We have the weekend free in Amsterdam. Furthermore, we have the luxury of sleeping in an hotel (Don’t start with me on the ‘a hotel’ thing. Remember, I’m English!). Chris and I are sharing a room. Scarily the hotel has me down as Melissa Simms. Coupled with Amsterdam’s legendary broad-mindedness it was scary when, faced with twin beds, I asked for the first time in thirty years, “Which side of the bed do you want?”
Amsterdam’s a great city to visit, providing you follow a few basics. Absolutely number one is, bicycles have right of way. They come at you from every direction, often carrying two or three passengers, many with no brakes fitted, regardless of road, footpath or traffic signal. I’m not sure sitting in a pavement cafe is entirely safe.
Another is, have a map. Every other street is by a canal, and the street names are indecipherable. Chris got a map from reception. They had circled the red light district for him. “I didn’t ask them, they just did it,” he protested. Odd that they didn’t do that for Liberty’s map.
Amsterdam is filled to the gills with museums. We passed the sex museum, proudly boasting ‘sex through the ages.’ Hasn’t it always been basically the same? Or is it for us old folk, for whom it’s all ancient history? Almost next door is the vodka museum. I felt now they were stretching the concept a little too far. On the map we saw they had a marijuana museum and a purse museum. I expect somewhere they have a museum museum, showing museums through the ages.
Chris and I were wandering round like lost sheep. We’ve lost the ability to make decisions without Melissa’s firm hand to guide us. Roll on Monday, when there won’t be time to pause for breath.