check back.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Lecco, Italy and Luzern, Switzerland

Hooray! We got an early afternoon departure from Vernazza for our drive to Lecco, which is just north of Milan. It's only several hours drive, so we guaranteed ourselves a daylight arrival barring a breakdown or massive traffic jam. Luckily, neither occurred. And, there were no surprises, as the TomTom took us right to our hotel. We were really unenthusiastic to leave Vernazza - - A. Because we loved it so and B. Because Lecco was our last stay in Italy. Before we left Vernazza, we were told that George Clooney has a place in Lecco, so Radhika had a momentary heart flutter. His image was in more then a few shops and stores there. When we arrived in Lecco it was again easy to find our hotel. It's located on a river that cuts through and around the city, so the location is very nice. The temperature was warm enough, but there was a thick fog everywhere, and it wasn't a fog that enhanced the atmosphere. We walked the very short distance to the center of it all in Lecco, grabbing a couple of slices and gelato. Now, it has been mentioned to me that my posts mention us eating a lot of pizza but nothing else. Believe me, we ate much more then pizza. The food in northern Italy was delicious! But during the day when we were out and about, it was easy to grab a slice or 2 of pizza and keep going until dinner time. I am happy and satisfied with some great slices and a couple of scoops of gelato (coconut and tropical fruit became my favorite!). The "serious" meals were all good that I can think of with the exception of one dinner in Vernazza that was a little disappointing. Our dinner at Monica's restaurant was VERY delicious and I was dreaming about it on my taste buds the rest of that night! Anyway, we had a nice dinner out in a square that night in Lecco before going to sleep in our very nice, comfortable room at the NH on the river. We woke up the next morning, had breakfast in the hotel, and went walking around a little so I could take some pictures as the fog was gone (but coming back as the morning progressed). We left in the early afternoon so we could make Luzern before nightfall. Right before we left Italy, I was jonesing for one more tasty, sweet, gelato experience. As luck would have it at a stop light, there was a gelato shop on the left hand side. We pulled to the right and parked in front of a closed store, walking over to the store and I gazed into the freezer case to check the flavors. I had my coconut/tropical fruit double cone and Radhika had a chocolate/cappuccino. Man I made that last as long as I could. We sat outside on a bench on the sidewalk in front of the shop next to a bus stop. It was the perfect ending to our Italy adventure (maybe a cone to go would've been REALLY perfect!), and we were back on our way after the last sweet, chilly morsel was savored.

And we did. The drive from Lecco was several hours. The terrain in Switzerland was gorgeous and as we neared and then drove around Lake Luzern, I knew we were going to have a nice time there for our 2 night stay. We arrived without a hitch at our chalet (la-dee-da) and was shown to our room. We were actually staying outside of Luzern in a sleepy town several train stops north. It was a great location! The views of the lake were beautiful, the town sleepy, clean, and tidy, and the people friendly. We had an indoor heated pool at our disposal as well as a sauna, which we used both nights (Radhika's first time in a sauna! She actually asked if people really "sit in these things on purpose and sweat like this?". I said "Hell yeah".) I was loving the intense heat after months of Amsterdam weather! And we had everything to ourselves as the chalet wasn't very full. There were quite a few people in the restaurant for breakfast and dinner, however. The breakfast buffet was okay, but nothing really special. However, the meals we had at dinner were very good!! And this place had some unique rooms for guests. The best one had a completely restored and modified Rolls Royce that the guest slept in. Next to it was a hot tub. Others had different themes and layouts. There was even a large gondola over the indoor swimming pool that was outfitted with a bed that could accommodate 2 guests! I believe you can see them on their web page. Let me know if you are curious and I'll find it. We walked around the small town one day, and went into Luzern the next. It's a nice city to visit, with plenty to see and do. We even did some shopping there which I usually don't like to bother with. But there were some surprisingly good deals so we came back to the hotel with a few shopping bags! We looked for a place to eat in Luzern before we left, but nothing grabbed us enough to try. We wanted to eat somewhere different then the chalet, but the food was so good we didn't really mind eating there again. Dinner and another trip to the pool and our second night came to a close. The next morning we would head back to Amsterdam which would take us about 8 hours according to Yahoo and TomTom. We expected another hour or two on top of that because of the horrible experience of our drive south from Amsterdam to Munich almost 3 weeks earlier. But all of the construction and delays must be on the southbound roads, because we zipped home with very few traffic hiccups. I even got some 170kph time on the autobahn, which is about 100mph. Of course the Mercedes, BMW's, and Porche's were still flying by our Ford. But it felt good and the car handled safely at that speed. We pulled in and unloaded in front of the apartment, and I found our usual parking spot on P.C. Hoofstraat around the corner. We were back, but still part of us was back in one of our vacation destinations.

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Cinque Terre

We were slowed a little by rain around La Spezia and also some navigation confusion with the TomTom. Then, I remembered in an email from the place we would be staying at that they requested I call 24 hours before arrival to make plans to get the keys. You see, there are very few hotels in the area. An offhanded guess of how accommodation is divided in Cinque Terre would be 95% private rooms and 5% hotel. I contacted a woman from Rick Steves book. She was booked, but had a friend with a nice room. I went with it, based on the Steves recommendation. Anyway, I forgot to call the number the day before, so I called from La Spezia as we were driving. Monica told me that the room was gone, that the 24 hour call was to "confirm" we would be there, not just to arrange to pick up the key. But, she said to call back in 10 minutes as she apparently has an entire network and would find a good place for us. We were less then an hour away by this time. Radhika placed a call 15 minutes later, and all was settled and we were told where to go in Vernazza to meet our new hostess (Erica). So that was settled and it was on to finishing the drive. The roads into the Cinque Terre and to Vernazza where we would be staying are full of hairpin turns, or switchbacks. The rain was behind us, but now it was dark and the road frequently narrow. We were basically alone on it, no one coming from behind or from our destination. The roads did not suit Radhika well, who asked me on several occasions to reduce speed. We followed the TomTom and road signs with no problem to the parking area that's about 1km above town. We parked, but could find no place to make payment. So, we each grabbed a bag and headed down the dark road that we assumed led into town. It was a perfect night for Halloween - - unfamiliar place, windy with trees and bushes weaving back and forth, very dark. We eventually walked past some houses, along a small river, and eventually more and more houses that turned into the town of Vernazza. We were to meet Erica at the only pharmacy in the town, which was on the main street. As we approached, a woman who was talking with a group called out my name. We met and walked together to our room for the night. It was in the center of town, right off the main street. It was newly done, small and clean. We were good for that night. But we were told that we would move to another, larger room with a window on the street tomorrow. It seemed we would be moving a lot while we would be there! Anyway, I went back up to the car and brought down other bags we may need. There were not a lot of people out, perhaps because it was Monday. But we walked around a little, grabbed some pizza, and called it a night. It looked like this was a very small town. I would go as far to call it a village, with a couple hundred residents. As we would see, the other 4 towns that make up Cinque Terre were equally small with 1 exception.

The next morning, after moving our stuff to the other room, I went up to the car to pay for parking. One guy was very nice, but the other guy barked basically everything he said. I had to move the car, as it was in a "short-term" area, so the barking dude had me follow him in this shuttle bus to another area farther up the mountain. Not too far, I parked the car and rode the shuttle back into town with Mr. Sunshine after paying for 5 days of parking. We decided to hike over to Monterosso, the westernmost town of the 5. That was the longest and most strenuous of hikes between all of the towns! Guess it's good we did it on the first day! It was s nice, sunny, hot day, and even before we were out of sight of Vernazza, people coming into Vernazza from the Monterosso were huffing and puffing. I made one girl panic by telling her she only had about an hour more to go when knowing she had less then 5 minutes. Man... the look on her face!! But I let her off the hook and told her how close they were. The views along the path were gorgeous, with sheer cliffs below and the green-blue waters of the Mediterranean. You could see towns in the distance and occasional lemon groves. Monterosso is larger then Vernazza, has a much larger and nicer beach, and it seemed there was more to do there. It's not as quaint or picturesque as Vernazza. We stayed there a while, grabbing lunch near the beach and enjoying gelato. It was getting late, so we decided to take the train that runs between the towns back to Vernazza. It's only a couple of Euros and took less then 5 minutes!! The hike over was about 2 hours!! That night, we had a slice of pizza and chilled out around Vernazza. During our 5 night stay, we spent an entire day on the beach in Monterosso, took an early morning train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore, the easternmost town, and spent the entire day hiking back to Vernazza, visiting each town (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Cornigia) along the way, and overall just relaxed. The only "downer" was changing our rooms every night except one because of the 24 hour "non-call". But even that was okay as we got to sample different places, had different views, met different people, everyone involved felt sympathetic, and we received reduce rates. We really enjoyed our time there. The locals were very friendly, as well as visitors we met. The Cinque Terre is simply a "can't miss" stop for any visit to Italy.

