Welcome to My Midlife Crisis

On April 21, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, Seattle Day Trips, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Oh hello Sexy Beast Yes, that is the name I’m giving my Midlife Crisis and it materialized in the form of a sleek black BMW Z4 Roadster. I haven’t even LIKED driving since the Subaru was totaled a few years ago. And spending my hard-earned money impulsively when my motto is: Save ’till It Hurts? No. Way. Then my totally impractical and beautiful Sexy Beast appeared on the Sell/Buy company internal site and I was a goner. SOLD!

And for those smart asses that might be thinking “She’s a little past the midlife stage” may I remind you that the women in my family live a very, very long life. Grandma Hannah was 99 and still living on her own and my mom is kicking it strong at soon-to-be 91 so, yes, I’m still somewhat midlife right now. In my mind. Shut up.

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Why a midlife crisis now? Over the long winter months, I started a new job, which I love but, let’s face it, all new jobs are stressful. Health issues challenged me from a freaky frozen shoulder that has lasted now almost a year and shingles on my head which, believe me, was just as awful as you would think that would be. Getting old SUCKS. Totally. After years of not even knowing what my natural hair color was other than I knew I had skunk-like streaks of white (thanks Mom!) and dark (thanks Dad!), I ripped off the band aid so to speak after a strong Old Fashioned cocktail and took my still recovering head to the barber and told him to shave (#4) it off. Every follicle on my head hurt from the shingles and there was absolutely no way I was going to layer toxic chemicals on top of it so off it went onto the floor and I’ll be going au natural from now on. Ahhhh….relief. After the initial shock, I’m now liking it. I’ve been told it looks badass, sassy and fierce. Yep, that’s me. And-bonus-it only costs $10 for a buzz cut. Now I can afford gas, a parking space and insurance. Winning! Melinda [77532]

Now, let the fun begin. The shoulder is slowly but surely unfreezing and the shingles, after two rounds of meds, have healed. Time to hit the road and see the Pacific Northwest in our Sexy Beast!

In the three days we have owned SB, the weather has been amazing and we have visited new pockets of Seattle including the largest beach we have ever seen in Seattle just north of Ballard, Golden Gardens. There were THOUSANDS of people there on a abnormally warm and sunny Monday evening. Who knew? I can’t wait to take Mia there and let her run in the sand. Next night we roared around the curves in Magnolia admiring the fancy view homes and then swung downtown to walk Pier 66 where we happened upon the Clipper Round The World racing yachts. The Danang Vietnam boat had just docked after 35 days at sea where they suffered severe damage. We welcomed the crew gathered on the dock to Seattle and can’t wait to tour their boat when it opens to the public on Saturday. WP_20160420_19_48_50_Pro 1

Next, it was off to Madison Park to watch the moon rise over the Eastside and chill with the geese on the beach. Mia will enjoy the park there that is just made for 2-year olds with slides and swings galore. Such great restaurants and bars there with lots of outdoor seating just made for warm summer nights. The ride over Capital Hill to get there was fast and furious with Thom at the wheel. I’m betting a speeding ticket is in his future. He is loving this car and is so supportive of my midlife crisis, which is much easier to support when it includes a sporty two-seater. YOLO!

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Theater, Scotch and Sailboats…Oh My!

On November 21, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Seattle, Uncategorized, walkingLeave a comment

Who on Earth would predict that a musical about 9/11 and how the town of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 7,000 passengers on 38 planes diverted there that day would be so inspirational and wonderful? NOT ME! Boy, was I shocked. We laughed and cried and didn’t want it to end. I have to tell you, when Thom told me where we would be going this past Thursday night, I was wanting to do almost anything else!! His dear childhood friend that has worked for 30+ years at American Airlines guiding flights around the world, Billy, and his wife were scheduled to come visit us for the opening of the play as he was personally involved with the main character in the story, Beverly the pilot of one of the flights diverted. Billy guided Beverly and her flight to safety that horrific day and they have stayed in touch ever since, bonded for life by tragic circumstances beyond their control.

