Christmas on steroi_s 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🦌🛷

[sanne]

Bit under the weather today, better now. MrP went out and about before the rain and took this nice photo as it reminded him of Venice. I might have a fun pack for departure tomorrow. My previously well packed clothes are like a rubbish dump on the floor because there is nowhere to put them.
View attachment 356970

I love packing cubes… perfect in this situation.

 

[Pushka]

Must be just about time for your cruise @Pushka ?
Glad you are feeling better

Yes, Thankyou and went to sleep at 7.30 last night despite having slept during the day. I never do that! It was a yuck day, bucketing with rain and everyone like drowned rats. We ended up with Uber for dinner. The poor guy was drenched when he got into the lobby. We'd ordered around 5.15 and food delivered around 6pm. Thai food. We had had to ask for cutlery as there's nada in the room.

Now just after 6 am and we can go to the boat to start the cruise around 11 am. . This room is tiny so a lounge room attached to our bedroom will seem enormous.

We have had to beg for teabags. Yesterday - I got one from the room attendant. One. Lots of coffee though. Milk - UHT packets - theres no fridge. I didn't go out yesterday and those who did came back to the lobby and not smiling.

 

[Pushka]

I love packing cubes… perfect in this situation.

Yes. We have packing cubes. But I'd left some stuff in the case thinking I wouldn't need it, and put the open cubes on top of the case. There's no where else to put them. Yesterday when I felt like carp, of course one of the things I'd left in the case was the Panadol. So I opened the case forgetting the opened cubes on top and it all went flying, open. Honestly the ironing board has a bigger slot in the wall than the 'wardrobe'.

 

[Pushka]

So I'd booked tickets for Rijkesmuseum and Heineken experience. Neither of which happened. Oh well.

The longboat Is berthed in Amsterdam. It's about a 25 minute walk away. We can start boarding from 11 and have some lunch and because we booked a suite (yeah, first time and only because of the free laundry ), we will have access to the room straightaway.



It seems like the snow enroute has melted and it's actually going to be on the warm side, even up to 12c - heck, Adelaide in Summer was only 16 yesterday - so the first snow we will get will likely be in Lucerne where we will stay for a couple of nights.

 

[Seat0B]

Busy day. Sort of. We had a booking at Anne Frank House for 2pm and then a canal cruise at 6.45pm to see Amsterdam's Christmas Illusions. It was still cold, and damp and more fog and by 10am we were done with the room and ready to escape manned with umbrellas and raincoats. And walked. With no purpose until 2pm. We knew where we had to go. So some photos along the way.

Venice?
View attachment 356836

These chip places, that's all they sell, are everywhere. But this one had a queue. Hell, why not. So we queued.
View attachment 356837

My god. They were fabulous. Might have been the zero degrees. The fog. But they went down a treat. View attachment 356838

We eventually walked to the exterior of Anne Frank house then onwards to fill in more time. We had stayed in this Jordaan area a few years ago in summer and the queues outside were huge. Now the entrance is off another street.

View attachment 356839

Passed by the large Tulip place.

View attachment 356840

And another cheese shop. This one had so many samples but this one was so good we bought some.
View attachment 356841
View attachment 356842
Then on to a quaint nearby pub for gluwhein. The first of many.
View attachment 356843

This is my kind of day. Did this a few times with Seat Son when he lived in Den Haag.

 

[OATEK]

Yes, Thankyou and went to sleep at 7.30 last night despite having slept during the day. I never do that! It was a yuck day, bucketing with rain and everyone like drowned rats. We ended up with Uber for dinner. The poor guy was drenched when he got into the lobby. We'd ordered around 5.15 and food delivered around 6pm. Thai food. We had had to ask for cutlery as there's nada in the room.

Now just after 6 am and we can go to the boat to start the cruise around 11 am. . This room is tiny so a lounge room attached to our bedroom will seem enormous.

We have had to beg for teabags. Yesterday - I got one from the room attendant. One. Lots of coffee though. Milk - UHT packets - theres no fridge. I didn't go out yesterday and those who did came back to the lobby and not smiling.

We always carry a handful of tea bags in a cliplock bag knowing how parsimonious some hotels can be.

 

[Pushka]

We always carry a handful of tea bags in a cliplock bag knowing how parsimonious some hotels can be.

Yes. We’ve been grabbing them at breakfast.

We made it onboard just now. Walked the 1.5 kms from the hotel. Couldn’t have done it with a two wheel roller. . Very windy.

Our lounge. Room isn’t open yet but not long. People still disembarking. Made friends with the Bar tender.