Siena

We again arrived into a new location after sunset, and with new road construction it made finding our way to our hotel a little tricky. So new and redesigned, in fact, that the TomTom showed our cars position t be in grass and trees on several occasions! But with road signs and common sense, we lost little time and regained our way. Our place in Siena was right outside one of the city gates, and it was really nice especially when compared to our "Rick Steves Nightmare" in Florence. We unloaded our stuff and I squeezed the car into a tiny spot in their underground "garage" that accommodated perhaps 6 cars. After Jasmine, the international lawyer-in-training who moonlights as a front desk clerk gave us suggestions on places to eat, we headed out on the 5-10 minutes walk that would place us in the center of Siena. If you've seen "Quantum Of Solace", it's where the horse race is held. By night, Siena seemed smaller, less crowded, and cleaner then Florence. The next morning would confirm this.

It was a nice, bright morning, and the light of day enabled us to see that our hotel was in a very scenic location. We walked through the city gate and into the heart of Siena. We were told that no cars were allowed in the center, that it was a walking district. However, just like most of Italy, you have to be wary of scooters and motorcycles. Also, I guess according to the Italians, taxi's aren't cars, so you have to avoid them too! And then there are the occasional delivery trucks to dodge. Don't forget the police car too that rolls by from time to time! Yeah...not so much a traffic free zone if you ask us!!! Then there are those dangerous mothers pushing their baby strollers into you! I must've shifted my position 3 times to avoid a woman who was window shopping as she pushed her stroller. When she eventually ran into my leg, she whipped her head around, glaring at me with the iciest stare like I had bumped carelessly into her. I couldn't believe her reaction and uttered words to her that conveyed my thoughts. She continued to drill into my head with her expression, so, wanting to "fit in" and do as the locals, I gave it back to her. We visited several highlights, purchasing a card that gave us a discount at about 5 of them. We also went to a wine tasting where Radhika enjoyed herself and made a purchase to bring home. All that said, we enjoyed Siena more then we did Florence for the reasons stated earlier. It was more of a pleasure for us to walk around Siena. It was more charming, seemed friendlier, and relaxing. There's no substitute for the art in Florence, but the same can be said for everything else in Siena. We spent 2 nights there and really enjoyed ourselves. We would like a return visit here. And as usual, we got a late departure out of Siena as we were enjoying the day so much, and Cinque Terre was only 3 hours away we figured to arrive after dark again but not too late. Nice plan, but...

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Florence

We rolled into Florence later then we wanted, but Venice was so great! TomTom was good until we got near our hotel (as usual!). When it indicated we had reached our destination, there was no hotel in sight, just apartment buildings and a car repair garage. I pulled the car up onto the sidewalk a bit so I could get out and check address numbers to try to figure out where we were. The number of the hotel was found on the garage, so I was thrown off by that. I looked down to the street we had turned off of and across to the other side and saw what looked like a hotel sign. It was our place! The street name was the same on both sides. I would come to find out later that in Italy, they separate residence and business numbers that confuses a western guy like me (and apparently navigation devices)! I drove to and parked out front of the Hotel Enza, which was listed in Rick Steves travel book. I went inside, checked in, saw our room (wincing a little), and came back outside to gather Radhika and our baggage. The place was a disappointment, especially after such a nice stay at the Delfino near Venice! It was very dark, old (old can be charming, but this wasn't THAT kind of old) and worn out. It wasn't bad enough to find another place, so we just accepted it as it was and focused on everything outside the hotel. I asked the guy at the front desk about parking, but it seemed a major hassle to park on the street, paying, and moving it for the street cleaners, so I inquired about a parking garage. Not being too clear on where he was directing even though he used a map, we decided to use a garage we drove past as we neared the hotel. It's one of the problems of driving in Italy. The hotel was in a convenient location to the major attractions and art, but parking can be a big issue, which has expensive daily charges. It's one of the several reasons why I prefer to stay outside places like Rome or Paris if driving. It's less expensive accommodation, the car is not a problem, it's quieter, cleaner, and generally a more relaxed atmosphere. But, we were here, the car was taken care of, so we just crashed (with me chasing a few mosquitoes around in the room) and thought about tomorrow.

You want art? - - Go to Florence!! Man, after 3 days I had it oozing out of my pores! It was very cool to read and learn about the history of the city through the frescoes we viewed. And an impressive sight to behold with your own eyes in person is Michelangelo's "David". Fourteen feet tall and every bit perfect! The Galleria degli Uffizi is loaded with paintings and sculptures of Florentine masters. But speaking for me, my head was spinning after the 100th "Madonna And Child" or other constantly repeated religious themed pieces contained in this building (and city). I enjoyed the earlier work especially, seeing them grasp distance and perspective over the years, using light in new and dramatic ways. The buildings, churches, architecture are all fantastic. We went up to the top of the bell tower for a view of the city near sunset. It's quite lovely, even with the little drizzle of rain/mist towards the end. We were the last visitors of the day so that was nice. We walked around the city visiting some pretty sights over the next 2 days, and came away feeling pretty satisfied of the time we spent in Florence. Our next stop was Siena, just minutes south of Florence, but again we got a late start as we were getting our last glimpses of Florence from the park above the city on our drive out. Next stop - - Siena!

Venice PT.2

The next morning was foggy but it quickly burned off by the time we finished the breakfast buffet at the hotel. What a great place to people watch! The international mix of our location, the situation of what is perceived as "free" food, people being time conscious. People have the most interesting expressions and behaviors at a breakfast buffet! The look on a person's face when there are no more croissants in the bin!! The searching eyes - - where's "this", where's "that"? You can see the wheels turning. "Do I want this?" "What is this?" "Where are the coffee cups?" "How do I get cappuccino out of this machine?" "Where do I sit?" "Where are my people?" And the kids running around pushing the levers of the juice dispenser, yelling what they want and don't want. The older people trying to fill their plates while keeping their fragile hips from breaking dodging the kids. But we didn't want to linger long there, so we were soon off to Venice. Such a unique place! Amsterdam has it's canals, but Venice is really one-of-a-kind. We used the vaporetto which are basically buses on water (let's just call them boats!) to get around. The transportation system is not too hard to figure out. With a map and the information at the stops, you know which one to take so you go in the right direction. We went to St. Marks Square, which is the suggested place to start you visit. It's one of the settings you see towards the end of Casino Royale. Over the course of our 2 1/2 days there, we visited many of the sights and several of the smaller islands, but one of our nicer more unique experiences was attending a concert in a church one evening. Five violinists, a cellist, contra base, and clavichord. It was fantastic! The talent was first rate and the presentation and atmosphere couldn't be beat! The group will actually tour the US in 2009, I believe. We completely enjoyed our visit and have definite plans to return again as our time there was very short. Wednesday morning we checked out before heading to Venice for our last 1/2 day, as in the afternoon we had to drive to Florence. Because we enjoyed our current location so much and found it hard to leave, we began a habit of getting to our next destination after dark, which sometimes made arrival a little more difficult. More on that later. On to Florence!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Venice!!

A deep nights sleep from the previous days festivities had us feeling good. On to a little breakfast and then deciding whether to wander around Munich some more or hit the road for Italy. The weather being cloudy and cool, we decided to head south so we could make Venice before nightfall. The drive took about an hour longer then it should've due to road construction again in Germany. There was a little in Italy too, but not enough to consider beyond the realm of what's expected. The drive was really quite beautiful, with the mountainous terrain of southern Germany and northern Italy slowly transforming into the rolling, Italian countryside.

