Training for Amsterdam

WHat a day - much stress but we made it - arrived Amsterdam at 10 past 9, in the dark and then negotiating where we are to go from a map, in the dark and then realising that what are streets marked on a map are actually small lanes because we are in the delighful old quarter. We are actually only a coupe of hundred metres from the station, but we stopped on a corner and a young guy asked if we needed directions - we said Waarmestraat ST and he smiled and said - it's just there pointing to this narrow lane!! Then end of a 7 hour train journey that had started earlier.

We left the Copthorne at Chelsea, London at about 8am dragging our luggage - it's interesting how baggage becomes luggage when you have to lug it up and down stairs, on buses, stations and trains! Especially fun getting it up the winding narrow stairs to the top of a double decker bus - our choice as a better way to see London. We got the local London red bus into Green Park where we met the hop on hop off bus we had booked. Fopr most of the next 3 hours we wound our way through crowded London streets, but we were the only ones on the bus so we had the guide just sitting with us pointing things out - so much more informal and interactive. This really was a bonus as we were ablwe to see things that otherwise we would never have seen for ourselves - REgent St. Mayfair, Park Lane, The Strand, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Parliament House, The Eye, St Pauls, Australia House, Whitehall, Downing Street, where the Great Fire of London started and a building that survived the Great Firwe of London. Tower Bridge and the Tower of London - how spread out London is, how congested, double decker buses as wall to wall going down narrow streets. Although Monopoly came alive, I don't think its a place we would want to live. A lot of character, a lot of history - it was also the QUeens actual birthday but she had not been seen since Easter having gone up to WIndsor. Were'nt able to see the front of Buck Pal, but did see the Queen's birthplace - well, a plaque indicating where it was as the building had been demolished.

We alighted at Victoria Station and then had to make our way to St Pancras and collect our tickets for the Eurostar train. The train was only a 2 hour trip from London flashing past the Kent countryside, under the CHannel from Dover and up again about 25 mins later in France and then onto the first stop at Lille. Then a short run across to Brussells. Of course you don't see much from the train but you do get impressions. Then came the major stress trying to find toilets, where the heck we go to get the local train to go onto Amsterdam. Arriving at the loo in desparation and then having to find the euros so we can pay 50p for a pee! But, God is good! Although we were surrounded by humans and suitcases, it was hard to find a helpful human so we joined a long queue, along with a million others in the same predicament - and an official ;ooking man just happened to be standing next to us, so we waved our tickets and said how do we get to this and he said that the Amsterdam train was leaving in 8 minutes from platform 18. We found it and were on board with about 3 minuites to spare - again people and cases, and now, having altered our time for an hour ahead, we started the final transport stage of the journey. ALl is good. We found our tiny hotrel, a quaint little 3 star place and then went up to another place in the street for a very late evening meal. We went to the seat and found on the seat opposite a big black and white cat stretched ouit quite oblivious and unconcerned to his new seat mates. Then finally to bed. We've just woken up after a 10 hour sleep to some wonderful church bells that chime each 1/4 hour but play tunes on the hour. Will head off now and explore a little bit of Amsterdam.

We love hearing any comments either on the site or by our regular email which usually we are able to access each night. We are now 8 hours behind you all. Twas especially great to hear of Manova and Gladis' news and can't wait to get home at start of June and see this wonderful new boy!

Love to all - especially the Imit people - we thought of Terry when we went past the sign to the village of Denholm, and of Jackie in Yorkshire, and Andrew in Scotland.