Rotterdam

Up late, not gonna lie, a little hungover.  Up, shower, quick coffee and off to train station to go to Rotterdam. Biking in Amsterdam on a Sunday morning is surreal. No traffic, quiet city, sleepy. Different from our past days of bicycles. Yogurt and croissant save us both. A little late for train but we do make it. Time to relax and enjoy the ride.  Beautiful countryside, so green.  Rotterdam is big and confusing to the Americans.  Looking for old brewery( Stradsbrouwerij Dr Pelgrim), take the tram, which one?, any tram we can stop and recalculate from there.  Not sure where we are but it is cool, although windy. Checking out the boats on the canal, very cool, wind mill.  Trish gives a couple guys a show as we pass a bar and a wind gust takes her skirt, embrace Europe and vacation!

Find the brewery, crazy old place. They are hand labeling their bottled beer. A couple rounds of beer and gin rummy in the cozy pub.  Score wasn't close but there is a chance Trish cheats.   Back onto the tram to hit the Markthal. Or tram back to the train station. Now we got the right tram to Marktal. Or maybe not. Hop off tram ,catch tram in opposite direction. Yeah, now we got it.  Find the Markthal. Wow, cross between a open air inside market and a food court.

Crazy. Stop for drinks and a huge plate of medditerrian Pappas fair. Way too much but a great call. Getting dark I guess back to Amsterdam.  Intercity train but direct, fast. I barely have time for a nap.  Back in town, searching for our bikes we find advertisement for canal light cruise. Alright we are in. Time for a quick beer, maybe a take out beer as well and off to boat. So it's raining pretty hard. No one has rain coats in this
city? Why?  We get a beer in a cafe that ironically Trish and I had been to 5 years ago, crazy. As,we left to get boat the sky opens up and rains so hard it's nuts. I mean we are soaked, we have gortex on top but from waist down soaked. Well what can you do? Boat ride was cool at night, artist have done "light " sculptures. The theme of the festival is friendship. From refugees, to kites, northern lights, chandeliers. 300+ artists compete.


The boat is packed and wet but a great time.  The sculptures are amazing, some we have seen from canal shores around town.they bring to life what friendship can mean to many. Near or far, close or not, friendships come in many colors.

Off the boat and off to home. Or maybe with the rain we should stop for an Irish coffee, and dessert.  Not sure this ranks as our best trip, not enough desserts. Need I say this is Chris writing this blog not Trish?  Just about to leave when rain really starts. Ok, 1 more drink, just to wait out the storm.
Here's the break in the storm, make a run for it. Quickly on the bikes for home. So, I have a great sense of direction and get my bearings quickly but some times it takes a little luck. And tonight luck is on my side.  I am ducking and weaving through the straats like a local. Unfortunately as misstep by a tourist almost takes me out. Stepping in front of a bicycle is virtually the only sin you can commit in Amsterdam. And even worse a I just miss disaster, Trish takes a hard fall on the bike.  The tip from a guide book is top of mind now, careful you don't mis bicycle tires with tram rails. Yikes! As usual she is a trooper and keeps on riding to home.  Let's get dried and to bed. Crazy night.