Remember the Loreal advert !!!! (travelogue part one)

I have always been able to sleep on a washing line, or a sixpence or whatever the saying is.  I am a doormouse, and usually, if I'm not driving will be found asleep ten minutes into any journey longer than an hour!!

It is with nearly forty years of this knowledge that I booked by lastest mini adventure, and it will be the last similar styley mistake I ever make!!!!

In an effort to go as far as possible for as little as possible, and avoid the grey weather we have had the last few days I booked a coach trip to visit................................Amsterdam! ( I was going to go to Paris but they had the same crap weather forecast that we did, and I've already been there!!)
It involved travelling overnight, to wake up (having slept the whole way as per usual) refreshed and ready to explore the city for the day, then sleep again on the return journey home.
Perfect! And all for less than it would cost to fill up my car!

Oh boy! Did I say sleep? I didn't get a wink!!!
From the uncomfortable seats, ( I even took a blanket and travel pillow) to the noisy fellow passengers who clearly thought it was 'cool' to try to big up their experiences with drugs, or were shipping their whole family abroad for the cost of a tank of petrol. Some of the type of people who travel this way are not the usual types I would ever associate with, unless in the line of duty if you catch my drift?? And ok, maybe I'm a snob but - I will never do this again. Whatever the cost for a flight and/or overnight hotel - IT IS WORTH IT!! (co's of course  - I am worth it!!)

Tired, stiff and ever so slightly crabby we arrived in...............the middle of nowhere. No map, no guidebook (remember this was a lastminute trip), and any attempt to converse with the locals proved fairly tricky. Eventually though I managed to purchase  a travel card and made my way by metro (tube) to the centre of the city.

Aaaahhhh! This was more like it...........

I tried to banish any preconceived ideas about the place, and as usual wanted to explore the city thru the eye of my lens, which for me, means lots of walking and not really doing the tourist thing. The weather was perfect, sunny with a slight chill but not too cold and I started out with a canal boat ride to get my bearings and see what the city had in store for me...................................

For a water lover like me (Aquarius!!) it was paradise. Bridges and locks over  and under the freshwater canals.

 Abandoned bicycles and typical Dutch warehouse style houses, so far so good......................

The boat trip only lasted an hour and I couldn't wait to see more on foot, but you'll have to come back another day to see those photos and hear what I really thought of Amsterdam!
Am now off to relax with a glass of wine and my little squeekers!
xxx