Using a TomTom, or any navigation device is a great tool for driving in foreign places! It does a really great job, but like almost anything else it is not perfect. We have already learned this on several occasions. I realized, with the help of my co-pilot, that I relied on it almost exclusively, forgetting common sense and sometimes even road signs! Not as bad as Michael and Dwight on "The Office", driving into a pond because the device told them to go straight, but getting "brain-lazy" and over-reliant on this technology. So, after driving past the hotel outside of Venice, and going around the block not once but twice, we parked and unloaded. Check in didn't take too long, and it being Sunday we were able to leave the car out front until tomorrow morning. So, we made sure we were happy with the room and then caught the bus in front of the hotel for the 10 minute ride to Venice. That ride reminded me so much of the area right outside the Taj Mahal in India. You basically pass through the "not-so-nice" section of town before you get to the beauty in both places. Between our hotel in Mestre and the drop off point in Venice you've got industrial buildings, railroad tracks, side roads, weeds and scrub brush. It's quite an eyesore. But arrival into the bus lot at Venice changes everything. It's twilight, so I setup the tripod quickly and get off some good shots with the best light of the day. We begin to walk, not getting far before we park ourselves at a canal side eatery for a couple of pizza slices, washing them down with a cold beer for me and a glass of red wine for Radhika. We then take our time exploring the streets and alleys, eventually hearing and following the sound of a piano. It must've been close to 9pm or so when we came upon a small square where 2 or 3 restaurants had setup places for outdoor seating. In one of them is a man dressed in a nice suit, with a black upright piano and glass for tips on top. There were several large trees along with benches underneath them. We got our first gelato at a small vendor who was just about to close, sitting on one of the benches under the Venice stars in the dimly lit square with Girl From Ipanema filling the air. I was thinking the perfect song for him to play next would be one of my Mom's and mine favorites from when I was a boy, "Moon River"...and he did! It was one of those lightning strike moments in life. I called my sister in Tallahassee, but instead spoke with my nephew as Helen was not at home. We sat there listening for a while, tipped the pianist, and began to walk back. Venice was practically empty now, being around 9:30. It was cool having the place practically to ourselves! Making some pictures along the way, we arrived at the pickup area where we caught the bus back to our stop in front of the hotel and we were in the room by 11pm. It was a nice first evening and we looked forward to our first full day in Venice tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Oktoberfest!

Up fairly early to get a good start to our day of Oktoberfest. I ran a little late for breakfast because of the mirror in the bathroom. Yeah, you read that correctly. They had one of those magnifying mirrors attached to the wall in the bathroom. A light on it too. Normally, when I use my electric shaver I can be done pretty fast. It must've taken me 5 times as long as it usually does because of that damn mirror. Whiskers that I usually miss and ignore due to my failing eyesight look like steel cables or telephone poles coming out of these manhole-sized openings in my skin!!! No one over the age of INFANT should look at their skin so closely!!! Seriously!!! Like shaving with a electron microscope!! The surface of the moon is smoother then that disgusting sight I witnessed! But I couldn't look away. I had to keep shaving, looking for every little hair, even the whispy ones, to chop them down to size. If you ever check into a hotel and they have one of those cursed things in the bathroom, treat it like Medusa!! Don't look directly at it!! Just blindly throw a towel over it and go about your business!

I finally finished shaving and made it to breakfast. Afterward, we walked from the pension, going around Munich sightseeing for a little while before going to the grounds where Oktoberfest was taking place. Now, naive as I am about these matters, I thought Oktoberfest engulfed the entire region if not the country based on those fine, fact-filled Hollywood resources like “Beer Fest” and (was it?) “Stripes”. I’m sure I’ve seen others, but just like when I worked in Japan on a 2 week project and those Japanese engineers I worked with thought everyone on the streets and highways shot at each other like “Ah-nold”, Stallone, and Bruce Willis, I thought Oktoberfest was an all-encompassing event. It's not! It's confined to one area in the city. However, it IS the biggest carnival/fair atmosphere I have ever seen! Rides all over the place, and not the type at county fairs in the US that look like they may fly apart at any second killing all riders and several gawkers eating cotton candy back in Bug Tussle. These were first class, huge, brand new looking rides - - and too many to count! If I had to make a guess, I would say between 70 to 100, and that’s not including the beer tents or food concessions!!!

We tried to get in one tent, but it was packed and the guy near the door said “No”. So, standing in line we gradually made our way up to the front while mostly clean-smelling people wedged up against us. I came to find out that later in the day is when the clean-smelling people really get funky. And let's face it - - this is Oktoberfest, so it's easily 80% drunk, or on their way to drunk, dudes. Just what I want, drunk, stinky dudes all up in my space!! So, we left that line after a little loitering and walked around trying to decide which one to try next. After a few dead-ends, we had success. We didn’t get in a tent, but we did manage to find one open seat at a table. You have to be seated before they would allow you to order a beer. For some reason, they will not serve you if you don’t have a seat at one of the gazillion picnic tables. So a guy was kind enough to let one of us sit, place an order for 4 beers, and as soon as the beer was delivered and the server turned his back we bolted the scene with the 50 gallon glasses of golden liquid!! With nowhere to sit, we searched and found a place with ample standing room where the sun was shining and most passersby would say “cheers” and clink our glasses! Now, these are NOT your ordinary glasses!! They have gone through stress and crash tests that would make the automobile insurance industry envious. These glasses get slammed together with such force and gusto that half of the beer shoots out like Old Faithful and as it makes it’s way back down to Earth a good portion of the airborne nectar ends up back in the glass it came out of or in one of the 5 to 10 glasses that were smashed together in not-so-perfect unison.

As we were standing and drinking, waiting for some spots to open up so we could sit down, a very drunk Italian (it was Italian week) was being propped up by his friend about 10 feet from us. The dude was in really bad shape, just dead weight to his buddy who struggled to keep him upright. Soon, there were 2 guys trying to walk the guy out of the crowd, but he didn’t quite make it. He was eased down onto the concrete and I held my camera overhead to make a couple of pictures. I was there to document Oktoberfest, and this was pretty much part of it. Well, a woman who had been selling pretzels saw me and put her hand in front of the lens and said “No Photo!” in a very authoritative way. I got a little irritated, but I got the shot I wanted anyway so that evaporated into nothing. The “beer medics” came and began to tend to him as he lay on the ground. He “expelled” a keg-load of liquid and then proceeded to roll around in it. (Nice, huh?! Guess he wanted proof for his friends that he attended Oktoberfest.) I took another picture or 2 when one of the beer patrol dudes grabbed the front of the camera as I finished shooting, which immediately and impulsively caused me to tell him to get his damn hands off my camera. He did (surprisingly), and after a brief stare down we found a place for all of us to sit. Meanwhile, the drunk Italian was carted off on a stretcher, leaving behind what can only be described as a big "smear" on the pavement.

People at a table we were standing next to got up, so we swooped in. We ran over, quickly claimed the spots, and smiled at each other like potheads finding a bale that has washed up on shore. We sat, talked with the people at the table who were from Germany, Australia, and Peru, and ordered some food and more beer. We stayed until after 8pm, several hours after our schedule for dinner, but once you manage to park your ass in a seat, you’re loath to give it up! We walked around the rides and then took the metro back to our Pension so we could eat at a German restaurant in the vicinity. It was full but we found another smaller one not too far away so we ordered, ate, and said our goodbyes back at the hotel as our friends were leaving in the morning before we would get up for our trip to Venice.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Driving To Munich - Sept. 26th

Okay, here comes our vacation. Some names have been omitted or changed to protect the guilty.

We left Amsterdam around 1:15pm headed for Munich. The TomTom and Yahoo Maps indicated a 7-hour drive, but that’s not accounting for stops, construction, or speeds slower than 180kph. I see NO WAY to make that drive legally and safely in 7 hours under the best of conditions. One of R’s colleagues called her on the cell phone to warn us that he heard on the news that there were long backups out of Amsterdam, but by then we were already in Germany, so whatever was happening back there, we fortunately missed it! But Germany was saving their worst for us, as it seemed every 20 kilometers there was construction or some sort of delay. The worst was 70-100 kilometers north of Frankfort, where the traffic flow was at a stand still. In Frankfort the traffic slowed to a crawl. There were many other smaller spots, and the speed limits were jumping all over the place like jackrabbits! 120, 90, 70, 100, 90, 120, unlimited, 90, unlimited, 120 - - and that was within a 90 second stretch of highway!! Where’s that highly touted German engineering we hear so much about? I say engineer better construction zones so traffic isn’t delayed 90 minutes because you squeeze 4 lanes into 3 and those 3 lanes are so narrow you can scratch the itch on the passengers nose in the car next to you as you pass!

