Amsterdam from the water

We went to Amsterdam for two nights, taking the 7am flight from Stansted and then train to Central Station. From there we put our luggage into lockers and went in search of food. We found a lovely little restaurant overlooking a canal and indulged in delicious applecake and coffee. Our plan was to take a boat ride on the canals so we made for tourist information and bought tickets and also a 48 hour tram ticket. We saw so much of the city this way and the old houses are beautiful. To our surprise we went past Anne Frank's house in a very central location. 

We then had a walk and a tram ride exploring a pretty square, the floating flower market and the view from the top of a shopping centre

We found it really easy to get around the city using the trams which seemed to come about every 10 minutes. A screen told us the next stop so no worrying about where to alight. Apart from the trams it seemed most of the residents cycled everywhere.

We found our airbnb easily from the instructions given by our host. We then had the hard part of climbing 4 flights of stairs! Our host was a friendly helpful young man who seemed to think it hilarious that 2 old ladies were using this sort of accommodation. He gave us instructions to a marvelous Turkish/Moroccan restaurant http://www.hotelbazar.nl/nl/restaurant-bazar-rotterdam/menukaart. The food was excellent,plentiful and cheap. The building was a big old church and obviously very popular even on a Monday evening. 

So ended a delightful day!

The Stort


I met my friend L this evening to attend the monthly meeting of Much Hadham History Society and the subject was the River Stort. The gentleman delivering the talk gave us lots of interesting information about the history of the Stort Navigation. I was particularly interested as the river is only a 5 minute walk from my home and I walk there most days with my daughter and her dogs. It is beautiful and always plenty to see from flowers and birds to the many boats both holiday makers and those who live on them. The speaker has a web site with all the information http://www.leeandstort.co.uk/
I have walked the length of the Navigable Stort at various times as well as the Lee which the Stort flows into and from there to the Thames and on to the Sea. I am so pleased to have this river so near.

Not giving up and little pleasures today

I am still trying to get the hang of blogging. I gave up for a while but am trying again. I am enjoying these beautiful daffodils OH brought me.

The other things making me smile and reminding me of times past

I asked DS to bring me back from Scotland the Sunday Post and some tablet. Tablet is a Scottish sweet which is unobtainable "doon sooth". It is similar to fudge but creamier and very unhealthy so a good job I can't buy it normally. The Sunday Post is a Scottish paper that is more like a magazine. I have it open here at the comic pages of Oor Wullie and The Broons. When we were children my Scottish father had his friends post it to us every week so we received it on Monday and my sister and I would argue over who would read it first. Then later when our children were young I ordered it from the village newsagent and again we got it later in the week but it didn't matter as there is so much in it apart from news. Then my children were brought up on the antics of the Broon family of Maw, Paw, 8 children and Granpaw. Eventually the newsagent couldn't get it so I have to wait until somebody goes to Scotland. This issue is a week late but still a good read and plenty of puzzles to do.