Amsterdam first impressions

Canals of Amsterdam - no gondolas but impressive as they actually have more bridges and canals then Venice.

I like it better than London ~ the people are smiling and don't seem to be constantly attached to their electronics (phones, ipods, kindles).  Of course that could be that Amsterdamites need both hands to drive their pedal bikes like maniacs.  I am developing a nervous twitch, pavlovian reflex, to the jangle of a bike bell as the rule is 'if you hear the bell JUMP' or be run down...and everyone (just about) gets around by bicycle.
The Uniworld River Empress is a beautiful ship, cozy with a passenger load of 138 (I think) if full but as this is the first run of the season we are running with just over 105 passengers.  A number of the passengers are travel agents on a fam tour, and the rest of us are a spectrum of ages, occupations and nationalities from Ecuador to Australia.
The room is sizeable, especially when compared to the big cruise ships cabin sizes (unless you're in a suite) and I have a very comfy queen bed, plenty of closet space, windows and shower in the bath.  So I am comfortably set for the next week.  The only negative is the SLOW internet here so photos will have to wait until I can access a high speed option.
The morning was spent on a tour to the Anne Frank museum, the office/house where the family hid for 25 months before an anonymous tip alerted the occupying Germans who sent the eight people hiding in the cramped rooms, plus two gentlemen working in the office below their hideout, to Aushwitz. Only the father Otto Frank survived and returned to Amsterdam. It was moving and somewhat depressing to think of the months of not knowing how long they would have to hide, not once leaving the hideaway in over two years ~ to see the family photos, actual pages of the written diary, the rooms ~ bare of furnishings but still showing the movie star photos pasted to the wall, pencil marks that marked the growth of the children in hiding.
The museum is a reminder for tolerance and understanding of all nationalities, religions, differences and to avoid prejudice of any kind.

It was a relief to get back out into the bright sunshine and breathe after the oppresive air, black out blinded rooms.  The canal cruise lightened the mood substantially, with an hour on the canals to enjoy the beauty of buildings, bridges and the ingenuity and adaptability of the Dutch through the centuries. Our tour guide teased that Amsterdam is sometimes called the Venice of the North, but with over 1200 bridges and over 100 plus kilometers of canals in the city it is much more impressive and Venice should actually be referred to as the Amsterdam of the South.
It is time for tea...a cuppa...

Photo at left of one of the homes on the Amsterdam canals...everything from houseboats to mansions and churches seen on the canal cruise...in the olden golden days the size of a man's house was a show of his wealth and power...size did matter.

London Photo Gallery

The Tower Bridge from the right and left banks of the Thames. Below the famed prison - Tower of London full of dungeons and ghosts of victims of attrocities.
 Near Tower Hill is this ancient church (below - left) which claims to be the oldest church in London...and right next door the metal and glass of modern office buildings.  London is a mishmash of old and new and in Hackney Downs, where I am staying, they have the remaining tower of a church from the 1200's (below- right) across the street from MacDonalds...it makes for interesteing sightseeing.  You can just hop a bus and be amused by the streetscapes.

A grave marker in the cemetary at the old church in Hackney Downs (heritage site)



War memorials are another common sight in communities around London - from ancient battles to the young men who fell during World War I from the Hackney Down parish.  The memorial is in the park of the church grounds.





London Town



St. Paul's Cathedral

 I guess you can't really call it London town as it is a huge city with about 5 million people scurrying about. I took Sunday off as a rest day, then headed out early Monday morning to take in a few sights - St. Paul's Cathedral being one of them.
The towering dome is an easy landmark to find, and a quick walk from the underground. Took the time to listen to a choir and steep in the enormity of the cathedral.  It is an active church with several services each day, which the paying tourists are admonished to respect people at worship.
You also can't take photos in the church, so the following is a photo of a sign depicting a portion of the interior.  Parts of the exterior are undergoing a facelift.  Many of the city's icons are getting spruced up for the impending 2012 Olympics.

In the plaza next to the Cathedral is a monument...that you get to by walking through an old archway with medieival wood and metal looking gates. People were sitting eating their lunch and enjoying the sunshine...and with all the different languages being spoken you could have been at the Tower of Babel.
It was a good spot to people watch, as are the tube and trains.  I've noticed that people don't smile alot, maybe something to do with the gloomy weather. But they are always willing to answer my questions and give directions which bodes well as hosts of the Olympics.

Monument by St. Paul's Cathedral

 I hopped a bus out front of St. Paul's headed to London Bridge, which by the way is NOT falling down...where I ended up was a huge, bus, train, tube station a couple blocks from the Thames river walk. So I strolled to views of the Tower Bridge and stopped in at London City Hall.  City Hall sort of looks like a off balance easter egg - distinctive but I'll take Edmonton's glass pyramid any day.  Inside was quite sterile, airport security check and people all locked behind doors. Council chambers had a nice view of the river though (just in case business gets too boring).
I have to get ready to head out to the theatre - going to an afternoon matinee of  'WICKED' - sort of a prequel to Wizard of Oz.