We made Munich in slightly less than 10 hours arriving at 11pm to our Pension. We were shown to our room and decided to recharge and attack the festivities tomorrow. R’s friend from work and husband had flown to Munich, arriving by mid-afternoon and called us when they got back to the same pension we were staying at. We were already in bed reading some material picked up from the front desk when they knocked on our door. Apparently I hadn’t shut or locked it because it swung open a few inches, so after peeking inside they came in. The quasi-hammered female visitor jumped on our bed between R and me (luckily I had pj's on), while the not-so-drunk male plopped into a chair. We heard about their fun day, about a group of 4 guys who said they were in the US Army and how their so-called leader was trashed and tried to pick fights with people and then said R’s friend from work was “hot”, a remark that was overheard by the drunk American soldier’s girlfriend, who proceeded to open a can of whoop ass on him! So, we all can rest easy that all of our foreign representatives in the military are doing us proud, especially since they have had trouble meeting their quotas and have reduced standards for entry into service! The drunks left, we crashed, getting rest for tomorrows chaos.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Bike Plight

Okay... I promise, I'm working on Italy. But in the meantime, a little humor.

We currently have 3 bikes. Radhika's bike from the US that I now ride because mine was stolen in May, a bike she bought from a co-worker that she now uses, and another one from a male co-worker who left Amsterdam for the UK. We were supposed to pay 65 Euros for that one, which I would ride. It came with 2 locks and a child seat (for when Vince visits). Well, several weeks before he departed, the owner dropped the keys to the bike locks down the elevator shaft at work! So we waited to pay until facilities could check the bottom of the shaft and retrieve the keys. Correct! They didn't find them. So, he's in the UK by now and I check into the cost of removing the locks. I let him know the 65 Euros has climbed to triple that amount due to lock removal and replacement! After our vacation (this was a multiple month affair!), he emailed saying for us to just take the bike, which was stored in the bike shed at the office. We got it into the back of the car and I carried it up the stairs to the apartment so I could work on it. I hack sawed one lock off, but the other two just laughed as I drew the saw over them. All the saw did was make them shiny, but didn't chew a molecule of metal off the locks! So, I'm looking into a bolt cutter, but it seems they don't carry them here (perhaps due to rampant bike theft?). So I can rent a small grinder at their version of "Lowe's". However, the 24-hour rental has been out over 10 days, and the guy at the store is thinking the renter is on a bike-stealing spree! In the meantime, I went to ride my bike late yesterday to pick up the IPOD at the Apple Store but the rear tire is flat and won't hold air, so I beat feet. When I return, I carry my bike up to the apartment and put it in the guest room with the other one I'm trying to cut the locks off of. It's raining the next morning, so Radhika takes the car into work. She notices that one of her new mittens that was in her coat pocket is missing, so I tell her, using her bike, I will ride the route she took home last night and look for it on my way to the "Dutch Lowe's" (called Praxis) for the replacement inner tube and tire for my bike. So, after the rain stops, I head out, riding slowly, checking out the ground, looking for the mitten. As I near her office, the chain snaps on her bike and deposits itself in the middle of the road that I was crossing. So, I'm "skateboarding" the bike the final 10 minutes to and past her office, as the Praxis is 2 minutes down from her building. I buy the stuff for the bikes, and walk and "skateboard" the bike all the way back to the apartment (maybe 2 miles) and carry it up to the guest room, where ALL 3 OF OUR BIKES are in different states of disassembly!! Three bikes and not ONE road-worthy!!! But that's NOT the "kicker" (good word to use and you'll see why in a second). The front of our building has maybe 6-8 concrete stairs that lead up to a small platform where the door to the inside is. The platform is not big enough to hold the bike while I open the door, which requires to hands, one to turn the key and one to pull the handle. So I parked the bike in front of the apartment, went up the stairs to open the door and turn on the light in the stairs. Well, some "hero" thought it was a prime moment to jump on this unattended bike and ride off. This Goober saw me walk it up to the building, not knowing it had no chain. All I saw as I turned was his legs whipping around on the pedals going nowhere as he lost his balance and fell. I got down there just in time to utter a few expletives and kick him square in his ass as he scrambled to his feet to flee!! I just needed that dude on the Spanish Channel who covers soccer games to holler "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" to complete the nonsense that just occurred. And I didn't give him a push pass with my instep or the top of my foot; he got the full toe of my Reebok's. Made a thud sound like I imagine smacking a goat with a sheep would. I think my foot helped him up actually (in a very uncomfortable way) and I may have to throw out those sneakers due to contamination! He ran down the street, turned a corner and was gone. I stood there with a smile on my face. No one was there. No cars, no pedestrians. No one to share a laugh with. He could've been on World's Most Stupid Criminals. But, I'll know him if I see him again, for sure. Such fun in Amsterdam, right!!?

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Coming Down From The High Of Vacation

Man...back 36 hours from our 19 days away from Amsterdam and it's like it all was a dream! Now the nightmare of a global economic free fall with the US leading the way down, darkness until 8am, and earlier each afternoon as winter inches closer, getting caught in the chilly rain on a gray, overcast day, dodging a micro burst of wind followed by golf-ball sized hail that had the Dutch gape-mouthed, a ticket for parking in the same damn place we've been using for the last 8 months requiring a visit to the Parking Bureau where I fill out a form explaining the mistake they made, and the usual rigmarole of grocery shopping has made Italy as foggy as the inside of Sarah Palin's skull. Have I regaled you yet with the tale of the checkout procedure here? It's quite similar to the US procedure with 1 major exception. As the item is passed over the scanner, it slides down to the bottom of the platform. You bring your own bags to the store which I really like, but you have to bag your stuff quickly, always cut short to pay the cashier, and when that's over if you're lucky only half of your goodies remain to be collected. But, time and the cashier waits for no one, and the next persons stuff comes zipping down the platform, and as you're trying to protect your remaining items, the cashier slides a dividing board over to keep your stuff from mingling with the new stuff. But the next person and their icky purchases are dangerously close to you and yours, and time is running out! You have to toss your stuff in the bags "by any means necessary" and get to one of the round tables they have set up in the walkway so you can place your bag or bags down and start rearranging everything correctly for the walk or bike ride home. If you have glass bottles, frozen items, bread, it all becomes speed packing and you hope your bread doesn't get assaulted by the other food. I usually lose a few slices in the middle of the loaf. If you're buying eggs - - well - - you just think you're a bad ass, don't you? It doesn't seem like a very efficient system...needing 2 places to bag your groceries, but that's Dutch-style. And woe is you if all the tables are taken, you squeeze in with others, or you drop something. Unlike in the states where I hit Sam's once every 2 weeks or so, I prefer almost a "drive by" approach here where I get in and get out as soon as possible with no dilly-dallying and keep the items down to as few as possible. "We're out of peanut butter? - - yeah...next time...tomorrow maybe....gotta go!" Bim-Bam-Boom on gone!

I've got plenty of pictures to go through to add to the blog with stories to go along with them. Just trying to decide whether to include details or just "nutshell it". You know...went to Italy, it was gorgeous, the end! I'll get to that soon. If you have a preference, let me know. But don't cry to me if you don't "vote", and you wanted "short and sweet" but I'm requested to give up the funny (hopefully) stories and do so. That's how a goofy, Russia-watching soccer Mom becomes Vice President!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Last 2 Weeks

