So it's back to being solo at the hacienda, with everyone back in Amsterdam, Oklahoma, Tallahassee, or NY. My sights became set on finding someone wanting to rent the upstairs part of the house. Someone mentioned Craig's List. I thought that website was for buying and selling stuff, but I learned that you can advertise for roommates and such, as well. So, I posted an ad and got 4 immediate hits. I guess it was lucky #4, as the first 3 didn't work out. I met Wes, who had been living in Daytona Beach, but wanted to come to Orlando as he was finishing up is Masters soon in Business Entertainment and wants to work at Disney or Universal. Into his 30's, he seemed like the mature person we would want. Everything seemed to fall into place, and finding someone we were cool with wasn't as difficult as we expected it to be. He moved in while I still had several weeks remaining on my visit which was good. It gave me time to get comfortable with him being there, and allowed us to go over operating the pool and other household details.
I went up to Tallahassee to visit Helen and Lee a couple of weeks after they had come down to Orlando and Tampa. Ahhhhh Tallahassee...the necks get redder and redder with each visit. But we had a good time up there. Saw some movies and had some surprisingly good Mexican food in Woodville, of all places. Think Hooterville - minus the hooters! Well...that doesn't work very well, does it? Let me just say that Woodville is VERY small, with more Confederate flags per capita than the stars and stripes. I went out shooting in the area one afternoon, and Lee came along and assisted me, doing reflector duty on several shots. Helen tried her hand at making dosa's, a south Indian dish consisting of a crepe filled with potatoes, sometimes cheese, and various spices. She did pretty good. The crepes are always the tricky part.
So back in Orlando, Wes moves his stuff in after a week or so. He doesn't have nearly the amount of stuff that our previous renter had! That makes it easier for everyone. I borrow some video equipment from the photo department at (formerly) DBCC and commence to transferring VHS tapes to DVD. Man, some of that stuff goes back to '66!! Junior and senior high band performances, basketball games, piano recitals, family holidays...haven't seen some of that stuff in a long while. Would be fun to share some of the school stuff with old classmates. I'll try to get around to that sometime soon. Anyway, this is a laborious process! Now I see why businesses charge what they do. The tough ones were the early ones, where all kinds of different stuff is on the VHS tape. It's easier in the long run to stop and start when the subject matter changes, as it makes it easier to find in the future. But it is a drag and I'm glad that is behind me! I also visited some friends from far in the past that were seen for the first time in 30 years at last years high school reunion. Had lunch with Scott, who goes back to my first grade class in 66-67. Also saw him at a car show/rally in Orlando when Helen and Lee came back down from Tallahassee a week or so before I returned to Amsterdam. Another lunch with Mike, someone I first knew from 4th grade in Mrs. Elliot's class at Holly Hill Elementary. We also became reacquainted right after high school when I was in and out of a group of guys that started hanging out late into the evenings. He had never had Indian cuisine before, so I took him to Kohinoor in Altamonte Springs. He loved it, especially the butter chicken. And Susan and I were in the high school band. We had lunch one day in Daytona, and when Helen came down to Orlando, we all went to lunch on a Sunday in Port Orange. It was good conversation and some laughs catching up with people that I had either a remote or direct connection to. Look forward to seeing them on occasion on my trips back.
I got everything I wanted done with the exception of the lawn mower. Kind of overlooked that. Played a lot of tennis until my elbow became sore (not tennis elbow, however), Carla cut my hair (as usual), saw Karin and Bill's twin sons, Joe and Alexis in Daytona - visited with so many friends - kinda forget how many until I stop to think about it. A good stay in Florida, for sure. Now I was off to NJ/NY!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My US Visit
Well, it's taken me a while but better late than never. I was in the US from December 9th to February 24th, and my timing couldn't have been better. While I was away, Amsterdam had the worst winter on record during the past 30 years. Record low temperatures and snowfall started almost from the time I left. Now central Florida didn't exactly have a mild winter either, but compared to what was experienced in Amsterdam and other parts of the world, I'll take what I had in Orlando! As a matter-of-fact, the first 2 weeks were beautiful, with sunshine and warmth creating great times on the tennis court.
It was a little strange at first being home. Marc, who was renting part of the house since January 2008 had moved out in July, so the house was empty. I figured this was a good time to clean it and do some repairs. The fridge was empty, so let's tilt that over slightly and vacuum the coils and all that under there. Cleaning only the front intake area since it was purchased in '94 left many mondo-dust bunnies packed around every nook and cranny. It took a very long time and many different angles to clean. Top to bottom I cleaned for days. The car started up fine this time, so I wasn't stranded like I was last summer. I made a promise I wouldn't shop at Sam's, and it made sense that I didn't to avoid surplus food when I left. I immediately started to think about how to go about finding another person or persons to rent part of the house to. This was THE major task that had to be done while I was back. I also had things to buy to take back, clear out the garage, transfer VHS tapes to DVD, and planned to visit with family and friends.
Radhika arrived a little over a week after I came in, and worked from the Orlando office, actually occupying her same Trustreet/GE office she had before leaving in '07 for Amsterdam. We visited with friends and she got to hang a little with her "girlie-girl posse". A few days before Christmas, her Mom and my sister and nephew arrived from New Jersey and Tallahassee, respectively. We drove over to Tampa where we met up with her oldest sister Dolly and Dolly's husband, John, her other sister Poonam, husband Umesh and their boys Akshay and Abishek, and John's Mom Joanne and step-brother, Brian. We had a fun 3 1/2 days playing volleyball and ping pong, pool lounging, eating and drinking, and sailing the seas on a pirate ship. Those pictures are in an album when you clink on the link to the right. On the 26th, John and Dolly went on a short cruise, Joanne and Brian visited with friends they knew in Florida, and the rest of us went back to Orlando. Helen and Lee went back to Tallahassee, and Poonam and her family came over to Orlando from Tampa. Before everyones departure on New Years Day, there were visits to Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, and Universal Studios. Everyone had a good time. It had been 5 years since everyone had been together at once. Dolly's plan came together nicely. But it was an adjustment for me to be back in an empty, quiet house. I continued my tasks and then got an email from Dolly and John that they were coming back from their cruise in the early morning and their flight out of Tampa wasn't until early evening. So I drove over and met them at the port of Tampa. We hung out in Ybor City, had a nice lunch, did a little shopping, and then I took them to the airport. It was a nice, sunny day for them to conclude their holiday and head back to endure the rest of an icy cold winter in New York. Again I required another adjustment back to the quiet of the house void of anyone but myself. But that was about to change. Part 2 will follow.
