Another clear and crisp autumn morning in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, perfect for a morning cycle to the shops, which we did!
I really wanted some girls' time with Ali. Ali, Annika and I decided to cycle into the city and park our bikes and walk around the little streets and along the canals and window shop, eat, drink and chat. A very girls' day of activity. With the many choices of things to do in Amsterdam, Karl and Luke cycled off to NEMO, the science museum and Tim went to EYE, the film museum.
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| Bridge over Amstel |
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| Top of the bridge stop |
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| Bike park bridge |
Annika, Ali and I parked our bikes securely and started
our search for a cafe for lunch. We didn't want commercial or touristy
or noisy or crowded....and finally settled for the Ellis Gourmet Burger
cafe where, after a few table changes, we found a great table in the
sun. The waiter said that it was the last week with the furniture on
the terrace as I suppose the weather is turning cold, but today was
perfect. We had a pitcher of crushed strawberry and lime lemonade to
accompany our burgers which finally arrived. It was lovely sitting and
chatting in the sun and watching the world go by.
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| Sisters! |
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| Selfie sisters |
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| So Amsterdam |
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| Finally settled at the "right" table Ellis Gourmet Burgers. |
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| Strawberry and lime lemonade. |
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| Tiny squashed little building |
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| Another little house which seemed squashed between two tall buildings |
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| Shuttered windows |
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| De Witte Tanden Winkel |
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| Kaaskamer |
After we'd had our fill we explored the cute little streets and
discerned "coffee shop" from "coffee shop". Ones with names such as
"Black is a Happy Colour" or "Best Friends" and "special cookies and
lollipops" were clearly not the coffee shops we were looking for. Having said that, the general wafting of smoke out of said cafes was a telltale sign on its own. It is confronting for someone as conservative as me to dwell on the legalisation and free use of cannabis but each to their own!
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| The George for coffee |
We did, however, find a lovely coffee shop, "The George" down a side
street on a canal where we sat outside and watched the canal traffic and
had a coffee.
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| Dinner tonight |
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| More dinner scenes |
As we were heading home in the peak hour traffic it was all a bit hair raising riding in the midst of the throng of cyclists but we made it safely. It is both thrilling and daunting being in the cycling mass.
Tim was home when we got back and Karl and Luke came home just in time for dinner. An enjoyable day for all!
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