Radhika went to London the weekend before her birthday to hang out with 2 friends from boarding school, Dimple and Shraddha. Shraddha came in Friday afternoon and bolted back out Saturday morning. What's that about? Anyway, I hear they had a good time hanging out Saturday and Sunday before she left to come back to Amsterdam. However, she conveniently left her camera home so there's no visual incriminating evidence, which is probably best!
Radhika's birthday fell on a Friday this year, so she had to spend a good deal of it at work. But, we went out to eat at a restaurant she likes that's close to the house that serves good, organic, vegetarian meals. They also display artwork by local photographers, so I spoke with the owner about hanging some of my work for 2 months. She wanted her gifts early in the evening, but I played mum, wanting to wait and extend the fun into the evening. After dinner we walked home and then I sprang the gifts on her. She didn't think the black dress was "her style", but the necklace and earrings I bought to go with the dress were perfect!! I shot 50%!!! That's a respectable field goal percentage in hoops and a downright record breaking batting average in baseball. That's not too bad. We'll shop for another dress together.
Well, we've had a stretch of good weather now that fall is upon us! There was a 10 mile race (called Dam To Dam) last weekend from Amsterdam to some other city nearby ending in "dam". I want to say Vandam, but I can't help but think of that acclaimed thespian, Jean Claude, and want to say that's not the name of the city (although I did like "Time Cop"). Brad and Natalia hosted a "Carbo-loading" dinner the night before the race, serving 3 types of pasta that were all delicious. Also, while I was talking to Natalia earlier in the week about what I was doing for R's birthday she suggested doing something the night of her pasta-fest, a cake to finish off the meal. I brought the candles to tennis in the week and gave them to her, and she picked up a great cake at the bakery near their flat. I went upstairs to use their "facility" only to come down with a cake and lit candles. Like magic, the attendees spontaneously burst into "Happy Birthday" as I came down the stairs. Radhika was totally surprised!!! Everyone went home with happy bellies and spirits. Anyway, Brad was running as well as two GE colleagues of Radhika's (Zsolt and Phil). All had great times and fared pretty well after the race. I went to the start of the race, but decided to walk around the city as it was the one day of the year where cars are not allowed on the streets and "things" were going on here and there. Meanwhile, Radhika and Natalia took the train to "the other dam" so they could be at the finish line when Brad, Zsolt, and Phil came blazing across it. I didn't see too many "things" happening in the city, but it sure was nice walking and riding the bike without worrying too much about automobiles. Taxi's and tram's were still operating, and taxi's are always worth keeping an eye on! Played a little tennis in the late afternoon with Vikram and John Atkinson, who is married to yet another GE employee. By the time I made it back to the apartment after tennis, Radhika soon followed 5 minutes after I arrived.
The reservations have all been made, the schedule is set, the clothes are in process of being packed, the camera gear is being checked, the plan to sneak out of the office early is in place (oops!), the car is being readied - - I believe it's a go for Friday!!! 2 days at Oktoberfest in Munich, followed by 4 days in Venice, 3 days in Florence and 2 days in Siena, 5 days in Cinque Terre, 1 day at Lake Como and finally 2 days around Lake Luzern in Switzerland before heading back October 14th. You will hear a full update from me when we return. Until then, think Sophia Loren, Ferrari, Rocky Balboa, and everything Italian.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Now you see it, now you don't, now you see it!

Okay... here's that story I briefly mentioned yesterday. Radhika got 25% of the way to work Monday morning when she called me to say her tire was flat. I took the pump and rode the other bike to where she was. I couldn't get air in the tire, so she took the "good" bike to work and I walked the "bad" bike to the local bike shop. So as you may know, I am using a borrowed bike until I get one to replace mine which was stolen earlier in the year. Vikram, a GE colleague of R's and my tennis partner had an extra bike that I have been using. I used his bike that morning to go over to R's dentist office to get copies of her x-rays for a 2nd opinion she was getting. I locked Vikrams bike back up when I returned where I normally do. I left the apartment around 2pm Monday to drive to a camera store, passing the locked bike as I went to the car parked around the corner on PC Hoofstraat. Ninety minutes later I returned, parked the car, and as I came up on the apartment building noticed the bike and BOTH locks gone! Stolen in broad daylight! Now the irony of this is the bike was being returned to Vikram at 5pm or so that day, as we were to play tennis and I would leave it with him. Radhika had bought a bike she liked better then the one we brought over from the US from a GE co-worker a week or so ago, so we technicall had 3 bikes...her old one, her new one, and Vikrams. So, I would ride her old one until I got one that I liked after returning Vikrams'back to him. I had been in possession of his bike for at least 2 months if not longer, and it being stolen just hours before I was returning it was just unbelievable! So, I emailed Vikram who was at work, told him the tale, and he basically said "Shit happens" and to not worry about it. We, of course, intended to compensate for his loss. He seemed "skeptical" at first, because he had a very heavy duty chain on the bike. He thought maybe the authorities had removed it thinking I had locked it to a road sign or other location where it's not allowed to do so. But it was secured to our private, apartment building. In the meantime, I went to the bike shop around 5:30 when they told me it would be ready. I paid, and then drove to a bike store to look at locks to get another one. I bought one and when I came out I found the front tire on R's bike flat again!! So I walked it back over to the shop where they said they would fix it for free (no kidding!) and it would be ready when they opened at 9 the next morning. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I describe where the bike shop is to Radhika, but she hems and haws about going. After 18 years of "exposure", I translate this behavior to mean she wants me to go with her. She also "fesses up" and asks me, but I had already used my "husband filter" to decode what she wanted (in this case...I haven't perfected it yet and don't expect I ever will...but that's where some of the excitement comes from!). So, she wants to walk to the bike shop using a certain route, but I say the route I use will be shorter. We take my route. As we near the shop, I spy a bike 3 feet to my left that is locked near a tree that looks a lot like Vikram's. Something like holyfu%kingshit comes out of my mouth as I realize IT IS the very bike that was stolen 19 hours earlier!!!! Disbelief, joy, anger, tension... yeah I'm feeling it all! Seeing as how it was to be a quick walk to the shop, I left my cellphone at the apartment that had the police number in it from when they told me if I were to ever find my bike that was stolen months ago to not confront the possessor of the bike, physically assault them, or steal the bike back, but to call them immediately. Radhika, of course, does not have the police number programmed in her phone. Luckily I ask a passerby and he gives the equivalent of 9-1-1. We call it and they send someone out. In the meantime I call Vikram, tell him what has happened, and to get here as soon as possible to ID his bike. The police get there 60 seconds before Vikram does. He 100% identifies the bike to the cops, but they say they can do nothing! Even if he had serial numbers and a purchase receipt, they still can't do anything! This discussion went on for a while, but ultimately they said to "steal it back" but only after they leave!! I was later told that one has to get the person in possession of the bike to sign a statement indicating that they are not the owners of the bike!!! And you thought the US had the monopoly on stupid laws?! So, the cops leave. I run to the bike shop to see if they have bolt cutters and can tell me where to buy them. No real help there so I went back to the bike. R had to get to work, so they stayed there while I went back to the apartment to get my cellphone. Once there, I noticed Vincent (our landlord) had left a hacksaw on our stairs as I had asked to borrow one about a week ago. PERFECT TIMING!! I went back and cut off the lock and brought the bike back to the apartment (inside and upstairs off the street!). Vikram used a piece of paper and lipstick from Radhika to let the person/possible thief know that it was stolen Monday and was stolen back on Tuesday. He stuck it to the pole the bike was locked to with chewing gum. A little closure for him, I guess! Anyway, we played tennis that afternoon. The bike is safely back in his possession, and we are thinking of methods to use to keep our bikes nearby and safe from any further thievery. You see.... Hollywood hasn't cornered the market on happy endings (or Thailand). We can have them too in Amsterdam!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Whirlwind of Visitors