It was a little strange at first being home. Marc, who was renting part of the house since January 2008 had moved out in July, so the house was empty. I figured this was a good time to clean it and do some repairs. The fridge was empty, so let's tilt that over slightly and vacuum the coils and all that under there. Cleaning only the front intake area since it was purchased in '94 left many mondo-dust bunnies packed around every nook and cranny. It took a very long time and many different angles to clean. Top to bottom I cleaned for days. The car started up fine this time, so I wasn't stranded like I was last summer. I made a promise I wouldn't shop at Sam's, and it made sense that I didn't to avoid surplus food when I left. I immediately started to think about how to go about finding another person or persons to rent part of the house to. This was THE major task that had to be done while I was back. I also had things to buy to take back, clear out the garage, transfer VHS tapes to DVD, and planned to visit with family and friends.
Radhika arrived a little over a week after I came in, and worked from the Orlando office, actually occupying her same Trustreet/GE office she had before leaving in '07 for Amsterdam. We visited with friends and she got to hang a little with her "girlie-girl posse". A few days before Christmas, her Mom and my sister and nephew arrived from New Jersey and Tallahassee, respectively. We drove over to Tampa where we met up with her oldest sister Dolly and Dolly's husband, John, her other sister Poonam, husband Umesh and their boys Akshay and Abishek, and John's Mom Joanne and step-brother, Brian. We had a fun 3 1/2 days playing volleyball and ping pong, pool lounging, eating and drinking, and sailing the seas on a pirate ship. Those pictures are in an album when you clink on the link to the right. On the 26th, John and Dolly went on a short cruise, Joanne and Brian visited with friends they knew in Florida, and the rest of us went back to Orlando. Helen and Lee went back to Tallahassee, and Poonam and her family came over to Orlando from Tampa. Before everyones departure on New Years Day, there were visits to Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, and Universal Studios. Everyone had a good time. It had been 5 years since everyone had been together at once. Dolly's plan came together nicely. But it was an adjustment for me to be back in an empty, quiet house. I continued my tasks and then got an email from Dolly and John that they were coming back from their cruise in the early morning and their flight out of Tampa wasn't until early evening. So I drove over and met them at the port of Tampa. We hung out in Ybor City, had a nice lunch, did a little shopping, and then I took them to the airport. It was a nice, sunny day for them to conclude their holiday and head back to endure the rest of an icy cold winter in New York. Again I required another adjustment back to the quiet of the house void of anyone but myself. But that was about to change. Part 2 will follow.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
New Year
Greetings! Hope everyone is doing well in 2010. Yesterday I completed a 2 1/2 month visit in the US that was varied as it was long, and it couldn't have come at a better time considering the wickedly brutal winter weather Amsterdam experienced while I was gone. Mind you Orlando wasn't a tropical paradise during this period either, but it was substantially better than sub-freezing days and nights strung together endlessly, icy sidewalks and streets, and more snowfall than they have seen in decades. Two days before my return on the 24th they finally broke into the 40's (5 degrees c)!! By the weekend we're creeping close to 50 before another dip in the temperature hits. No, I haven't seen the sun since returning. But, that could be because I slept 10 hours (to noon today) after being awake for 38 hours straight. I got to the apartment around 11 after my arrival was delayed, placed 40 of Mom's (Radhika's Mom) precious homemade paratha's in the freezer, unpacked, fell on the bed for 10 minutes before I was picked up to go to a board meeting in The Hague about an hour away. Came back to Amsterdam around 6, where I was met at the door by our new maid and Radhika preparing for her Dutch language tutor and the other 3 students who share in the class that takes place at our apartment. I finished unpacking and ate after class was over and watched some TV to relax. Fell asleep I was so relaxed, but could not duplicate that feat again until around 2am.
Today I spent organizing and finalizing the two workshops that I will conduct this Sunday and on the 21st of March. I also scheduled a meeting for the commercial shoot I will be doing soon with the tour boat company. I will be back at ACCESS soon, as the board member I was butting heads with before I left has been asked to leave and has done so. They are deciding on compensation for the editors of the magazine too, so hopefully I will be back at that soon. I will be making some photography trips of several days soon to areas close by to continue building my portfolio, and also want to set up some other commercial flavored settings with local models to bolster my book, as well. Also following the path suggested by one of my professors that I talked to on one of my trips to Daytona Beach, getting work with US based magazines and clients. So, being busy in the coming weeks and months should be good. I will keep this up as often as possible. My next entry in the coming days will cover my trip to the US, and everything that happened along with pictures. Until then....
Today I spent organizing and finalizing the two workshops that I will conduct this Sunday and on the 21st of March. I also scheduled a meeting for the commercial shoot I will be doing soon with the tour boat company. I will be back at ACCESS soon, as the board member I was butting heads with before I left has been asked to leave and has done so. They are deciding on compensation for the editors of the magazine too, so hopefully I will be back at that soon. I will be making some photography trips of several days soon to areas close by to continue building my portfolio, and also want to set up some other commercial flavored settings with local models to bolster my book, as well. Also following the path suggested by one of my professors that I talked to on one of my trips to Daytona Beach, getting work with US based magazines and clients. So, being busy in the coming weeks and months should be good. I will keep this up as often as possible. My next entry in the coming days will cover my trip to the US, and everything that happened along with pictures. Until then....