The scourge of Europe. Massive golf size umbrellas. Screaming Tourist.


One of the decorations.

 

[Pushka]

First food offering for early arrivals. Some clearly haven’t eaten in a while . It’s only 11.20 am.

 

[latawiec]

Busy day. Sort of. We had a booking at Anne Frank House for 2pm and then a canal cruise at 6.45pm to see Amsterdam's Christmas Illusions. It was still cold, and damp and more fog and by 10am we were done with the room and ready to escape manned with umbrellas and raincoats. And walked. With no purpose until 2pm. We knew where we had to go. So some photos along the way.

Venice?
View attachment 356836

These chip places, that's all they sell, are everywhere. But this one had a queue. Hell, why not. So we queued.
View attachment 356837

My god. They were fabulous. Might have been the zero degrees. The fog. But they went down a treat. View attachment 356838

We eventually walked to the exterior of Anne Frank house then onwards to fill in more time. We had stayed in this Jordaan area a few years ago in summer and the queues outside were huge. Now the entrance is off another street.

View attachment 356839

Passed by the large Tulip place.

View attachment 356840

And another cheese shop. This one had so many samples but this one was so good we bought some.
View attachment 356841
View attachment 356842
Then on to a quaint nearby pub for gluwhein. The first of many.
View attachment 356843

Marvelous, but not envy of the glummy, damp, cold and unpleasant weather.

 

[latawiec]

And a gentleman’s club. And a bicycle. It’s Amsterdam.

Amazing to see again Amsterdam.

However, Amsterdam has a lot of unique things like tulips, bicycles, etc..

...and I expected that you show us one more of such unique photo of the street facility ...

 

[Pushka]

Marvelous, but not envy of the glummy, damp, cold and unpleasant weather.

It’s like that in Adelaide currently anyway

Just arrived into our suite. Oh my. Gorgeous.



I thought it would be bog standard sparking. It’s not. It’s Veuve!




The sitting area has a standard balcony.



The bedroom has a French one.



Good quality binoculars.




The fridge is replenished daily.

 

[latawiec]

Amazing to see again Amsterdam.

However, Amsterdam has a lot of unique things like tulips, bicycles, etc..

...and I expected that you show us one more of such unique photo of the street facility ...

....and the first one was sometimes used by girls...

 

[VPS]

Ok I’m very happy for you but a tad envious

 

[Pushka]

Ok I’m very happy for you but a tad envious

There’s always next year…. Quite a few Aussies onboard.

 

[latawiec]

It’s like that in Adelaide currently anyway

Just arrived into our suite. Oh my. Gorgeous.

View attachment 357107

I thought it would be bog standard sparking. It’s not. It’s Veuve!


View attachment 357116

The sitting area has a standard balcony.

View attachment 357110

The bedroom has a French one.

View attachment 357111

Good quality binoculars.

View attachment 357115

View attachment 357120View attachment 357119
The fridge is replenished daily.
View attachment 357118

View attachment 357109

Cold beer from the fridge at this weather
Suggest you to ask for a warmed beer with a cherry syrup served in winter in Switzerland, Austria and Germany...
or a tea with a little of kirsch rum...

 

[Pushka]

Cold beer from the fridge at this weather
Suggest you to ask for a warmed beer with a cherry syrup served in winter in Switzerland, Austria and Germany...
or a tea with a little of kirsch rum...

Oh don’t worry. There’s also a proper bar. Serving all the local drinks. French champagne by the glass. I do quite like a peroni beer though. Cold.

 

[OZDUCK]

It’s like that in Adelaide currently anyway

Just arrived into our suite. Oh my. Gorgeous.

View attachment 357107

I thought it would be bog standard sparking. It’s not. It’s Veuve!


View attachment 357116

The sitting area has a standard balcony.

View attachment 357110

The bedroom has a French one.

View attachment 357111

Good quality binoculars.

View attachment 357115

View attachment 357120View attachment 357119
The fridge is replenished daily.
View attachment 357118

View attachment 357109

I boycotting that vessel until they provide good quality telescopes for us one eyed people!

 

[Pushka]

After a nice couple of champagnes and as we don’t depart until 11.30 pm, we decided to go for a walk. It was actually warm enough without gloves and beanie.

Revisited a few places and more decorations had gone up.

 

[Pushka]

We stumbled across the Redlight street. Not much activity being Sunday arvo but did get a few surprises as we turned down a side street. . Lots of Christmas baubles too. .

 

[Pushka]

Remember the famous chip shop? This was the queue today. Even once you get to the red line it turns in for a queue of another 10 people or so.