Man! We had a stretch there of several weeks where we had people coming in and out of Amsterdam. They've been gone now for about a week, so I can get caught up now on what's been going on. Got a real good story to tell that just ended today, but let me touch on all of the visitors that blew through.
First, Barbara came through in early August for a few days on her way to a cruise that she was taking from Copenhagen. Barbara had never been to Amsterdam before, so we walked around the city a little, hitting the touristy spots. We went to Brugge, Belgium and she really enjoyed that (who doesn't really, other than Colin Farrell's character in the movie?). There were a few days between Barbara leaving for her cruise and Radhika's Mom, sister Dolly, and Dolly's husband John (JK) arrival from NY. They went through the usual adjustment period with the 6 hour difference and then were good to go... more or less! This is Dolly and John's 2nd visit to Amsterdam in 4 months, and we are hard pressed to ever get out of the apartment before noon during their visits! But that is the nature of their vacations here, so we're "good to go" when they are! We saw "Mama Mia" because Dolly loves Abba and saw the Broadway show but not the movie yet. They liked it. We returned to Brugge again, because this was Mom's first visit and she has never visited. We all climbed the tower this time, squeezing past the others in the narrow, twisting stairwell like you find in your average Amsterdam apartment building. We ate outside at cafes, walked the streets, went in shops, bought chocolates... the usual Brugge itinerary. Mom, Dolly, and JK went to the Rijk's Museum, and one day we drove to The Hague, as we hadn't even checked that city out since arriving last year. It's definitely worth a repeat visit. One story ends with us getting 2 cool outdoor chairs for our rooftop terrace. We were all walking back to the apartment after yet another great dinner one evening, and the sidewalks had scattered piles of "stuff" that had been formed by resident's for the refuse pick up the next day. JK and I noticed what looked like 2 wooden outdoor chairs on top of a pile. After 30 seconds of inspection, we could find nothing wrong with them so we carried them back. The next day I removed the cloth seating and back from the wooden frame, tossed them in the washer, and they came out looking like new! The next time we need some furniture, we've decided to just hit the streets the night before trash collection. One man's trash IS another man's treasure (or garden terrace chair!). I have noticed that resident's do toss out a lot of stuff that normally Americans would find at a yard or garage sale. There appears to be no Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any other similar organization here. I'm told things of this nature are handled exactly how our situation occurred. In the Netherlands, the low-income family sector is much smaller then it is in the US due to the amount of government assistance. Anyway, one of the most enjoyable things we did was go to a local pub that has a live band playing near Leidseplein. Mom hit the sack, but the 4 of us went out for some drinks and music. The band was quite good, and it happened to be the night where it's an "open mic" situation. Several people came up before different numbers and joined in. There were 2 guitarists who came up for different numbers, and a saxaphonist. We were telling John he should go up to do something with them. He eventually did go up and did the number "Flip, Flop, Fly" by the Blues Brothers. It rocked, and the guys in the band and the crowd really enjoyed it!
So after Radhika's family scoots back to NY, her marathon coach and boyfriend come in for a couple of days before they take part in a triathlon in nearby Almere. Also, at the same time, Barbara comes back from her cruise and spends 2 1/2 days here before she heads back to the US. We go to an area just outside Amsterdam where there are farms to see the "rural" side of Holland, she tours the Ann Frank House, and shops for souvenirs for her friends back home. The apartment was now empty, with the slight possibility that Consuela and Trung (the afore mentioned marathon coach and her boyfriend) might stay a night or 2 after their triathlon and visit to Belgium. But they headed back to the states straight away, and thus ended our own "guest marathon". Now it's back to the normal craziness involving us and the local cast of characters. More on that later.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Just An Update

No big stories to tell or complaints to make. Just a small narrative to go along with the couple of pictures to be added.
We live right near Vondel Park, which is the main green space in Amsterdam. It was a nice sunny day and the sun was hanging low in the sky, so we figured we would take some light food, find a spot, and throw down a sheet on the grass and enjoy the outdoors with many other visitors to the park. People are always in the park on nice days, doing all sorts of things.
We attended the Gay Pride Parade that floats down what's considered the main canal in Amsterdam last Saturday. Words can't express some of the costumes I saw. Needless to say this would NEVER fly in uptight Orlando. People would think the world was ending! I'll let the photo's do the speaking.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Up to Texel

Last Sunday, we decided to do a little exploring, and drove the 90 minutes to where we caught the ferry to the most southern Friesland Island (hope I got that right - I'm not a REAL PAID writer so I can't afford a fact checker yet), Texel - pronounced Tessel for all you foreigners! The website for the ferry said it's a 30 minute trip... try 15 minutes max! For 35 euros round trip it should've been 30!!! We had limited time on the island due to our late start and Brad's need to get back to Amsterdam to pick up Natalia at the airport coming in from Poland. We ate a nice, relaxed lunch. Radhika and I swapped meals after I discovered I had small shrimps in my sandwich (you try to decipher a dutch menu - - sometimes you say to hell with it and ye takes yur chances!). We drove past the nude beaches heading to the north end. The terrain was quite different to what we are used to down in the "big city" which was nice. We drove through some small towns. I believe there are only 7 on the entire island. We walked along the beach for a spell and then had to head back, stopping only after Brad spied an ice cream shop on the side of the road after we took the ferry back to the mainland. We pushed Brad out of the car as we zipped past the airport where we assumed he met up with the birthday girl because we saw her later that week and headed home. I believe we saw a movie that night, but who remembers these things?!??! Oh yeah, it was the second viewing of Kung Fu Panda (Jack Black being funny with just his words and voice).

Rowing Lesson 3

What a beautiful weather day yesterday!!!!!!!!! Don't get to say THAT very often in Amsterdam (from OUR experience here and point of view - living previously in Orlando!). Played some fun, sweaty tennis with Vik and Natalia, then biked it over to the GE office where we met Radhika already mounted on her bike heading to the rowing location which is right near the office. Brad was already there waiting for the rest of the team. Radhika actually sat in the lead position yesterday, this being the first time all 4 of us were in the boat together (Brad missed lesson 1 with injury, Natalia missed lesson 2 being in Poland). It went well. Brad saved my Sweetie's life by not allowing her to step out of the boat by placing her foot on the sliding seat (that's my girlie!!!). I am in his debt and must now save Natalia's life some day, some how. Eva, our coach was celebrating her 23rd birthday and decided to celebrate with us by telling us how much we sucked at rowing! Just kidding (not about her birthday). She gave us good instruction and just enough praise so we didn't toss our oars into the Amstel River out of frustration. Radhika was displaying the start of a few small blisters on her hands afterwards as badges of honor, evidence of the rigors and stress of leading a team of rowers down the dangerous, treacherous waters of the Amstel.

Monday, July 21, 2008

By Popular Demand

Adding a few pictures by request. The first one... I guess some people needed visual evidence that Radhika DOES indeed ride a bike to work - weather permitting. The others that follow are of our place here in Amsterdam. The bedrooms and such are on the floor where you enter the apartment, and the living room, dining room, kitchen, and nook are on the top floor. Sounds backwards, but it is the best way as we're on the top of the building so there are 3 skylights providing natural light and they open up when the weather is nice. The rooftop terrace is a nice area to have for gatherings or reading, and just hanging out (again, weather permitting!). The views from both floors are exceptional and it's relatively quiet considering it's a popular section of the city. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Revenge of the Rodent

