Amsterdam

My steed. Check those panniers!

I love Amsterdam! It was my second visit, and this city is really cemented as one of my favourites. Sue and I snuck away for 2 nights alone, and we both had a great time there.
Sue was taking some lessons with fabulous teacher, our dear friend, and great host Maarten Veeze. During lesson time, Eugenie van der Grinten (Maarten's lovely partner) gave me her bike! I rode and rode, in street clothes senza helmet, no water bottles, just like the locals. And this is really the way to experience the city! I travelled from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, rolling along canals, and popping into streets that looked cool.
The youth, the art, the architecture, the bikes, the people! All enjoyed from the perspective of a local, from the stream of bikes that own the streets there.
The traffic is an organic disaster waiting to happen, that never seems to happen! Bikes weaving around, cars hesitating, giving way, pedestrians dodging, bikes laden with up to 4 kids sliding through, women in high heels, the young and very old, all pedalling along. Not hammering, just joining the flow and streaming past the canals!

bad picture, great orchestra

And we went to hear the Concertgebouw Orchestra! What a group, in one of the greatest halls. Every time I can't believe music can sound so beautiful! That the quality of the sound can bring tears to my eyes, even with out the music, but the music is so dynamic and unified, the tears come in double doses.
I think I could only manage one concert like that every few years, it's too emotionally draining! Sue and I talked and talked as we walked home, about how special it was to be there. To hear Brahms 1 played by such an ensemble. Chuck out your cds people, and fly over there, it's WAY better!
Again it made me happy to be involved in such a pursuit as music, even though I'll never get to play with that band, in that space. Just to be trying is pretty good.

favourite view

We took time to see this lady at the Rijksmuseum

We are home again in Divonne, prepping for Morocco, our next stop on Monday! The adventure is really picking up now!