Unfortunately Billy recently had surgery and couldn’t travel but we went in his place. Seated next to us were a nice couple who immediately told us that they were retired pilots who had been at the play for opening night and found it so amazing that they bought the extra tickets that Billy had purchased. Also friends with Beverly, who was at the theater that night, they had a personal connection to this particular story, having flown during that crazy time. Flying a few days after 9/11 for work, I remember thinking that air travel will never be the same and it certainly isn’t. No more greeting family at the gate and please take off your shoes, no liquids over a certain size, etc. WP_20151119_21_21_19_Pro

But back to the play that brings it all to life. With clever use of the actors playing several roles, the story is told of one particular flight flown by Beverly and diverted to Gander. The citizens take in this mass influx of people with some trepidation but end up feeding and housing them all over town for a week or so. Authors David Hein and Irene Sankoff nailed the snappy dialogue, plot line and wonderful songs. I have seen many a Broadway play and this would win a Tony for sure. Let’s hope they get publicity and make a run for Broadway. I only hope that they keep the same cast and band because they were top-notch and I can’t imagine anyone else in those roles. If you live in Seattle, GO SEE IT! It’s playing at the Seattle Repertory Theatre until December 13th. Seattle Times Review of “Come From Away”

Friday night, bearing beer and wine as boat-warming gifts, we visited our friend Brad’s newly acquired sailboat just north of Ballard. Draped in festive holiday lights, the 3 br/2 head money pit (all boats are!) was warm and cozy below and brisk up top as the 20+ people drank and socialized. Seeing the crowd drink scotch to warm up, I figured, “What the Hell!” and decided to join them and have my first taste of scotch. Hmmm…it sure does warm up your whole throat for an extended period of time. These scotch drinkers could be on to something. My friend Kurt has offered to “school me” on the varieties of scotch as he has drank his way across Europe tasting and sipping. Bring on Booze 101 classes! Now, I’m not a boat person, having owned a lake cottage and boat at one point and didn’t really enjoy them, but these sailors seem to be very dedicated and borderline obsessed with this lifestyle. Expensive, yes, but a social way to embrace the beauty of the water. As long as it stays at the dock and the wine/scotch is flowing, count me in. Ahoy mate!

World Series Time-Thom’s Dream Comes True!

On October 23, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, New York City, TravelLeave a comment

I made the decision that Thom MUST go to the World Series if the Mets, by some miracle, beat the Goat-cursed Cubs. It wasn’t a hard decision. A lifelong survivor of so many losing seasons, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Okay, twice in a lifetime, since he went to the World Series the last time the Mets made it–way back in 1986 when tickets were $30. DAMN, he’s old! My daughter Hannah, who is also married to a huge Mets fan, had the very same idea and called me to collaborate on what could be the best father-in-law/son-in-law road trip of all times. THEY’RE GOING TO NYC TO THE WORLD SERIES!

Miracle of all miracles, the 7 Line company that sells Mets gear sponsored a lottery for true fans (and customers) but only had 589 tickets for each of the three games at CitField. After they sent out 25,000 fan codes to access the site, it was all up to luck and good bandwith to “win” the opportunity to buy max of 2 of these $250 tickets. SCORE! My son-in-law got through and so on Saturday, October 31st, Thom and Mike will spend Halloween cheering on their Mets to victory in NYC.

The agony of waiting for the end to come!

Personally, I can’t wait for it all to be over. The stress is so overwhelming at times that Thom’s face is bright red and he can hardly function. I have my fingers poised to dial 911 at all times during games just in case of a stress-induced medical emergency. We had to wrap an ice wrap around his neck to cool him down at one point during an especially close game. Pathetic–over a silly ball game! He is constantly texting his NYC friends during games, sharing the excitement and pain as the players cause anxiety galore among all.

Game-induced stress = ice wrap around the neck

On Thursday night, when the Mets were set to sweep the Cubs in game 4 of the NLCS, when Thom would normally be glued to the television, we were instead sitting at Century Link Field cheering on the FIFA WC USA women’s team playing Brazil, tickets purchased when the thought of the Mets playing in post-season was just a dream. Earbuds in, I warned Thom not to shout out random profanity as he listened to the game moving closer to it’s conclusion. AT LAST, the smile lite up his face like a small child experiencing their first Christmas morning. Flights now booked, they will arrive in time to watch the game with loyal fans on Friday night at legendary Mets sports bar, McFadden’s with hundreds of other fanatics and go to the game on Saturday. Send good karma to the Mets and pray that Thom makes it through the series with his blood pressure intact. GO METS!

