Day 1 - Amsterdam
The city is still just as full of romance and mystique as I remember. Full of life and verve. It makes you believe that the human race was meant to be happy. To enjoy the earth, be one with it and preserve it. The city and it's people have done a grand job of preserving what is important.
Tapash and I landed at the hotel at 8:30 AM after having spent the night aboard the KLM flight, quite comfortably, only to be told that we can only check in after 1400 hrs. No matter, the weary bones were mentally cast aside and we decided to take the Metro into the city centre.
After having figured out how to make the ticketing machine bend to our will after 20 minutes (there was an option for English, which I was too blind to spot for the first 19), we boarded train number 54 to "Amsterdam centraal (yes, with 2 "a"s)". Thus began our aimless wandering over the next 6 hours.
The weather was very mild and co operative and we just walked. Taking in the sights. The people. The streets. The Alleys. The Canals. The flowers. The smells. The Sounds. The shops. The windows.
Turning into every single conceivable alley and back alley. The city generously revealed her secrets to us. Much like the old aunt who smells of peppermint and eucalyptus, the city took us into this great big bear hug and we held on!
We sat when we were tired, we ate when we were hungry and we gawked when we saw something that we could never have imagined (which was most of the time). Half a day of aimless wandering on the streets is all it took for us to fall in love with the city.
Life is Good!
The city is still just as full of romance and mystique as I remember. Full of life and verve. It makes you believe that the human race was meant to be happy. To enjoy the earth, be one with it and preserve it. The city and it's people have done a grand job of preserving what is important.
Tapash and I landed at the hotel at 8:30 AM after having spent the night aboard the KLM flight, quite comfortably, only to be told that we can only check in after 1400 hrs. No matter, the weary bones were mentally cast aside and we decided to take the Metro into the city centre.
After having figured out how to make the ticketing machine bend to our will after 20 minutes (there was an option for English, which I was too blind to spot for the first 19), we boarded train number 54 to "Amsterdam centraal (yes, with 2 "a"s)". Thus began our aimless wandering over the next 6 hours.
The weather was very mild and co operative and we just walked. Taking in the sights. The people. The streets. The Alleys. The Canals. The flowers. The smells. The Sounds. The shops. The windows.
Turning into every single conceivable alley and back alley. The city generously revealed her secrets to us. Much like the old aunt who smells of peppermint and eucalyptus, the city took us into this great big bear hug and we held on!
We sat when we were tired, we ate when we were hungry and we gawked when we saw something that we could never have imagined (which was most of the time). Half a day of aimless wandering on the streets is all it took for us to fall in love with the city.
Life is Good!
Great narration !!
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