Okay... back in Amsterdam and finally caught up on the trips to Norway and America. It's been a typical summer here, but even a little cooler then usual from what I understand from locals. I got off the plane from Orlando on June 26th in shorts and a t-shirt and proceeded to shiver. If I recall accurately there was a 30 degree (in fahrenheit) difference between origination (92) and destination (62). There have been a lot of clouds, almost equal amount of precipitation, breezy, with "here and there" sunshine. Last night it was 57 degrees!!! This is July, and my body is wondering where all the missing sweat is! Today the high is 62!
Anyway, as you blog readers should know, there was a rodent rave out in the yard back in Orlando while I was there. Apparently our neighborhood isn't the only affected area, as Windermere is also getting it's share of critter visitors. But I'm beginning to think I was followed back to Amsterdam, and a plot for revenge is in the works! I went into the storage area in the kitchen, and I found a small hole chewed into the ziplock bag that contained my snickers bars with the end of one bar nibbled on!! Now this is enough to cause me to blow up the building to get the varmint (think Bill Murray in Caddyshack). The landlord says it's a little mouse and all places in Amsterdam have them. I still think a rat followed me from O-Town and is plotting to right the wrong I committed on his fellow 17 or so kin. Vincent (our landlord) provided some traps and bait, so that suckers days are numbered. We have since placed all accesible foodstuffs in a large, plastic container. Hope it REALLY enjoyed those tasty mouthfuls of peanuts, nougat, and creamy chocolate because that's all it's getting here!!
I finally got our GE leased car cleaned. It's been really dirty since the day it was turned over to us. I tried to get it serviced before we went to Norway, but it takes weeks to get an appointment so I settled for a date after I came back from Orlando. Well, I went to the Ford dealer Tuesday morning. It wasn't obvious where the service area was but I found it after a spell. They had a 40K kilometer service on the invoice (even though there's only 26K on the car) but no mention of the cleaning. I just sat there for a second or 2 thinking "here we go". I told the guy that the cleaning was at least equally important to the service, as both were reasons for the appointment. So he showed me the invoice and I said that I understood, and could see that it's not listed in the desired work to be done, but it was requested. I told him that the man I had made the appointment with over the phone said they use an outside vendor to clean their serviced cars which he nodded in agreement to, but kept saying it's not on the paperwork. I asked if it could be cleaned today... squeezed into the schedule, and the typical Dutch response of "not possible" shot out of his mouth faster then can be measured with our limited technology of the day! It was like he was sitting there for centuries with the words "not possible" poised between his cheek and gums like some verbal wad of Skoal just eager to spit it out at the first opportunity... and I was the lucky cowboy receiving his chaw on my boot!!! When I asked when I could get it cleaned he reviewed some papers and said August 8th! Then the 11th, as the person who does the cleaning is on holiday for 3 weeks. I wanted to jump across the desk and choke him! But, having worked on my anger management (like Jesse Jackson apparently should), I went on with the service and said I would make another appointment to get it cleaned. He then remarked that I had no car rental on the invoice. I said "No, it's a leased car from GE." I thought about his comment, and asked "Car rental for me? Uh, how long do you plan on keeping the car?" Remember, this was 8:30 in the morning and just getting a preventive maintenance check and probable oil change. He said they usually keep it a day!! That across-the-desk choke slam was getting closer. I told him I am NOT prepared to leave the car. I figured 3 to 4 hours max, so I brought my camera's with me and would walk around the area shooting whatever presents itself until called on the mobile. It would be a pain in the ass to get back home and come back the next day. The guy I made the appointment with did not indicate how long it would take, and I mistakenly assumed the service time would be similar to US times. He looked at the invoice and said they will be able to finish today but could give me no time. So, I left the car, grabbed my stuff and started walking towards the football arena where there were shopping stores a couple of miles away. I made some photos along the way of an industrial area, grabbed a banana and yogurt drink, mulled around in a huge sporting goods store and then noticed a movie theater that is part of our free movie club card. I got my ticket for my 2nd viewing of The Incredible Hulk and sat down. Shortly, 2 guys came to me and said I couldn't be in there with my cameras. I explained they were professional still cameras, but there was still doubt. I offered that they lock them up in an office, but they didn't want responsibility. We left the theater to continue the discussion outside in the lobby. Finally, I offered to give them the batteries and they were okay with that!! So, with my cellphone battery almost exhausted and it being over 2 hours since leaving the car, I turned it off at the start of the movie. Of course I had messages waiting when I turned it back on. They said the car was finished, so I had them pick me up at the theater which was nice as it was sprinkling (of course) and I didn't want to walk 2 miles back with digital cameras in the rain. It was about 4pm when I got to R's office after gassing up (82 euros for a maximum 13 gallon tank - - about $120. That's over $9/gallon for all you $4/gallon whiners. Phil Gramm's words, not mine). Anyway, Thursday I called 1 of the other 2 Ford dealers and they hooked me up with their car cleaner who did an excellent job the next day. I even took the tram home and back so I wasn't stuck somewhere all day. I'll take the car back to them for the next servicing as they were much more helpful and professional.
We saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" with Brad and Natalia Friday night. It was very funny and one we all say we'll see again. Saturday, we had them over for dinner, serving Indian dishes. It came out quite well and all seemed to enjoy it. We later went over to their apartment which is really close to our location, as they had invited some people over from Brad's ultimate frisbee team. All night when referring to the movie, Brad called it everything BUT the right title!!! It was hilarious! "Saving Sarah Silverman", "Remembering Private Ryan", "Forgetting Sarah Ferguson" - - you name it, he said it. I think after he sees it again, he won't FORGET the title.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Rat Side Story

So... I look out a side window one day as I have come in from the heat and pressure cleaning when I see what I first thought was a squirrel with a hairless tail. After a millisecond I realized what I saw and after a few moments of disbelief I went outside to find it. Of course it was nowhere in sight, but I told Marc about it and to be on the lookout. The next day I am headed to the side gate and the scurrying sound of a lizard on my left caught my attention. Those of us living in the area are used to seeing small lizards everywhere, so it's no big deal. But, right next to where this lizard came to stop was this furry little varmint, and man were we eyeballing each other!! It's nose and whiskers were twitching, and I swear its eyes were asking me not to harm it. Yeah, for a second I felt bad as I went to grab a board to knock the life out of it. If it were one rat, I may turn my back, but I know there's no such thing as one rat!!! I tried to smack that thing but couldn't get a clean shot, so it bolted from it's hiding place and zipped past me within a foot or 2 so fast I couldn't react. It went to Kevin's yard where I lost it. The next day I'm chasing a rat again, but this is NOT the same one I had seen previously (you see - - no such thing as 1 rat!!!). It was a monster!! More large house cat than rat!!! Reminded me of the dog-sized rat I saw in Chicago one night at 5am a long time ago! I chased it around trying to lay the smack down on it. The bastard climbed a tree and got onto the roof where I soon followed as I had the ladder out for the pressure washing. Couldn't find it on the roof, so as I was coming back down I noticed it in the tree doing the "I'm a branch" impression. I took a Mark McGuire (after steroids) swing and sent that "ratball" straight to the wall. I didn't know I was dealing with a terminator, because it bounced and hit the ground running, sounding like it was laughing as it vanished down the hill. I got off the roof but the beast was nowhere to be found. The rats definitely had the upper hand, but little did they know their fortunes were about to change. The next day Marc is on the same side of the house building a flower garden, and lifts up a railroad tie to use as a border. He pokes his head in the house telling me to come outside; he found "my" rat. Well, he really found the "condo" it had built and was living in. He also discovered a nest with 4, hairless, sightless newborn babies in it (going back to never 1 rat!!!!). Red carpenter ants started to get on them and bite, causing them to scream and wiggle. I wanted them gone, but didn't want them to suffer, so I put on gloves and removed them from the nest and now numerous ants, dipping them in water and pulling the ants off of them. Marc and I felt the most humane way to deal with this was to drown them, which I did. The ants would've slowly and painfully killed them if they were left there, the sun would've slowly killed them if I just tossed them in the field. Too bad I didn't know anyone with a python or similar snake because they would've made a nice snack. So, counting those babies we now knew there had been at least 6 rats in the area. The smaller one I first saw and then big daddy. Later in the day, I was leaning forward to plug in the paint sprayer in one of the outdoor receptacles, and down in this hole against the house and 2 boards I saw these beady eyes looking up at me. It was the rat from hell!!!!! I froze for a second, half not wanting to spook it and half not wanting it to fly up and grab my jugular with it's yellow nasty fangs. I looked around and there was no weapon narrow enough to stick down there to crush this designed-by-the-military monster. I thought about the Smith and Wesson in the house, but then I thought of ricochet at close range, and forever explaining how I lost my left pinkie or the big dent in my forehead. All that was nearby was the pressure cleaner. Hmmmmm... I cranked that beeyotch up and simultaneously stuck it down the hole and pulled the trigger. Not much happened.... at first.... and then it thrust itself up and halfway out of the hole!!!! It was strong like a Sherman Tank!! It looked dead at me, showed it's yellow teeth as it gave me a rat scream. If it could've freed up a paw I'm sure it would've flipped me off! The wand was against its abdomen with the washer stream point blank cutting into it. I pushed it back down into the hole with the wand of the pressure cleaner and put my shoe over most of the hole. A little blood was here and there, most of it from the rat. After what seemed like 10 minutes, I released the trigger and pulled out the wand. Looking into the hole, I couldn't see the rat! Did the damn thing dig out? Have a tunnel to escape through? I jammed a bunch of rocks in the hole to keep it from coming out if it were bale to survive this grisly attack. Marc said he smelled something "bad" in the area the next 2 days but it stopped after that. He asked if I was going to remove it (like how - - stick my hand down there to grab it?), but I figured the odor would keep other rats from moving in and ants would eventually "clean up". I told Kevin the story, and luckily he works for a pest control company and offered me a few traps, which I set in the area. It only took overnight to grab the next "contestant" in my own personal reality show, and I placed the body on a post on the back fence hoping the local Osprey's or Hawks would grab the meal. I think it was the first one I saw because it was smaller. So, I figured that was the end of it... 1 male and 1 female killed with their offspring... until the trap went off again and caught another rat the very next night. In the meantime, Marc found another nest in the same area as the first one with 3 babies in it. So, those 3 did the perpetual backstroke in the water pail and were disposed of. A couple of days later, I'm in the backyard and one goes scurrying down the fence line!!! Jefferson, Marc's pug starts chasing it back and forth just having a good 'ol time. He could've grabbed it on several occasions, but I think he just wanted the thrill of the chase. Well, I did my own chasing, but giving it several well placed whacks on the head and off it went to the back fence post where the other rat had already disappeared from (cat or bird is my guess). This one didn't make it overnight either, but this time ants cleaned off everything but the skeleton. One more death via rattrap a few days later, and there's a bonafide pet cemetery in the backyard now. After several days of "zero kills", we're high fiving and figuring another victory for humanity. But no... I go to move a plastic barrel in the yard used to store some pipes and gutter material, and I look at something looking at me!! But wait; there are another pair of eyes!!! And another!!!! And another!!!! I lost count after 6!!!!!!!!!! That was it! I started filling that barrel up with water as I removed the stored material. Eventually, rats were trying to make a break for it as the water level rose and hiding places disappeared. With a piece of PVC pipe I started playing my own version of the carnival and arcade game "Whack-A-Mole". As they tried to scamper out I thumped 'em good on the head. Eventually they were all dead of head trauma or drowning, but just to make sure I sealed the barrel and left it overnight. What a beautiful odor that came rising out of that barrel when it was opened the next day!!! NEVER have I ever dealt with a stink such as that. Marc and I carried the barrel to the retention pond where we dumped the contents. That was the last time we saw a rat... 18 rats in total!!!!! I had not seen a wild rat in Florida since I was about 5 or 6 when my Dad killed a couple that had gotten into our henhouse.