The Total ND Irish Football Experience, Drunken Leprechaun Pirate and all!

On October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Family vacation, Ireland, TravelLeave a comment

The leprechaun pirate with the ND eye patch and scraggly goatee woke up from his drunken stupor just after the first quarter at the Irish vs. USC game. You got to give it to the grungy dude-can’t be easy being passed out and staying upright on a bleacher seat but somehow he made it happen. At first concerned for his wellbeing, I quickly flipped into ninja defensive mode to protect myself after he started dancing and flinging his arms with great abandon and hit me in the face as he yelled and loudly coached the players from our end zone seats. “Bring your father?” the smart ass but very nice guy next to us asked. HELL NO! Thus began the total ND Irish Football Experience thanks to my great sis, Beck, who scored us tickets to the Game of the Century.

I got the dread pirate Looney Tunes as my seat neighbor but Beck got the adorably nice guys sitting next to her–on a trip to all the NFL stadiums with their fathers. They had decided to also take In a college game on their male-bonding trip before going to the Colts/Pats game tomorrow in Indy. After Beck explained why bodies were being lifted all over the stadium when ND scored–prone body push ups, one for each point on the scoreboard–the traveling sons decided Beck looked tiny enough to lift so they could enjoy a true college football moment. NO THANK YOU KIND SIRS! We directed them to a small child they could pump over their heads and off we ran to get a hot chocolate to drink and warm up in the bathroom that had the heaters going at full blast. At 30 degrees on the field, no amount of layering, Spanx under the jeans, puffy coat and earmuffs could keep us warm, though our ugly Uggs kept our tootsies quite toasty. Mock the Uggs but they get the job done.

I did learn more about football from the fans surrounding us. After ND called for a timeout when USC was getting ready to kick a field goal, then immediately called another one and then ANOTHER ONE, I was coached that ND was “icing” the kicker and trying to psych him out. After the third timeout, the poor USC player finally got to kick his field goal and, sure enough, he was flustered and missed! The icing worked-who knew about such football psychology??? Brains over brawn to win-I like it.

Making the ultimate sacrifice so that ND could win the “game of the century” as it was being called, we left the game before the fourth quarter started with ND behind by 7 points. WHAT??? Yep, Becky was cold and said that last time she left a game early, ND came roaring back to win. And they did just that tonight! In the 15 minutes after we left, ND scored 17 points and won 41-31. Thank the Lord we left because I’m sure the drunken pirate would have been overcome with joy and jumped into my arms to lay a big cold wet one on me to celebrate and I was having none of that action thank you very much. The Irish can thank us with season tickets or extra blessings-either work for me.

Dressed for the cold weather and ready for spring already

Prior to the exciting game, we had to have the whole Irish experience so we walked the campus, enjoyed the ND marching Irish playing tunes on the steps of a classic college building, walked the grotto, went into the rotunda to see the Horn Section play beautifully and check out the tailgating action. Those Irish alumni really know how to party in a parking lot. There were a surprising number of USC fans walking around so I had to interview one guy with his son who were looking to score a blanket to keep warm. After we told them where the book store was, I asked how they were feeling about Coach Steve S. being fired. “FANTASTIC!” the guy enthusiastically replied. He then informed me that they were going to sue the recruiting firm that pushed through his hiring and didn’t do their due diligence to find out he had “issues”. Oh well, don’t we all and hopefully he’ll work out his demons. In the meantime, Go Irish!

The Irish Grotto-where everyone lights a candle to ensure an Irish victory.

