A Weekend in Amsterdam

This is our Amsterdam.

Wow. What a great weekend! This was a waypoint on our drive from London to Stockholm, and it was the first time I had a weekend that felt like a weekend. Airbnb has many lodging options, from spare rooms (not an option for the six of us) to whole houses to city apartments. It even has houseboats, such as the one we rented in Amsterdam.

We stayed on the Prinsengracht canal, near the Noordermarkt in the Jordaan neighborhood and just a few blocks up from the Anne Frank House (which we did not visit since we did not plan ahead and did not want to stand in line for hours upon hours out of a 36-hour stay). Getting here was a real journey due to the five-hour delay at the Eurotunnel from England to France. We arrived just after midnight and immediately went to sleep. After sunrise, Theo and I ventured out for coffee and breakfast for the crew.

The market was one block away, and it was gorgeous. Fresh foods of all kinds, flowers, juices, clothing and other goods all for sale. A coffee cart went by and we quickly made our first purchase. With bananas and dried fruit, bread, sausage, fresh pressed juices and two types of cheese we brought the spread home to dine on the roof deck of the boat.

A day of lounging ensued, serenaded as we were by the accordion and clarinet players on the bridge adjacent to the boat. The neighborhood was lively all day as people rode their bikes through to the market, the cafés, and to places unknown. We all relaxed.

One of the best things about traveling with Michelle is the freedom for Theo and I to have date nights. Saturday night in Amsterdam was it. We stopped at bars, cafés and french fry joints. (Aside: why do you have to pay to use the restroom all over Europe?)

We walked and walked and walked. We laughed and laughed and laughed. We met people, mostly Germans, but two Americans and two Australians, too. Early in the night, I saw this sign in a store window. Apropos.

Sunday was another relaxing day, with a little more rain and a little less music. The accordion-clarinet duo was gone, but by early afternoon a three-piece rock band in a turquoise 1960’s-era convertible pulled up to play a set. We all chillaxed to the max, and I even got some drawing in. Our host was so kind and accommodating, and I my only regret about the stay in Amsterdam is that it was too brief.

One Month Done

As I write this, I’m pretty tired. We’ve been moving rapidly between locations, resulting in many long travel days. My sleep is disrupted more nights than not. The honeymoon phase of six people exploring the world is over. This is real life, now.

Real life. On the Gatwick Express train from London’s Gatwick Airport (where we parked) to Victoria Station (where we’d get on the tube to Piccadilly Circus), I looked at my babies sitting three to a two-seater and playing with each other. There has been so much laughter so little bickering between them this month. My heart warmed. I looked at Theo and said, “I feel like I’m dreaming, but this is real life. This is not vacation anymore.” I feel so lucky to be exploring the world with my family, even though it’s been hard lately and the pace doesn’t slow down for awhile.

Looking back at the places we’ve been, I can honestly say I’m glad for having visited them all. I very much want to return to Istanbul, the Kerry Way, Dublin, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival someday. Ireland’s County Meath, with the historic sites of Newgrange and Knowth, Trim Castle and the Blackfriary archaeological project, was a cherished experience. Athens’ ancient sites were impressive and humbling. The Greek isle of Paros was simply stunning. No place has been a dud.

In Month Two, we’ll briefly visit London (just did, actually), Amsterdam and Copenhagen, then we’ll spend just over two weeks in Sweden before heading to Germany. The Schlossini European Road Trip continues with a few more water crossings and lot more driving.

Rookie Mistakes at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

We’ve just visited Edinburgh, Scotland for the worlds largest arts festival - the Edinburgh Fringe. It is an amazing experience for all ages. For almost the entire month of August, the city comes alive with thousands of theatre, music, and dance productions. There are art exhibitions and film showings. There are sub-festivals to the main event. The Royal Military Tattoo even overlaps with Fringe.

As #edfringe rookies, we made a few mistakes:

Two days is NOT enough time for your first Fringe. It might not be enough time for any Edinburgh Fringe, actually. It takes some time to get a feel for how the festival works and to understand the distribution of venues across the city. Two days might allow you to be very go-with-the-flow or very structured with your time, but it won’t let you be both.

Standing in line is both required and optional. We made the mistake of standing in the official Fringe ticket line for a few minutes before we learned that most venues sell tickets to their shows at their own box offices. That said, there are queues everywhere - to enter the venues, to visit the toilets, to use an ATM, etc. - that if standing in line is uncomfortable for you, well, I don’t really know what to suggest but at least you know that there are lines.

Be deliberate in your lodging location. Confession time: we did not come to Edinburgh for the Fringe. We came because we were going to be in Dublin and then we were going to be in London and we had a car to transport between them, so Edinburgh was chosen as a waypoint. We chose our lodging - an apartment rented through Airbnb - based on the apartment’s interior and price, not it’s location. Turns out we had a thirty-minute walk each morning to the Old Town area where the main Fringe activities occur. Two days of that was fine; more may have become tedious. A spot closer to the center may be better, although I can’t say for sure. I would like to try that idea out someday.

Get your cash early in the day. Those bank machines run dry by late afternoon.

Of these, the biggest mistake is staying only two days in Edinburgh. The city has loads of attractions all year round, and then during Fringe there are other very cool concurrent events. I could probably do this for a week with the family. It was such a joy to meet actors on the Royal Mile inviting passers-by to see their show that day, and then see them perform their creation. We saw three shows - two theatre, one dance/acrobatics - and they were all written by the performers. They were all worth our time. Sonics in Toren was mesmerizing. The dancers were so strong and impressive. The story, while completely wordless, drew you in. The entire show was just lovely. Also, if you ever get a chance to see Flossy and Boo's Curiosity Shop, take it. It's silly and charming. They sing funny songs, and frankly, I think their act would make a good TV show.

I'm still so struck by what a thing they all have done - turning their visions to reality and sharing it with others! Amazing stuff. I must come back.