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Last 2009 Post
It's been 2 months since my last update. The weather that I said was so pleasant back in September now has the usual wintry menu: big dark gray skies (making noon feel like early evening), with blustery chilly winds and moderate helpings of rain on the side.
Made some really nice wedding photos back on the 6th for my second Dutch ceremony (see website or Facebook album) and have a marketing shoot coming up before our visit to the US if the client wraps up their end in time. Did the cover graphic design for the Magazine issue that comes out soon, and one of my Alkmaar images will grace the spring cover next March. Interviewed the British Consul for a profile of him, and writing the last of 2 articles for the spring issue from my pen (okay, Mac). The ACCESS calendar is coming out soon, and supposed to contain several of my images that I submitted to the Editor in Chief, who said they were "brilliant" and asked if they were all mine. Hmmmm, sounded like he couldn't connect something he thought had merit, and yours truly. Bummer. Anyway, after deciding not to say I plagiarized them all, I did indeed take responsibility for them all. Whether that will lead to any assignments or work with the 2 magazines he's involved with will be determined at a later date.
We jumped 2 1/2 hours southeast last weekend to a small town named Aachen across the German border to check out their Christmas Market. Was a little strange hearing Jose Feliciano singing "Feliz Navidad" in Germany. Made me think of my high school Spanish teacher. All of the booths were full of chachki's or something to eat. A huge, inflatable gingerbread cookie was the "mascot", as it towered over the proceedings only to be out "verticaled" by the Town Hall that stood nearby, which was built by Charlemagne back in the day - I'm talking waaaaaaaay back in the day (the 790's to be precise). The weather was an absolute gift, sprinkling only a little late in the evening while providing cloudy skies and around 60f during our major "walk-around" time. Gluhwein is the popular seasonal drink, a sweet red wine served warm. You can get a hit of amaretto or a number of different liquids in it. Most are cradling the drink in their fingers, especially when it's cold, to keep a small portion of their outsides warm before it dribbles down their esophagi to keep their insides warm. Nearby restaurants and cafes also fill up with visitors from all over - so much food. Luckily, our hotel was perhaps a 15 minutes walk, so after our filling breakfasts and dinners, we walked our way to a little turbo-digestion. A few years back I would've been looking to eat again after that 15 minute burn to maintain my Greek God, 120 pound temple!
Well folks, that brings 2009 to a close. Have a great holiday season. Maybe I'll see some of you back in the states soon. See you on here again in 2010, unless something compels me to add to this once again in the next 30 or so days. Til then.......
Made some really nice wedding photos back on the 6th for my second Dutch ceremony (see website or Facebook album) and have a marketing shoot coming up before our visit to the US if the client wraps up their end in time. Did the cover graphic design for the Magazine issue that comes out soon, and one of my Alkmaar images will grace the spring cover next March. Interviewed the British Consul for a profile of him, and writing the last of 2 articles for the spring issue from my pen (okay, Mac). The ACCESS calendar is coming out soon, and supposed to contain several of my images that I submitted to the Editor in Chief, who said they were "brilliant" and asked if they were all mine. Hmmmm, sounded like he couldn't connect something he thought had merit, and yours truly. Bummer. Anyway, after deciding not to say I plagiarized them all, I did indeed take responsibility for them all. Whether that will lead to any assignments or work with the 2 magazines he's involved with will be determined at a later date.
We jumped 2 1/2 hours southeast last weekend to a small town named Aachen across the German border to check out their Christmas Market. Was a little strange hearing Jose Feliciano singing "Feliz Navidad" in Germany. Made me think of my high school Spanish teacher. All of the booths were full of chachki's or something to eat. A huge, inflatable gingerbread cookie was the "mascot", as it towered over the proceedings only to be out "verticaled" by the Town Hall that stood nearby, which was built by Charlemagne back in the day - I'm talking waaaaaaaay back in the day (the 790's to be precise). The weather was an absolute gift, sprinkling only a little late in the evening while providing cloudy skies and around 60f during our major "walk-around" time. Gluhwein is the popular seasonal drink, a sweet red wine served warm. You can get a hit of amaretto or a number of different liquids in it. Most are cradling the drink in their fingers, especially when it's cold, to keep a small portion of their outsides warm before it dribbles down their esophagi to keep their insides warm. Nearby restaurants and cafes also fill up with visitors from all over - so much food. Luckily, our hotel was perhaps a 15 minutes walk, so after our filling breakfasts and dinners, we walked our way to a little turbo-digestion. A few years back I would've been looking to eat again after that 15 minute burn to maintain my Greek God, 120 pound temple!
Well folks, that brings 2009 to a close. Have a great holiday season. Maybe I'll see some of you back in the states soon. See you on here again in 2010, unless something compels me to add to this once again in the next 30 or so days. Til then.......
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Picture "Catch-up"
We've been doing things and going places recently and I've been behind. If you go to the blog and click on the links to albums, you will find three new ones once you get there. One is of our visit to Alkmaar where the cheese market is held every Friday morning from march to September. We attended the 2nd to last one of the season together, and I went back for the very last one the following Friday. Also, there are 2 albums from our holiday to Barcelona. One of sights and another of us and the sights.
Leaves are starting to fall from the trees, and the daytime highs are only in the mid to lower 60's. There hasn't been a lot of rain, and we haven't been under a deep, dull, blanket of gray cloud cover, so that's good. In fact the sun has been more active here than usual!
Some excitement at the apartment. The valves were recently changed on the four radiators upstairs, but there was a seal issue with one of them and water leaked between floors - right above our bedroom! As a matter-of-fact, Radhika noticed a different odor one night before bed (do NOT go there!), but I didn't sense it. However, in the morning I felt the air was really moist. I got a ladder and felt the ceiling - cold and damp! Texted the landlord, who had done the job himself, and told him there was a serious problem. Drained the system when he got here, but that still didn't keep water from spilling all over him after he opened a hole in our bedroom ceiling and undid the joint in the pipe! Problem was fixed, and for the next week we have this (un)cool contraption in the room sucking out all of the moisture. The hole will remain for another week or so, and then finally in October the hole will be patched and the entire ceiling repainted (covering the "memorials" on the ceiling where I squished several mosquitoes at 2 in the morning last summer).