Walking ALL over Vancouver, BC

On October 10, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Canada, Food, Seattle, Travel, Vancouver, walkingLeave a comment

Now, I’ve been to Vancouver many times but mostly for business reasons. BORING! This past weekend, I got to go for fun with Thom and my best friend Patti and her husband Larry. Got to hand it to Patti and Larry-they have faithfully visited us everywhere from NYC to China to Seattle. So now it was time to add Canada to our list! After enjoying the Amtrak up to Vancouver, we had a blast, though I did walk too fast and too far for my friends. Sorry Patti!!! I actually got up early Saturday to walk 3 miles by myself around the waterfront (sunrise!) and burn off some energy so I would walk slower the rest of the day. I don’t realize how fast I walk because Thom is just as bad until I get around folks who don’t get a chance to walk as much as I do. Let’s face it, most people drive everywhere they need to go especially if they live in the country. I’m an urban chick and my idea of a good day is being able to walk 10 miles. Crazy!!!

Now, I have never dug into the history of Vancouver but now I can say with authority that this is a city built-in a very similar manner as Seattle and San Francisco-natural resources and a wild, wild west attitude. After seeing great reviews on TripAdvisor, I signed us up for two free walking tours-one each day-for Gastown and Chinatown. Now, you may say that you get what you pay for so why go on a free tour??? I thought the same but so glad we went because Ali and Leni, our guides, were both enthusiastic and knew their stuff. They entertained us with stories and a well thought out walking tour designed to make the history of Vancouver come to life. This is their job (or at least one of them-they are not getting rich working for tips) but they ask that, if you liked the tour, you give them something for their delightful storytelling and expertise. Check them out if you are in Vancouver: http://www.tourguys.ca.

Patti and Larry enjoying Leni's stories on the walking tour of Gastown — Patti and Larry enjoying Leni’s stories on the walking tour of Gastown

After our Chinatown tour, we headed straight to the best rated (Yelp!) restaurant in the transitioning Chinatown area. Now, the Chinese residents are moving out as they can afford to so this Chinatown is not a vibrant area but with it’s seafood and produce markets, it did remind me of our home in Shanghai. I miss it so much! Lots of raw fish, baskets of dried seafood and veggies. So pungent smelling!

We went to the New Town Bakery and indulged in egg tarts, potstickers and yummy dishes galore. We met a lovely lady from Perth, Australia on our tour who was in town on a grant from her city job to tour the world and study best practices in urban planning and invited her along to lunch. Of course, now Thom is hooking her up with his contacts in NYC to help her out. So nice to help other world travelers!

The Gastown tour ended thankfully right next to my favorite place to eat in Vancouver-the Water St. Café. Seriously, every time I go there I eat the salmon risotto and this trip was no exception. Patti tried it too and literally licked the plate. So creamy, so delicious!

Water Street Café--salmon risotto so good Patti licked the plate! — Water Street Café–salmon risotto so good Patti licked the plate!

The whole Yaletown and Gastown areas are filled with restaurants and interesting shops as well as being historic. Of course, Thom found a few vinyl stores and had to shop for his ever-expanding collection. With a new Nordstrom’s and their local chain, Roots, everywhere, it was hard NOT to spend money. With a good exchange rate, I wish I had brought more luggage more to carry home Canadian treasures. Oh well, next time! Only a few hours drive from Seattle, I’ll be back soon!

The markets in Chinatown reminded me of home in Shanghai

Thom found LOTS of vinyl stores in Vancouver

Eating in Amsterdam

On September 27, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Amsterdam, Europe, expat, Food, Travel, Uncategorized, vacation, walking3 Comments

I am probably not the best authority to write about the cuisine in Amsterdam but I will give it a shot. Thom and I have very simple tastes and are very happy eating a picnic on the train and don’t frequent fine dining establishments. Foodies we are not! As I think back on the best food I ate on our trip, the cheese with basil and dried tomato stands out as does the hot, buttery sugary poffertjes and waffles from the markets. Yum! I do like my dairy and sweets.

Poffertjes-little pancakes with butter and sugar!

That being said, if you have finer taste buds (and most do) there is a wide variety of restaurants for everyone’s taste in all the places we visited. As always, ask your concierge at the hotel for recommendations on their favorites. Here are some other observations:

Coffee–Screaming Bean (in several locations) delivers the best cappuccino in Amsterdam and maybe the world. Thick and creamy foam tops a rich smooth coffee underneath. Super friendly folks serving in a quaint coffee shop make it a must try when you are here. Many thanks to my friend, Kurt, for recommending to us.

