And so we're back, dear reader, from our adventure to one of the most beautiful cities in the world - Amsterdam!
It was blazingly hot the whole time we were there - Saturday hit 37C! - and needless to say our room on the third floor of the hotel [The Anco - an old, charming building in the Red Light District, with the inevitable step-ladder-steep stairs and distinctly unmodernised windows - no air-conditioning] was more of a sauna than Thermos (RIP) ever was. Nothing bothered us hardy travellers however, and we wandered the grachten, had drinks
Tarts on tour again
...but what did we miss while we were away? Obviously, the world is still reeling from the vile COVID - and several countries (even neighbouring Lowlands ones such as Luxembourg and Belgium) were removed from the UK's "travel corridor" list [the Netherlands by contrast has had a very low incidence of new cases so far]; the endless post-Brexit negotiations with the EU and other countries hit some bizarre stumbling blocks - over scallops and Stilton, apparently; following the devastating explosion in Beirut, its government resigned en masse; Belarus experienced mass rioting after the dodgy re-election of their dictator president; Trump is still mad, as is Putin; and a naked sunbather in Germany was pictured chasing a wild boar that stole his bag...
...we missed celebrating Patti Austin's 70th birthday, the 60th birthdays of both David Duchovny and the lovely Antonio Banderas, the 95th of Miss Arlene Dahl and the 97th of Miss Rhonda Fleming, two of the last surviving actresses of the "Golden Age of Hollywood"...
... and Our Princess Kylie released the official video for Say Something!
Sparkle, Kylie, SPARKLE!
Is it good to be back?
No.
Welcome my dear!!!!! How I remember that spot well along the canal.
ReplyDeleteI was over thrilled with Kylie so much she was my in three words last week. The only good thing to come out of 2020 so far. But my favorite track is Your Disco Needs You.
After this week, I think I should just travel now. Amsterdam could use a revisit me thinks.
That particular vista is of the Westerkerk (built 50 years before Pennsylvania was first founded), where the Homomonument is located, and not far from Johnny Jordaan Square. Prinzengracht is probably our fave to wander along. I love it!
DeleteI did see your post about redundancy, but too late to add anything meaningful in the way of condolences. I've been there, several times.
You'll bounce back, and we'll toast with a Jonge Jenever in de Spijkerbar one day. With Your Disco Needs You (aka the Gay National Anthem) playing in the background, of course!
Jx
Thanks dear. So soon as I heard Your Disco Needs You, I thought right away to you boys debachering in Amsterdam shaking your money makers in glittering finery.
DeleteTerrifyingly, Your Disco Needs You is now twenty years old(!), so if truth be told it is only likely to be still played in certain types of bar that cater for the - ahem - more mature gentlemen-who-are-light-on-their-loafers these days... Jx
DeleteBetter loafers than Crocs.
DeleteOr, indeed, clogs. Jx
Deletehope you had a great birthday, dear! I gave you a shout-out on my blog last week.
ReplyDeleteIt was a faboo birthday - thank you, my dear! Jx
DeleteWelcome back! So glad you managed to have your birthday holiday after all, and that you had a fab time despite the little restrictions.
ReplyDeleteI hope you didn't have much to do up your glorious back passage when you got back?
My back passage was a little crispy and in need of some TLC when we got back, but I am pleased to say the the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers are making a full recovery... Jx
DeleteYes, welcome back!! And it seems you brought the stifling heat back with you! Glad you had a wonderful time. I've heard reports from other UK travellers that they felt safer abroad than they do here - not really surprised by that!
ReplyDeleteSx
The stifling heat shows little sign of going anywhere soon - the forecast predicted we were supposed to have massive thunderstorms and lower temperatures to follow. Neither has reached tropical Wood Green yet...
DeleteAs for feeling safer - it is true that there is as much risk in Amsterdam as in any city, yet because the people who tend to congregate in and around our area give absolutely no impression of obeying any kind of rules, whereas there appeared to be a bit more general respect for safety in the 'Dam (unless we're talking about the stoners and partying benighted yoofs, of course), so we felt comfortable going anywhere. Which we would anyway, tbh, because it's such a beautiful city to wander!
Jx
A fab holiday and just in time!
ReplyDelete"People arriving in England from the Netherlands.
from 4am Saturday 15 August will need to self-isolate for 2 weeks."
If there's been any kind of "spike", I bet it revolves around one of the smoking bar/coffee shops. We hardly mingled in many crowds without a mask. And a cattle prod :-)
DeleteJx