Back In Orlando, part 2

Once back in Orlando, it was time to paint. I had purchased the paint (15 gallons) and paint sprayer when I bought the sealant. I had actually done a little painting before leaving for NY, as I had rented an extension ladder for 2 days to get to the high 2nd story section in the back. I pressure cleaned in the morning, it was dry by early afternoon so I applied sealant and that was dry by the end of the day. The next morning I let the sun dry off any remaining moisture and put the first coat on the high places. Later in the day I applied the 2nd coat and was done in the places I needed the extension ladder and took it back the next morning. The other high places I could reach with my 2 ladders, getting on the roof, standing on the pool screen frame, or hanging upside down from the roof. Of course, at the end of one day after a full days worth of work on the extension ladder, I was painting high up and hadn't noticed the nozzle had come loose on the spray gun. My safety glasses were filthy so I wasn't wearing them, and a blob of paint came out of the gun, hit the wall, and splashed into my right eye. So here I go down the ladder with one eye stinging and shut, burying my head in the swimming pool. It flushed out the paint really well, but you know this dufus went to Lowe's that evening and bought another pair of safety glasses! So over several days, the painting was accomplished (but not before I forgot to paint the mailbox out front and was scraping paint molecules out of the empty cans to finish that!). I bought 2 gallons of the trim paint and started on that. Almost finished before I went to Tallahassee to visit my sister and nephew from the 19th to the 22nd. I hadn't visited up there in years and found myself in the middle of renovations. Seems like everyone is working on the homes! Helen is replacing floor boards, and Lee is doing a lot of the work with their friend, Phil. It's looking good. I finally met friends of there's I had heard about over the years at dinner out one night. Lee and I went to the movies to see "Iron Man". We went to another one of Helen's friends house for her young son's birthday party which was nice. Oh, don't let me forget my nephew running his mouth about dominating me in a game of basketball. 21 - 0. Ouch!!! I believe it is an adults duty to slap down an adolescent when they don't know their place. His scars will heal... one day. He wanted to quit when it was 2 - 0!! Oh the simple joys in life!

I was able to finish up the painting after my trip to Tallahassee, and most of the things on my list. I played a few more (free) games of tennis, visited some (but not all) friends in Daytona, had sushi with Carla, Karin, and Bill, hung out with B, enjoyed that shimmering swimming pool and the sultry summer sun only central Florida can provide. R couldn't believe how dark I was when she saw me at the airport. I had cast off that pasty shade of cream that Amsterdam had inflicted upon me. But soon I will be back to my European paleness, semi-blending in with the ghosts and undead. I do miss "home" at times, but enjoying the opportunity of "living where we're living" and making the most of it. back to adventures of the European style! I'll get on those pictures of our place here in Amsterdam for those of you who have expressed an interest, and get them on the blog soon! Later!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Copenhagen

Copenhagen couldn't be better situated as a stopover point between Amsterdam and Oslo, sitting smack in the middle of a 16 hour drive between the 2 points. We rolled into Copenhagen in the mid evening, but with our northern location it was bright as 3pm outside. It was tricky finding our hotel due to the hotel's sign being on top of a tall building down the street from where it actually is. I got out, ran around the building looking for the entrance... nope. SO, we followed TomTom, which instructed us to turn down a side street and go a few hundred meters. There it is! Not sure why they have their sign on a building that's NOT where they are located, but there you have it. Found a place on the street to put the car after checking in. The room was almost like a ship cabin I was in during a high school trip to the Bahama's! Beds and tables folded up to the wall for maximum space, the bathroom... man, hard to explain that one. Let's just say you could clean it by just spraying it down with a garden hose (you know, how they do it at Hee-Haw Junction). The room was clean, convenient, and comfortable... the important "C's" when it comes to accommodations. You can throw in "cheap" as a 4th "C", but that doesn't really exist in Scandinavia!

With plenty of light left, we jetted out and walked towards what we considered city center. It took a while to get our bearings, but we made it, and in the process figured out the best direct route to take later. Copenhagen is a clean, well-spaced city, pretty much like Oslo. Every European city we have visited maintains it's cleanliness very well, with the exception of Amsterdam!! Figures. But I believe I have come upon the reason. Amsterdam is a very small, densely populated city, where the others are less populated and/or spread over a larger area. Also, people from poorer areas of the world where litter isn't much of a consideration have made Amsterdam their new home. These 2 factors, I believe, make Amsterdam a messier place. But to be fair, since coming back from Norway, Amsterdam does look a little cleaner. Brad and Natalia say that NY City has more litter, and we said "No way!". I was just in Manhattan, and one of the first things I thought was "They are CRAZY if they think Manhattan has more litter on the street then Amsterdam!" Come to find out when I returned to Amsterdam, R told me they had visited Manhattan during their recent trip back to the states and felt the EXACT opposite, that Manhattan IS more littered then Amsterdam! Oh... what do they know?! ANYWAY, back to the trip. We are in the shopping district of Copenhagen, and the prices of clothing at some stores are actually less then what one would pay in Amsterdam. That was a pleasant surprise. We walk, sight see, people watch (people STILL falling for sidewalk shell games!!!), and grab a bite to eat, sitting outdoors at an Italian restaurant on a plaza. It was quite nice, but got a little chilly (it IS May AND Scandinavia). We head back to our hotel a little after 11pm when it is finally dark.

Friday morning comes, and I go down to the front desk to see if any of the limited number of parking spots in the back of the hotel have become vacant overnight, as they instructed me to do the day of check in when none were open. There were a couple, so I quickly went to where we had parked the car on the street because it had to be moved by 8 or it would get ticketed, and parked it in the hotel lot. There it would stay until we left tomorrow. We headed to the city center around 10am, walking along a canal and past a nice park. The sun was out and it was warm, so people were out and in seemingly good spirits. We went to a small art gallery and then visited a cathedral, going up a tower with a spiraling ramp that Peter The Great supposedly rode his horse up early in the last century. We grabbed a bite to eat for lunch and then visited the plaza and vendor stalls looking at what was being sold. Radhika bought herself some fine earrings and then we went down to the waterfront. After we visited another cathedral, walked through another large plaza, past some beautiful fountains to where the famous statue of "The Little Mermaid" could be found along the waterfront. We eventually made our way back to the center via another pretty park, going to the shopping district to eyeball all of the people who were now out on an early Friday evening. We ate a nice dinner outdoors at an Italian restaurant and walked back to the hotel at 11pm.

The next morning we sleep in, then head out a little before 11am. It's Saturday, so the streets are bustling. We catch the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace and then have a nice meal at a street side cafe. We go to the center and waterfront areas checking out people, sidewalk markets and vendors seeing their crafts and wares, and around 3pm stumble upon a pipe and drum band putting on a concert in a plaza. We enjoyed that a lot, but that was the end of our trip as we had to make the 8 hour journey back to Amsterdam. We walked back to the hotel to pick up the car in the lot and headed out of Copenhagen by 4pm, arriving in Amsterdam shortly before midnight. It was good to be home only due to having the long drive behind us, but we were bummed that yet another adventure was behind us. But now we prepare for the next one in a couple of months - - Oktoberfest and southern Italy!!!