Fun in Amsterdam
We were not scheduled to arrive in Amsterdam until 11am, so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast as we sailed through the Noordzeekanaal.
There was always something to see, with the occasional close company of another ship sailing alongside. It was another beautiful morning.
At times, we likened our view to an illustration from a childrens book by Richard Scarry or Philippe Dupasquier, for there was so much happening around us. Planes were flying overhead on their descent into Schipol Airport, barges were being loaded/unloaded at the depots along the canalside and the ferry was transporting traffic across to the other side.
And we sailed smoothly through it all.
We passed by what I imagine is a landmark around here.
Further on, into the dockland area, we caught sight of several curious ships, including one with a large yellow superstructure. Always intrigued by such things, out came the phone and the Marine Traffic app, from which we learned that it’s built to install, repair and remove marine wind turbines and oil rigs.
Whilst there, I couldn’t resist taking a look at where we featured in all of this. There was Mariner; one small arrow amidst quite a number of others!
We were fortunate to have another great berth in the city and not the rather more distant cruise terminal used by the larger ships. From here, we could just walk through the wave shaped building and within minutes, be in an Uber car on our way to meet our friend Ilja for lunch.
We’ve been here several times both independently and on a previous cruise. It was good to be back on such a lovely day and I was looking forward to not only catching up with Ilja but to the interesting place he’d chosen to meet us.
It wasn’t so far from the ship’s location and as we reached a small break in the canal, the Uber driver received a phone call. Coincidentally (?!) he said that he’d brought us as far as he could go and that it was a “short walk” from here. Out we got.
Though we’ve got a good sense of place in the central part of the city, we were on unfamiliar territory here. Out came google maps, which advised it was now a 15 minute walk to our destination! (The same app had advised a 20 minute walk from the ship…)
Feeling very grumpy about this, my Hero gave the driver zero stars on the Uber app (and felt better having done that) and we set off to walk along the canalside.
Thankfully, we were off the beaten track here and we didn’t have to work our way through crowds of people.
Eventually, we reached the bridge where we’d expected to be dropped off.
A little further along, we found the alleyway we’d been aiming for
and the confirmation that yes, Kapitein Zeppos was right here!
I imagine it’s a fun and rather lively place in the evening. Ilja had chosen to meet us here as he knew it to be a reliable place for lunch too and we settled in to chat and catch up on what’s going on. We enjoy his company and were sorry that his wife Marieke had to work today.
Sadly, he had to return to work and we to the ship, but now, we had his advice about where we should have been dropped off earlier. We turned right out of the alleyway and in no time were on the main Rokin road.
Ilja, of course, jumped on his bike and sped off!
It wasn’t the ideal place to wait for the car, but I could see Damm Square at the end of the road and knew it was a fast and easy route back to the ship. Within a minute the Uber driver stopped in the car park entrance and we hopped in. We were home in minutes. Just what had this morning’s driver been up to?
Feeling overheated again from these extreme temperatures, I lost no time in going for a swim, hoping the pool would be super cold! It was indeed - and I had it to myself as well. What a treat! Feeling refreshed I went back and got ready for the afternoon trivia session.
Half an hour later, there was a surprise in store.
I looked out of the window and couldn’t believe what I saw. It was raining!! I went straight out onto our verandah and felt a few raindrops on my face for the first time in more than a month. A flash of lightning was followed by a clap of thunder and that was more or less it. Within a few minutes the rain had stopped and everything was dry again.
I think we’re going to need rather more rain than that before things get back to normal.