London City Hall



Solstice and Stonehenge



Stonehenge - over 5000 years old and still a question as to how or who created the circle.

Managed to book the afternoon Stonehenge Express tour with Evan Evans tours - two hour drive out of London through the countryside, one hour visit, and two hour ride back into the city. It was well worth the £25 price. During the pick ups for the tour the drive through London passed some of the highlight points as we followed the guards marching up the street for the changing of the guard at the palace, around the people packed Trafalgar square, and through the west end theatre district, and Hyde Park area. Traffic is somewhat insane and I give the bus driver full points for managing not to kill anyone - pedestrian or vehicular (definintely not a job for the weak of heart).
Spring is well underway as we headed into the greening countryside, with little lambs chasing about spinning their tales. Daffodils growing wild, some hedgerow with yellow flowers, cherry blossom laden trees and most trees just beginning to show green though there is some crazy ivy or vine that had wrapped some of the huge trees trunks from base to limb in green leaves. Not sure if it is a weed but it gave the trees a very weird look, like thousands of leaves were growing out of the trunks, then the skeletal tree limbs up top where the hint of green shows as the leaves are just beginning to unfurl. Also saw my first thatched roof on the drive out on the multi-lane M4,

Stonehenge was smaller than I had imagined - still huge 40 plus ton rocks. You aren't allowed to actually go into the rock circle but the walk about it puts you in close vicinity (15-20 yards). Considering the limited resources, lack of tools during the time of its construction it is a pretty amazing construct that has largely stood the test of time.
You listen to an audio guide as you walk the perimiter of the circle and it gives the details of the various stages of the development of Stonehenge as it was built in phases. It is still an acurate calendar based on the arch that the sun rays fall through during the year and the geometry is spot on for the equinox sunrise to hit the centre altar stone (which has fallen from its original standing position).

London, England



Bangkok Airport dragon art

 Getting here was a long, long plane ride with a one hour stop in Bangkok. We had to deplane, pass through Bangkok immigration than head back to the gate to replane.  Only problem was that at 1 a.m. Sydney time I made it through the customs/immigration check but took a right instead of a left and ended up at the wrong gate (sometimes those Aussie accents can trick you and a gate G4 sounded like D4).  Of course by the time I found an information kiosk open, confirmed the gate (which was W-A-Y on the other side) I just managed to make it to the gate in time. So I had a long and brisk walk around the entire Bangkok airport. Much of the airport was like a giant mall with duty free shops - all still open.

More of the dragon story.



Bangkok Airpot

The airport itself had a bit of a funky design as the gate areas from the upper level looked as if you were in the bare bones of a plane fuselage...or at least what I would imagine the structure would look like having seen some model aircraft kits with a similar structure.

The picture doesn't really capture how big the place was, but my sore feet will tell you it is huge.

British Museum - fascinating Egyptian display.

Managed to navigate the trains and underground to the British Museum today, huge building filled to the brim with all kinds of exhibits from Egyptian mummies, to adornment through the ages, antiquities, art including some satirical cartoons I enjoyed immensely, the Buddah room (another favorite) and great sculptures.Was a wet and cold day outside so a good day to be indoors enjoying all the museum had to offer though my feet and knees gave out before the exhibit rooms were all visited. You could easily spend days in the museum...and it is free to the public with the exception of specialty feature exhibits.

Huge marble sculptured urn - a thing of beauty, to the black mummified remains, which just seemed sad, the museum was an experience. The giant and ancient line stands guard over the entrance.

PHOTO GALLERY

Sunset on Iron Cove Bay

Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk summit not for acrophobics

 

 

Sunday Sailors

Sydney Opera House from the Manly ferry.

Door graffiti at Bronte Beach

Where has the time flown...I leave for Europe on Wednesday, March 16.  This last full week in Sydney was a busy one as we started by picking up a week long multi-pass ($41) that gives you buses, trains and ferries in the central area of Sydney. Monday it was off to a maternity clothes warehouse via bus and train and a bit of a trek walking in the warehouse area.  The excitement came on the return trip with the train halted at the central station as all the city tracks were shut down while a "person wishing to do harm to self" was dealt with by the appropriate authorities. The trains, platforms were backed up with people so we opted to transfer to a bus, and head to the ferries to get back home. Who knew there were two Balmain ferry stops? and the one we got off was not the one we should have exited the ferry from. It had a steep hill to climb (on sidewalk) to where the main road and buses could be found. As an unfit fifties it gave me a preview of what a potential heart attack might just feel like...Lesson learned double check which direction and what stop you need - buses, ferries and trains. A day to recuperate (and do laundry through the rain showers) and I was ready to hit the ferries again for a trip over to Manly.  There is something very calming and humbling sitting and watching the waves roll in - a bit of a Zen moment. Then you turn on the news and watch the after affects of the Japan earthquake and tsunami and get truly humbled by the the forces of nature.