Had another good Basic Workshop yesterday with an energetic group of photography enthusiasts. This one even has assignments that some are choosing to do and then I'll critique their results. I find it so enjoyable teaching people! Looking into taking my workshops to The Hague, as I have had several people come to Amsterdam for mine and say there's nothing like it there.
Nailing down next months trip to Munich (post-Oktoberfest) and then scheduling US for December 2 1/2 months from now.
Leaves are starting to fall from the trees, and the daytime highs are only in the mid to lower 60's. There hasn't been a lot of rain, and we haven't been under a deep, dull, blanket of gray cloud cover, so that's good. In fact the sun has been more active here than usual!
Some excitement at the apartment. The valves were recently changed on the four radiators upstairs, but there was a seal issue with one of them and water leaked between floors - right above our bedroom! As a matter-of-fact, Radhika noticed a different odor one night before bed (do NOT go there!), but I didn't sense it. However, in the morning I felt the air was really moist. I got a ladder and felt the ceiling - cold and damp! Texted the landlord, who had done the job himself, and told him there was a serious problem. Drained the system when he got here, but that still didn't keep water from spilling all over him after he opened a hole in our bedroom ceiling and undid the joint in the pipe! Problem was fixed, and for the next week we have this (un)cool contraption in the room sucking out all of the moisture. The hole will remain for another week or so, and then finally in October the hole will be patched and the entire ceiling repainted (covering the "memorials" on the ceiling where I squished several mosquitoes at 2 in the morning last summer).
Had another good Basic Workshop yesterday with an energetic group of photography enthusiasts. This one even has assignments that some are choosing to do and then I'll critique their results. I find it so enjoyable teaching people! Looking into taking my workshops to The Hague, as I have had several people come to Amsterdam for mine and say there's nothing like it there.
Nailing down next months trip to Munich (post-Oktoberfest) and then scheduling US for December 2 1/2 months from now.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Barcelona! The Forgotten Chapter
I don't know why. Perhaps I got lost in everything "good" concerning Barcelona? Still suffering from sunstroke? Who knows? But I left out some details about two not-so-pleasant incidents of our story from my earlier Barcelona post. They follow...
So...months ago, as we decide on where to go, everyone has the same basic opinions on Barcelona. Beautiful this, gorgeous that, nice this, tasty that - oh, but watch out for PICKPOCKETS! Our first few days we were sporting money belts, and we endorse them tremendously for use in may places. But, a brief word with each other one day before leaving the hotel room, and we decided we felt safe enough to go out sans money belts. Well, towards the end of the trip on a subway train back to the hotel around 11pm or so, we were in a crowded car. Not packed, but you could not move freely either. My back is to the door and I'm carrying my camera bag. R is on my right with her backpack. We had just gotten into these positions after getting on the train when this tall, smelly, stale-looking (use your imagination - you can "see" what a stale-looking person would look like on a subway!) man "bumps" into the older man in front of us who is sporting a fanny pack worn in front. I know, he should not be allowed out of his own home with one of those, but it's Europe and they love a lot of shit from the 80's. Just listen to their radio or watch their TV. You would think A-ha just released "Take On Me" and The "A" Team was in it's first run! I should be wearing my old OP cord shorts and puca lightning bolt chain. Any way, I digress. So, I see this "collision" in front of me and I'm thinking this doesn't look kosher. Next thing I know "Rough and Ready" Radhika grabs the phony drunks hand and knocks it away from the older gentleman. I am now in a semi-WTF mode, because my pea-sized brain is comprehending what "Eagle-Eye Annie" has already figured out. I finally grasp the situation and watch to make sure that the now known pickpocket does not retaliate towards the trains new security force of one. He slides away, and R tells the older guy to watch his stuff. He's either French (my guess) or Swiss (R's guess), as he and his older posse earlier bumped and pushed their way past us without a single "excuse me" or "pardon", and we noticed their langauge was not local. He checked his "pack" and his wallet was gone! Well they went into high gear, trying to take photos of the crook and chased him off the train. The doors close, and we noticed that several "shifty" looking people remained amongst the group of riders, tourists, and locals. Damn!! One got off, but was replaced by perhaps 4 to 6 others!! What a feeling it is to have what you KNOW to be criminals right in your sight, but you can't do anything about it. They made no eye contact with anyone. All they did (at least 3 men and one woman) was look at everyone's belongings! It was so obvious. I tried to warn the girl who was now in front of me, as her purse was being "eyeballed", but she was too preoccupied flapping her lips on her cell phone and with her friends. They made no attempt to disguise their intent. I was watching them so intently that I didn't notice one of them trying to distract me by pointing at something, hoping I would look in that direction. R told me about that later. What I did notice was my shorts moving (no, not a good time for one of "those" type of jokes), as I had velcro closures on all of my pockets. I smacked the guy on my left who was tugging at a closed pocket that contained my cell phone, and asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. He didn't look at me or say a word. It was at this moment that Radhika said to get off the train as we were pulling into a station. Once off, I said this isn't even our stop. Well, it was - I just didn't notice because I was intently watching the wolves trying to get the sheep right before my eyes! Well, this was excitement of the variety we didn't need. It took R a full day and a half to regain her chill-buzz she had gained from all the red wine, cava, sunshine, and tapas she had absorbed.
