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.

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.