Famed Bondi Beach - surfers, sun worshipers and tour groups...

Saturday was a day for one of the tourist staples - a trip out to Bondi Beach. But first a quick trip to the local farmer's market which even though it was only 11 a.m. saw many merchants already sold out...no muffins today for us. But we did get veggies and had a great fruit smoothie before walking home.
We also did a quick detour to Birch Grove area before the beach...to check out the open house of a home lottery.  Lovely little three bedroom terrace home just blocks from the water and trendy  shops and cafes...and the lottery tickets were only $15. The draw is April 8 so keep your fingers crossed for me and maybe I can plan to spend those cold Canadian winters here in Sydney.
It was a beautiful day to be at the beach as evidenced by the crowds at Bondi. All those people must have triggered a "mad moment" as an AussieBum sign hit my funny bone and triggered a flurry of photos of, well you know...TANS?
We headed over to the more family friendly Bronte Beach for a picnic of fish and chips.  Watched the kiddies on the little train/track and threw things at the gulls who are much worse than ants at a picnic.  They are fearless and the number one rule is DON'T FEED the GULLS! or you will be swarmed. We continued our beach tour - Clovelly was quite different with concrete walkways around a large breakwater swimming area with lots of snorkellers in the calm pool waters. Where there is a public beach you will also find the surf lifesavers...some even have seadoo patrol to keep the swimmers and surfers safe.

Bronte Beach - family friendly

Bronte Beach kiddie train

To end the week I scored two tickets to the Sunday afternoon concert of the Australian Chamber Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House concert hall. They have these "deal of the day" websites you can subscribe to receive info. and one of the deals was the concert tickets (savings of $101) - the deal was limited to only 200 buyers so good on us.

View under the "sail" at the Opera House during interval

We put on our party dresses, took the ferry across to Circular Quay and walked up to the Opera House. Note: if you plan on eating in the vicinity plan on paying ...Chili Hotdog - $19.50.  We found the best deal at the studio cafe on the ground floor at the Opera House - Panini sandwiches with small salad side for around $14 - and even their daily specials were about $10 below similar meals in the area...you sit outside enjoying the views, quick service and hot and tasty meal.
The concert hall is beautiful, sound system impeccable and in the interval (intermission) you can head under the sail where the breeze blows in, expansive view of the harbour and boats sailing by.  Mixed review on the concert itself as I prefer either quartet or a full symphony for more classical music bent, but it had it's moments - Strauss final piece actually put the fellow two seats down to sleep. Xenakis "Voile" was very different and I am sure that it contributed to the concert title "The Rest is Noise" as the object seemed to be to create disharmony - reminiscent of a cat fight on the back fence. All in all it was worth the price just to get to enjoy the concert hall itself - especially the huge pipe organ in the back.

WILD LIFE

No...I haven't seen any kangaroos yet, unless you want to count the dead wallaby at the side of the road.  In Canada we have skunks, porcupines and deer/moose road kill hazards. In Oz it's opossums and wallabies that you'll find dead along the roadways around Sydney.
Speaking of wild things...saw my first kookaburra.  Remember that old song.."kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the woods is he. Laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra, how gay your life must be." Well believe you me when you get a flock of them laughing, they are loud and raucaus and you would swear you were on the floor of some jungle with the monkies being loud and cheeky (that's what they sound like).  Fortunately they don't usually flock together or I am sure they would drive people crazy.

Now off to the right is a wild piece of art from the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.  This giant grasshopper is about four to five feet tall, twisted copper and other wire - kind of funky looking beast.  And much better than the little (2-3 inch) Hunter Spider that took up residence in the corner of the livingroom. Neither my daughter or I wanted to try to get rid of it as they have a habit of jumping at you when attacked (and who in their right mind wants BIG UGLY SPIDERS jumping on them).  The man of the house got to do the honors, though I did contribute by buying the fastest acting drop dead spray. One of the cons of a tropical like climate is the flourishing bug population...ants and various varieies of cockroaches, to flies and mosquitos, plus a multitude of beetles and spiders.

And the final photo is from the upper level schools display at the gallery, aptly titled something like "It started out simple then things got complicated."  A visual statement of how life can get to be at times. HAVE FUN...
WAIT...one more picture of the amazing sunset the other night.  It looked like the sky was on fire for about five or so minutes then pitch black...gorgeous.