It's the day of our departure. Our flight leaves at 8:25pm. It's about 5, and R wants to head to the airport early (as usual). I finish my mango and coconut ice cream cup (as usual) while she gets assistance from the front desk. Now in my first post, I conveyed that we made it to the hotel by taking a bus from the airport to Catalonia Plaza, and from there a subway train to a stop near the hotel. We could've followed that pattern, but figured the local at the hotel would know a better route. Yeah, you know what's coming. This AAA reject had us take 1 train to a stop, change to another train, and then go to the next stop where we should find the Renfre train that takes you to the airport. At the first transfer, we were both saying what a mistake it was not taking the reverse route back to the airport, because we were hoofiing it through the better part of these stations, up stairs, down stairs, and it was a pain in the ass! But, we finally find the Renfre ticket window, and all seems well. R tells the guy we want 2 tickets for the train to the airport, we ask what platform and he says 1. So we go to the platform, a train comes in, and we board. "Hmmm...not a lot of people with suitcases on this train." We pull into a station we're both familiar with, and I know it to be one that access the airport. Radhika sees people with luggage. We are on the upper level, and the thought to get off there doesn't occur with enough strength until later (hindsight, you know). So we're leaving the city and the view through the windows looks like the plain from "Dances With Wolves", and neither of us is confident we're on a train to the airport. It's well past 6 by now. I ask the gentlemen next to us if the train stops at the airport. You know the answer to that. So now it's a thought process of how to get back on track to the airport. They say the next stop is about 5 minutes away, so we grab our crap and guard the door so we can jump off when it stops. I talk to a guy with a suitcase on the platform who said he was in the same situation, he was put on the wrong train. He said we wern't far from the airport - maybe a 15 euro cab ride. We went into the station to find out in spite of a language barrier that the next train back to Barcelona came in several minutes. Back to the platform, but then I went back to see if we could get a taxi out front, as we were in a small town. The woman didn't fully understand me, but the street looked like it had a decent amount of traffic on it, so I went back and got R and we dashed to the street. It's past 7:15pm now. We walk a block up and do get a taxi and he says he'll take us. We're in the car headed to the airport. We arrive in 15 minutes, the fare was about 15 euros, but it's Saturday AND there's an extra charge to go to the airport. That bumps up the fare 10 more euros. BUT, we are there on time, get on the flight, catch the bus perfectly to Leidseplein, and are safe in our apartment back in dreary Hamstercram. But it's not that bad a place to come back to. So, as with most things in life, we dealt with the good and the bad on this holiday. Had some lessons learned too (like don't try to take something from R unless I want my arm dislocated). Good times.
So...months ago, as we decide on where to go, everyone has the same basic opinions on Barcelona. Beautiful this, gorgeous that, nice this, tasty that - oh, but watch out for PICKPOCKETS! Our first few days we were sporting money belts, and we endorse them tremendously for use in may places. But, a brief word with each other one day before leaving the hotel room, and we decided we felt safe enough to go out sans money belts. Well, towards the end of the trip on a subway train back to the hotel around 11pm or so, we were in a crowded car. Not packed, but you could not move freely either. My back is to the door and I'm carrying my camera bag. R is on my right with her backpack. We had just gotten into these positions after getting on the train when this tall, smelly, stale-looking (use your imagination - you can "see" what a stale-looking person would look like on a subway!) man "bumps" into the older man in front of us who is sporting a fanny pack worn in front. I know, he should not be allowed out of his own home with one of those, but it's Europe and they love a lot of shit from the 80's. Just listen to their radio or watch their TV. You would think A-ha just released "Take On Me" and The "A" Team was in it's first run! I should be wearing my old OP cord shorts and puca lightning bolt chain. Any way, I digress. So, I see this "collision" in front of me and I'm thinking this doesn't look kosher. Next thing I know "Rough and Ready" Radhika grabs the phony drunks hand and knocks it away from the older gentleman. I am now in a semi-WTF mode, because my pea-sized brain is comprehending what "Eagle-Eye Annie" has already figured out. I finally grasp the situation and watch to make sure that the now known pickpocket does not retaliate towards the trains new security force of one. He slides away, and R tells the older guy to watch his stuff. He's either French (my guess) or Swiss (R's guess), as he and his older posse earlier bumped and pushed their way past us without a single "excuse me" or "pardon", and we noticed their langauge was not local. He checked his "pack" and his wallet was gone! Well they went into high gear, trying to take photos of the crook and chased him off the train. The doors close, and we noticed that several "shifty" looking people remained amongst the group of riders, tourists, and locals. Damn!! One got off, but was replaced by perhaps 4 to 6 others!! What a feeling it is to have what you KNOW to be criminals right in your sight, but you can't do anything about it. They made no eye contact with anyone. All they did (at least 3 men and one woman) was look at everyone's belongings! It was so obvious. I tried to warn the girl who was now in front of me, as her purse was being "eyeballed", but she was too preoccupied flapping her lips on her cell phone and with her friends. They made no attempt to disguise their intent. I was watching them so intently that I didn't notice one of them trying to distract me by pointing at something, hoping I would look in that direction. R told me about that later. What I did notice was my shorts moving (no, not a good time for one of "those" type of jokes), as I had velcro closures on all of my pockets. I smacked the guy on my left who was tugging at a closed pocket that contained my cell phone, and asked him what the hell he thought he was doing. He didn't look at me or say a word. It was at this moment that Radhika said to get off the train as we were pulling into a station. Once off, I said this isn't even our stop. Well, it was - I just didn't notice because I was intently watching the wolves trying to get the sheep right before my eyes! Well, this was excitement of the variety we didn't need. It took R a full day and a half to regain her chill-buzz she had gained from all the red wine, cava, sunshine, and tapas she had absorbed.