Screaming Bean cappuccino... so rich and delicious! — Screaming Bean cappuccino… so rich and delicious!

Grocery–There aren’t many groceries and practically no competition in the city but Albert Haijn does have whatever you need for a first-rate picnic for the park or train or hotel room. Also a good place to buy chocolate for the perfect souvenir to take home. We got some awesome salads to go one night for a quick, cheap diner (under $10 euros for 2 people). I also saw some Aldi Food markets but didn’t go in to check them out. I also found a smaller Mqkt chain that had a cheese to die for–basil and dried tomato–that pared well with salami and pears and raisin bread. Perfect picnic!

We didn’t eat out many times but did stop at one German restaurant that promised authentic cuisine. Thom proceeded to have weinerschneitzel and fries. Initially, he said he didn’t want ketchup or mayo but decided he needed some mayo. Now, based on the waiter’s prior attitude and the steep stairs he had to climb to get to the kitchen on the floor above, I knew this would not go over well and it didn’t. “You said you didn’t want any!” the waiter growled at Thom. “Yes, but I changed my mind. Okay?” Grudgingly, ten minutes later Thom finally got his mayo and felt compelled to eat it fearing retribution from the waiter if he did not. Were we in Paris???

Pancakes with brandy-soaked raisins paired with red wine!

I got the brandy-soaked raisin pancake that filled a plate and paired nicely with a Merlot. Yep-when in the Netherlands, drink with your breakfast-type food. Every bite was enjoyed. No butter or syrup was offered and I was afraid to ask the testy waiter. They are tight with the butter here. At our great breakfast at the Andaz, when you ask for toast, you get barely warm bread, no butter. Today, I asked specifically for “crispy” bacon and got the limpest fatty slice of meat you would ever want to see. Really???? Crispy means fry that sucker! Same with eggs, unfortunately. I remember also having this issue in China and having to keep asking for “hard scramble” several times to get barely done eggs. Oh well-first world, five star hotel issues I guess.

We don’t go for fancy restaurants but we walked by many in Amsterdam including one, MoMo in the area near the museums. Swanky! There are many white-table cloth type places as well as many beer halls with outside seating and lounge seats and heaters for the cool nights-even blankets at some places. You can find all types of ethnic food easily too. Lots of Argentine steak houses along side the pancake houses. We even found a place today, Bagels & Beans, that is a chain around town and has great bagels served with the largest pile of cream cheese that you could ever eat.

So, whatever you like to eat, you can probably find it in Amsterdam. Happy eating!

Uniquely Amsterdam

On September 27, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, expat, Travel, Uncategorized, vacation2 Comments

Uniquely Amsterdam:

*buildings lean and tilt at odd angles-not sure if the insides are as lopsided but the outsides sure are crazy

*with fries, you can get either ketchup or mayo–your choice but they may charge you .50 euros for the condiments FYI

*taxi’s are surprisingly upscale as many are Mercedes and even saw a Tesla–expensive rides for a taxi

*don’t expect street signs in English-there aren’t any. Pull out your map provided by your hotel and figure it out–nice locals will stop and ask if you need help. Say YES!

*you get menu’s for your weed selection in the cafes all over Amsterdam..coffee shop is code name usually for pot café served with a side of caffeine too

*people are impossibly thin and healthy and gorgeous–what they must think of us when they visit the US where we don’t live this healthy lifestyle and more food is considered better

*no need for gyms here with all the biking and walking–saw very few gyms

*no helmets on the bikers, even the kids, which is counter to all safety precautions in the US

*Thom and I are amazed that there aren’t bodies littering the streets with no stop signals and bikes/scooters/walkers/cars/trams going every which way but somehow it all works

*just like Vietnam, life is enjoyed on the sidewalks but in Hanoi locals are sitting on plastic stools eating phao and here they are reclining in wicker cushy chairs enjoying Heineken with friends under heat lamps

*not alot of public bathrooms so just like China, there are men pissing in the streets-day and night. In the train stations, you can find public bathrooms but have your .50 euro coin ready because you have to pay attendant to get in to use. If you are out and about, you can also usually just walk into any nice hotel and act like you belong and use their lobby facilities

*work days start at 10 a.m. with lunch and then off by 5 p.m. to enjoy happy hour–quite the life style but don’t expect to get a cappuccino before 8 a.m. when the cafés open up vs. Starbucks back in Seattle that open at 5:30 a.m. to provide caffeine for commuters

*people like to display their little collections on the ledges in their street level apartments–we saw Pez collections, photos, etc. Cool glimpse into their lives that they share.

*no big tacky mega stores like Target or WalMart–lots of little groceries, boutiques but not a lot of international brands-no Gaps, etc. that I saw

*bookstores everywhere and vinyl/cd stores–peeking into apartments, we saw lots of floor to ceiling bookcases just filled with books… my kind of place

*in the US you see folks at cafés on their devices but here everyone is just drinking and actually interacting with other human beings vs. their devices… very refreshing

*love the practice of getting a little ginger cookie with every cup of coffee-yum!

All in all, the European lifestyle is one of enjoying life to the fullest with families and friends, whether with food, music, art, literature, architecture, wine or beer. I think they have their “priorities in order” as Hermione famously told Ron in Harry Potter. 🙂

North Sea beauty! — Good Bye Netherlands!

Enjoying Vondelpark in Amsterdam

On September 26, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Parks, Travel, vacation, walkingLeave a comment

The sun was shining so off we went to the park to enjoy life as the locals do on our last full day here in Amsterdam. Damn, they’re healthy here! Not only do the folks who live here bike/walk everywhere but on the weekends they take to the park to do yoga outside, bootcamp, jog, walk their dogs and enjoy the great outdoors.

In Vondelpark, we saw it all but especially laughed when the pregnant ladies lined up around the tree bench we were sitting on and proceeded to do push ups as part of the Moms in Balance group exercise. One old guy rode by on his bike and said something off color-it was in Danish but you could just tell he was being bad and the ladies just laughed!!

Thom stalked a couple with their Vizsla out playing ball. This dog was young and much better behaved than our Izaak-he stayed with them even off leash. Izaak would have been a menace to all the joggers/bikers filling the park lanes. I miss my puppies!

After we experienced the lakes and trees, we cut back into the city, promptly got a bit lost but, as usual, ended up just where we wanted to be six miles later. We love open air markets and this one on Albert Cuypstraat was a huge one filled with fruits/vegs, cheese, clothes, and anything you could want. We ended up buying an extra carry on bag for all our stuff we bought and Thom promptly found a vinyl store and bought 3 albums that he couldn’t have gotten in the US. More music!

I had been told that poffertjes were everywhere over here but I was having a hard time finding the little pancakes covered in butter and powdered sugar. EURECKA-they were in the market and hot off the press. Thom and I gorged on a large order loving every sinful bite. Hey, we’re walking 10 miles a day so bring on the sweets!

Now, we are off to the Foam, which is a photography museum. More walking and fun on our last day in Amsterdam!

Getting Around Amsterdam

On September 26, 2015September 26, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Amsterdam, expat, Travel, vacation, walking2 Comments

Yesterday we walked 11 miles-the Fitbit doesn’t lie! Really-that’s our idea of fun! Now, if you aren’t walkers like us, you can get around Amsterdam in so many other ways-bike, scooter, car, boat, tram or train-and still have a great time seeing all the sights.

Cruise boats are limited to 4 mph on the canals

Of course, these other modes of transportation may set you back a few Euros but all are easy to find in town. Everyone rides bikes in Amsterdam-way more bikes here than in China even. Our lovely Hotel Andaz offered free bikes for use but my frozen shoulder would probably react poorly to bumping up and down on the quaint cobblestone streets so we chose not to try. I love watching whole families commute to school/work on their bikes. Carts in front of the bikes allow for 2-3 kids to pop in while Mom or Dad peddles their hearts out. Our pollution and global warming (and health) issues would be greatly reduced if every county embraced biking like they do here.