It's the day of our departure. Our flight leaves at 8:25pm. It's about 5, and R wants to head to the airport early (as usual). I finish my mango and coconut ice cream cup (as usual) while she gets assistance from the front desk. Now in my first post, I conveyed that we made it to the hotel by taking a bus from the airport to Catalonia Plaza, and from there a subway train to a stop near the hotel. We could've followed that pattern, but figured the local at the hotel would know a better route. Yeah, you know what's coming. This AAA reject had us take 1 train to a stop, change to another train, and then go to the next stop where we should find the Renfre train that takes you to the airport. At the first transfer, we were both saying what a mistake it was not taking the reverse route back to the airport, because we were hoofiing it through the better part of these stations, up stairs, down stairs, and it was a pain in the ass! But, we finally find the Renfre ticket window, and all seems well. R tells the guy we want 2 tickets for the train to the airport, we ask what platform and he says 1. So we go to the platform, a train comes in, and we board. "Hmmm...not a lot of people with suitcases on this train." We pull into a station we're both familiar with, and I know it to be one that access the airport. Radhika sees people with luggage. We are on the upper level, and the thought to get off there doesn't occur with enough strength until later (hindsight, you know). So we're leaving the city and the view through the windows looks like the plain from "Dances With Wolves", and neither of us is confident we're on a train to the airport. It's well past 6 by now. I ask the gentlemen next to us if the train stops at the airport. You know the answer to that. So now it's a thought process of how to get back on track to the airport. They say the next stop is about 5 minutes away, so we grab our crap and guard the door so we can jump off when it stops. I talk to a guy with a suitcase on the platform who said he was in the same situation, he was put on the wrong train. He said we wern't far from the airport - maybe a 15 euro cab ride. We went into the station to find out in spite of a language barrier that the next train back to Barcelona came in several minutes. Back to the platform, but then I went back to see if we could get a taxi out front, as we were in a small town. The woman didn't fully understand me, but the street looked like it had a decent amount of traffic on it, so I went back and got R and we dashed to the street. It's past 7:15pm now. We walk a block up and do get a taxi and he says he'll take us. We're in the car headed to the airport. We arrive in 15 minutes, the fare was about 15 euros, but it's Saturday AND there's an extra charge to go to the airport. That bumps up the fare 10 more euros. BUT, we are there on time, get on the flight, catch the bus perfectly to Leidseplein, and are safe in our apartment back in dreary Hamstercram. But it's not that bad a place to come back to. So, as with most things in life, we dealt with the good and the bad on this holiday. Had some lessons learned too (like don't try to take something from R unless I want my arm dislocated). Good times.
Barcelona!
Well, we brought summer (in Amsterdam) to a close with style...by going to BARCELONA!! Today it's below 60f / 15c degrees, the sky is a uniform middle gray, it's windy and wet - typical fall weather for Hamstercram. What's a little soothing is that it's not much better right now in Barcelona - 63f and rain. But for our visit just last week the average was 86f / 30c and sunshine every day! So now that you have the weather report, let's go into our 8 day experience en Espana!
Of course we would encounter extremely strong winds and some rain thrown in on our trip to the airport on Friday evening. We got to the bus stop at Leidseplein before the worst of it dropped from the sky. The KLM flight was fast (a little over 2 hours) and the service was fantastic considering how much flying really blows these days. We were seated in opposing aisle seats (still don't recall picking those). Radhika had her handbag under the seat in front of her with her hair clip on one of the straps. A dutch fellow and his female companion were seated next to her, and during the flight she had to stand in the aisle so he could pass to go to the bathroom. He stepped on her bag, and her clip "crunched" under his foot. He noticed the obvious feeling and sound of stepping on and breaking something, lifted his foot, and went on about his business with no acknowledgement of the incident. I expressed that I felt she should show him the broken pieces, but I was informed it was a cheap clip and not worth mentioning. So, I agreed to not say anything - and man was it hard!!!! And try as I might to remember to collect my tripod from the garment closet located at the door of the plane on the way off the plane in Barcelona, it was Radhika and a flight attendant who did! Right before touchdown I said to myself "Get your tripod on the way out." What a dufus!! And R just loves to point out these things to me! Damn!!
So, we're on the bus from the airport to the city, and we reach Catalonia Plaza where we'll take the metro to the stop near our hotel. As I rise from the seat my wallet stealthily falls to the floor. Radhika is behind me and alerts me to it. Now I am in serious trouble!! I'll save you the grizzly details. I was on a severe "dufus" streak and needed to be watched carefully so I didn't give away my passport and ATM card with a thankyou note consisting of my pin code to the first person who said "Hola!" to me. Luckily we made it to our hotel and I conducted no more giveaways!
A good nights sleep and out of the hotel at the crack of noon the next day! Well, almost...it was a little after 11am. I like to start early, but R prefers a "measured" approach to mornings on holiday. So I end up going out on my own sometimes and come back to the hotel or meet up with R later. But today, we stroll to the ramblas, passing the cathedral which is mostly caged in by scaffolding and a material cover. Can't tell you how many places we have been where major sights are unrecognizable due to surface maintenance (acid rain!) being undertaken. Down the ramblas past street performers and stores to the beach area past The Chris Columbus monument. Funny how they still credit him with "discovering" America! And there's a plaque where he stands before a kneeling native who is kissing his hand. Perhaps because 'ol Chris decided not to kill the guy or cut off his hands as he did to so many others? Pushing past and continuing east, we ended up at the large mall at the harbor. Nice, but hitting malls is not how I like to spend time on holidays. But we explored a little, as R was looking for a pair of Birkenstocks for her sensitive feeties. We walked along the waterfront north finally coming upon beaches. They looked really nice and I was looking forward to a little chill time on them in the coming days. And we did - officially 2 days were spent wholly or partly lazing in the sun and swimming in the cool water. Radhika got 2 massages from the asian ladies who ply the beach with the men selling "cerveza, agua, coke" like hotdog vendors at a ball game. I got one, myself. 30-40 minutes for 10 euros can't be beat! And I'm pretty used to topless beaches now, not like when I was 19 and stumbled across my first one in Ft. Lauderdale. I don't remember, but another "dufus" moment for me, I'm sure. I do recall my friend Tony and I "trying" to be cool as we walked through, then noticed the beach had been taken over by guys laying on towels together. Guess you can say it was a day of firsts for 2 "dufus's" from a small beach town up the coast!