Next up the transportation chain is the scooter-very popular and driven fast so watch out when you’re walking. There aren’t really rules here other than walk fast and keep swiveling your head when trying to cross bike paths and roads so you don’t get hit by a biker, scooter or tram. They might try to stop for you but don’t chance it. The trams run on all major streets and cost $7 E for 24 hours or $1.6 E for one hour of riding. You buy tickets at machines but our credit cards didn’t work so we had to use cash to buy them. On the trams, you tap to get on and off but it’s the honor system and many didn’t even use cards.

When you take a train, the conductor will come through and check your cards so no honor system there. We travelled to The Hague and to Bruges by train-very easy and inexpensive way to travel and see Europe. Pack a picnic from simple fare like cheese/sausage/bread/fruit from the local grocery and enjoy the scenery as you speed through the countryside. If we hadn’t taken the train, we would have never seen a windmill or experienced another way of life other than the urban scene in Amsterdam.

Boats are obviously popular here with canals in all the cities we were in. The average citizen may have just a motorboat to get around but there are lovely cruise ships for the tourists-about $15 E for a ride in the glass topped long and low boats. There are truly lovely houseboats where people live on many of the canals as well. Our new dream is to come over here for an extended stay in one of these houseboats. How fun would that be???

Coolest car in Amsterdam-oh the tales it could tell

Do people have cars here? Yes, and are they ever teeny tiny! Parking is very limited along the canals and I’m sure many a car trying to parallel park beside one has missed and gone swimming. I’m terrible at parking so no way was I going to even try although they do have Car2Go here in abundance. No, I’ll keep on walking and enjoying the journey.

Lovely canals provide popular way to travel here

Horse drawn carriage is the popular choice in Bruges

Scooter or mini car? Both have about the same room.

Amsterdam’s Red Light District

On September 25, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Travel, vacation, walkingLeave a comment

If you want to visit the busiest section of Amsterdam, aim for the Red Light District situated by Central Station and sandwiched between Old Town and Chinatown. Now, you’re not allowed to take photos of the “ladies” but I’ll try to describe our brief tour through there last night around 10 p.m. While there are no signs or billboards directing you there, a single red string of lights on the main canal cutting through it, Oudezijds Voorburgwal, will signal your arrival as will the hordes of horny men packing the streets to check it out.

Moulin Rouge-just one of the "shows" in the Red Light District in Amsterdam — Moulin Rouge-just one of the “shows” in the Red Light District in Amsterdam

So, I’m looking around and not seeing what the big deal is and then I spotted in the lower below ground windows the “ladies” in their lingerie trying to entice men into their lairs. All types and some looking quite bored on their smartphones, the “ladies” just open their private door once they get a live one and in they go for whatever they want (all legal here) in their private room and they discreetly close their red curtain to show they are busy for awhile. Not sure what their rates are but here, in the off season, they didn’t seem to be busy so perhaps you can negotiate a good price. Interestingly, even in the regular part of town, you’ll be walking by commercial shops and look down and see a lady in her finest waiting for a client in the window. We even saw one gal with a feather boa and not much else on who had to be 70 if she was a day. What??? No, I’m not judging.

Cannabis College in the Red Light District..wonder how many credits needed to graduate?

What WAS super busy was the live porn shows with lines around the block of young folks, lots of couples, waiting their turn to see whatever was going on inside-one can only imagine. Once you get through the red light part, you immediately go into the high density weed shops where you can order off a menu depending on your need. Not like in the old days, as Thom would say, when you put a fiver into a hole in the door and out would come a bag for you. I don’t know of such things, being the Hoosier good girl hick that I am, so Thom has to share his NYC stories of bad behavior with me. And, of course, along with the sex and weed going on, the big business in this part of town is the donut/pizza shops that are on every corner like Starbucks in Seattle. I guess you work up an appetite in that part of town quite quickly.

Donuts & Pizza, of course! Red Light District works up an appetite!

In a city where prostitution and weed are legal and the folks don’t go into work until 10 a.m., overall everyone seems pretty darn happy and laid back. Thom, of course, wants to rent a houseboat and move here immediately. Predictable he is!

Life is an adventure and we never know what experiences we will move on to next but I’m certainly open to anything and everything! We love Europe and all it’s quirks and history and cultural differences to the US. I can’t wait to explore more countries while we are still spry enough and able to afford to travel in the style Thom has become accustomed to. Off we go!!

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