Sightseeing - of course we saw Sagrada Familia, and stupidly paid 11 euros to go inside and witness a construction site. Unless you want to go up the tower for the view, and there are other vantage points to see the city, I would strongly suggest passing up the interior because there's nothing to see. We went to the Picasso Museum, which focuses on his early development. Pretty cool. Many of the parks and plazas were visited, not to mention the many wide streets and narrow passages that offered great buildings and cool little slices of Catalan life. For us, the coolest thing was our visit to La Pedrera. Such a great building way ahead of its time. The Olympic Village was pretty cool too. We took a day trip out to Montserrat, and must say we were disappointed. The monastery is really old, but it's been rebuilt over the centuries that it looks almost contemporary. The surrounding countryside was not all that impressive to us, therefore this is something we wouldn't recommend to others, either. But all-in-all, plenty to see and do for those that want to, or you can just relax and de-stress if that's what you're looking for. A place very high on our list of visiting again! Pictures coming soon!
Of course we would encounter extremely strong winds and some rain thrown in on our trip to the airport on Friday evening. We got to the bus stop at Leidseplein before the worst of it dropped from the sky. The KLM flight was fast (a little over 2 hours) and the service was fantastic considering how much flying really blows these days. We were seated in opposing aisle seats (still don't recall picking those). Radhika had her handbag under the seat in front of her with her hair clip on one of the straps. A dutch fellow and his female companion were seated next to her, and during the flight she had to stand in the aisle so he could pass to go to the bathroom. He stepped on her bag, and her clip "crunched" under his foot. He noticed the obvious feeling and sound of stepping on and breaking something, lifted his foot, and went on about his business with no acknowledgement of the incident. I expressed that I felt she should show him the broken pieces, but I was informed it was a cheap clip and not worth mentioning. So, I agreed to not say anything - and man was it hard!!!! And try as I might to remember to collect my tripod from the garment closet located at the door of the plane on the way off the plane in Barcelona, it was Radhika and a flight attendant who did! Right before touchdown I said to myself "Get your tripod on the way out." What a dufus!! And R just loves to point out these things to me! Damn!!
So, we're on the bus from the airport to the city, and we reach Catalonia Plaza where we'll take the metro to the stop near our hotel. As I rise from the seat my wallet stealthily falls to the floor. Radhika is behind me and alerts me to it. Now I am in serious trouble!! I'll save you the grizzly details. I was on a severe "dufus" streak and needed to be watched carefully so I didn't give away my passport and ATM card with a thankyou note consisting of my pin code to the first person who said "Hola!" to me. Luckily we made it to our hotel and I conducted no more giveaways!
A good nights sleep and out of the hotel at the crack of noon the next day! Well, almost...it was a little after 11am. I like to start early, but R prefers a "measured" approach to mornings on holiday. So I end up going out on my own sometimes and come back to the hotel or meet up with R later. But today, we stroll to the ramblas, passing the cathedral which is mostly caged in by scaffolding and a material cover. Can't tell you how many places we have been where major sights are unrecognizable due to surface maintenance (acid rain!) being undertaken. Down the ramblas past street performers and stores to the beach area past The Chris Columbus monument. Funny how they still credit him with "discovering" America! And there's a plaque where he stands before a kneeling native who is kissing his hand. Perhaps because 'ol Chris decided not to kill the guy or cut off his hands as he did to so many others? Pushing past and continuing east, we ended up at the large mall at the harbor. Nice, but hitting malls is not how I like to spend time on holidays. But we explored a little, as R was looking for a pair of Birkenstocks for her sensitive feeties. We walked along the waterfront north finally coming upon beaches. They looked really nice and I was looking forward to a little chill time on them in the coming days. And we did - officially 2 days were spent wholly or partly lazing in the sun and swimming in the cool water. Radhika got 2 massages from the asian ladies who ply the beach with the men selling "cerveza, agua, coke" like hotdog vendors at a ball game. I got one, myself. 30-40 minutes for 10 euros can't be beat! And I'm pretty used to topless beaches now, not like when I was 19 and stumbled across my first one in Ft. Lauderdale. I don't remember, but another "dufus" moment for me, I'm sure. I do recall my friend Tony and I "trying" to be cool as we walked through, then noticed the beach had been taken over by guys laying on towels together. Guess you can say it was a day of firsts for 2 "dufus's" from a small beach town up the coast!
Sightseeing - of course we saw Sagrada Familia, and stupidly paid 11 euros to go inside and witness a construction site. Unless you want to go up the tower for the view, and there are other vantage points to see the city, I would strongly suggest passing up the interior because there's nothing to see. We went to the Picasso Museum, which focuses on his early development. Pretty cool. Many of the parks and plazas were visited, not to mention the many wide streets and narrow passages that offered great buildings and cool little slices of Catalan life. For us, the coolest thing was our visit to La Pedrera. Such a great building way ahead of its time. The Olympic Village was pretty cool too. We took a day trip out to Montserrat, and must say we were disappointed. The monastery is really old, but it's been rebuilt over the centuries that it looks almost contemporary. The surrounding countryside was not all that impressive to us, therefore this is something we wouldn't recommend to others, either. But all-in-all, plenty to see and do for those that want to, or you can just relax and de-stress if that's what you're looking for. A place very high on our list of visiting again! Pictures coming soon!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Amsterdam Summer!
Yes everybody!! We are finally experiencing some nice, prolonged, western European summer-type weather. Tomorrow the high is forecast to reach 77 and Thursday an absolute scorching 81!! I cannot impress upon you enough, especially those in central Florida, how nice it is to finally have this stretch of sun and warmth. Granted, people still ride their bikes with jackets on as the air always possesses a chill to it, but it's nice to break out my shorts and short sleeves! We have been enjoying pleasant weather, on and off, for several months now. Last year, it seemed we went from spring straight to fall. Much less rain and overcast conditions this year than last. And it's still strange to come home from a movie late at night in July and now August, getting chills from the cold night air!
Some local Amsterdam stories that you may find interesting and/or entertaining? I have a few. One involves "Public Enemies", Naan, and mice. We had a nice Saturday out and about in the city, and decided to have dinner at a good Indian restaurant we know. As usual, we couldn't eat it all, and much to the shock and horror of any Dutch diners in the place, we asked for the food we couldn't finish to be packed. We decided to hit a movie before going home, so we got tickets to "Public Enemies" (eh-2 stars out of 5). We get home late, so I put the doggie bag straight into the fridge and we crash. Next day I'm warming up the Indian goodies for lunch and notice 2 small holes on opposite sides of the plastic bag. But I take out everything and start to zap the containers. The naan (bread) was wrapped in tin foil, and I noticed two little holes on both sides of that, too. Just like the plastic bag. Upon further examination I determine without doubt they are chew holes!! You see, several months back I was at the movies with 2 other folks (their identities will be protected here because one acted like a sissy), and we saw a wee little mouse on the floor of the theater. Well, one not-so manly man squeeled like a mouse when he said he felt it on his foot. I couldn't stop laughing. Back to the present. I opened the tin foil, and sure enough there were little mousey-bites on each end of the naan!! I called Radhika over to show her. She said during the movie the bag seemed to move, which was placed on the seat next to her. She even picked it up and folded the top over to seal it better. She said she was a little puzzled when it seemed to move a couple of times on its own, but didn't consider the "Jerry" factor. So...NEVER leave your Indian food unprotected at the De Munt theater in Amsterdam. The mice have discerning palates!
Also, I learned there is a squatters law here in Amsterdam. I believe there are similar laws in the US (anyone recall the movie "Pacific Heights" with Michael Keaton?), and I just don't get it! Here, if your property is unoccupied for 6 months, people have the right to break in and live there. I was told this came about many years ago, a century or more perhaps. The wealthy would buy houses here, but only live in them part of the time. Meanwhile, many had no place to live. So, the government, in its infinite wisdom, allowed "squatting" to occur, and made it next to impossible to legally remove them. Today I'm told it is still quite difficult to remove people who are living on your property, some paying 100 euros per month rent. Some have resorted to hiring "muscle" to physically convince the unwanted tenants that it would be in their best interest health-wise, to move out.
Went out for a 3 hour cruise (no, not on the Minnow) on the canals last night. Man was it great!! The sky clouded up as we pushed off after a day of sun and blue skies! It even sprinkled momentarily a couple times, but overall the conditions were nice enough for an end-of-day float with some snacks, cold beer, cider, wine, and conversation. We went through the red light district, Jordaan, out to the Amstel River, and toured down numerous canals. Many had their boats out, enjoying the summer weather.
We'll be in Barcelona in less than a month for our last, European trip this year. At least the last one of any great length (8 days). Looking forward to that! Have heard nothing but great things about that city. More about that after the trip.
Some local Amsterdam stories that you may find interesting and/or entertaining? I have a few. One involves "Public Enemies", Naan, and mice. We had a nice Saturday out and about in the city, and decided to have dinner at a good Indian restaurant we know. As usual, we couldn't eat it all, and much to the shock and horror of any Dutch diners in the place, we asked for the food we couldn't finish to be packed. We decided to hit a movie before going home, so we got tickets to "Public Enemies" (eh-2 stars out of 5). We get home late, so I put the doggie bag straight into the fridge and we crash. Next day I'm warming up the Indian goodies for lunch and notice 2 small holes on opposite sides of the plastic bag. But I take out everything and start to zap the containers. The naan (bread) was wrapped in tin foil, and I noticed two little holes on both sides of that, too. Just like the plastic bag. Upon further examination I determine without doubt they are chew holes!! You see, several months back I was at the movies with 2 other folks (their identities will be protected here because one acted like a sissy), and we saw a wee little mouse on the floor of the theater. Well, one not-so manly man squeeled like a mouse when he said he felt it on his foot. I couldn't stop laughing. Back to the present. I opened the tin foil, and sure enough there were little mousey-bites on each end of the naan!! I called Radhika over to show her. She said during the movie the bag seemed to move, which was placed on the seat next to her. She even picked it up and folded the top over to seal it better. She said she was a little puzzled when it seemed to move a couple of times on its own, but didn't consider the "Jerry" factor. So...NEVER leave your Indian food unprotected at the De Munt theater in Amsterdam. The mice have discerning palates!
Also, I learned there is a squatters law here in Amsterdam. I believe there are similar laws in the US (anyone recall the movie "Pacific Heights" with Michael Keaton?), and I just don't get it! Here, if your property is unoccupied for 6 months, people have the right to break in and live there. I was told this came about many years ago, a century or more perhaps. The wealthy would buy houses here, but only live in them part of the time. Meanwhile, many had no place to live. So, the government, in its infinite wisdom, allowed "squatting" to occur, and made it next to impossible to legally remove them. Today I'm told it is still quite difficult to remove people who are living on your property, some paying 100 euros per month rent. Some have resorted to hiring "muscle" to physically convince the unwanted tenants that it would be in their best interest health-wise, to move out.
Went out for a 3 hour cruise (no, not on the Minnow) on the canals last night. Man was it great!! The sky clouded up as we pushed off after a day of sun and blue skies! It even sprinkled momentarily a couple times, but overall the conditions were nice enough for an end-of-day float with some snacks, cold beer, cider, wine, and conversation. We went through the red light district, Jordaan, out to the Amstel River, and toured down numerous canals. Many had their boats out, enjoying the summer weather.
We'll be in Barcelona in less than a month for our last, European trip this year. At least the last one of any great length (8 days). Looking forward to that! Have heard nothing but great things about that city. More about that after the trip.
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