Swins diary 2008 day 6 - 16th June

[Swin]

Up early to pack as sadly it was the last day of this year's trip. Dragged the holdall downstairs at the same time as I went to breakfast as I just couldn't do the stairs twice!
Checked out, left the bag in the luggage store and went in to breakfast and met a young Chinese woman, in town as part of some delegation or other attending a conference. She was from Beijing and had never been outside China before. Her face was a picture as she marvelled open-mouthed at the street outside then disappeared, camera in hand, another instantly in love with Amsterdam, on her first exploration.
Legged it up to Noorderkerke to the Monday market, lots more flea market type stalls and less housewares / clothing dealers than before. Saw Holly and TAK setting up and said hello and goodbye.
Off then via Broodje Bert (that bacon is bloody amazing) to meet a guy in Cafe Scheltma(?) on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwaal to buy some stamps.
On route I was approached, for the first time this trip, by an 'Excuse me sir have you any spare change please' hopeful but with a more optimistic if slightly overcooked first line, 'Excuse me sir I need 2000 Euros''. I was tempted (but not for long) to bung him five Euros for his cheek but settled for a more satisfying sarcastic 'Don't we all mate, don't we all' and moved on.
Popped into the Cafe de Zwaarte to see an old boy who has been drinking in there from 10 until 12 every weekday for 53 years apparently! Again how nice to be greeted by name as I walked in despite not seeing him for a year and then just for an hour or so.
While in the Zwaarte 'the nutter' appeared and sat on a bench outside the Atheneum on the Spui. Everywhere has one (we have Mac The Knife for example) its just a matter of degree and when you spot him. This bloke, a big black guy, was shouting, shaking his fist at and on occasions chasing, everything that moved from tram to pedestrian - one way to guarantee a tourist-free seat in what is a popular area to just sit and watch. The cause of his excitement appeared unbelieveably to be a six pack of Heineken - a nutter indeed!
Dropped some stuff back at the hotel then walked this time across Rokin, far less road works and disruption this year but still a way to go, and through Grimburgwal to Kloviersburgwal then via Staalstraat to Groenburgwal and Raamgracht, two beautiful 'forgotten' canals.
All too soon it was time to head back to the Gollum to have a last beer with Surreal. Just after four a middle-aged American lady - an Amsterdam (20 years of visiting) and beer nutter came in followed shortly afterwards by a young bloke from Chicage who was on his way to Switzerland to see some of the Euro 2008 games. Swept up by the Dutch fervour he was in a Dutch football shirt and orange cap but his knowledge of football (and he called it football not soccer) was amazing.
One thing led to another and eventually thanks to the hotel receptionist, I was poured into a taxi sporting Turkish flags and driven by a Turkish football fanatic at about 7 pm. The guy managed to drop me claiming the roadworks prevented him getting any closer, about 400m from CS and I was daft enough to tip the bloke.
The rest soon flashed by, CS, the rail journey to Schiphol, check-in, boarding and suddenly it was all over for another year.
One last quote from our graffitti friend seen on a hoarding in Oude Looiersstraat near La Tertulia: 'I touched the glass where oblivion rules outside'.


Thanks for your interest
Tot ziens!

[MikeFromTx]

Thanks for the report. It sucks to leave! And yes everywhere has one.

[Mac The Knife]

Your giving me a mention in your shit post.

Don't you feel dirty?

[Red Pleb]

Up early to pack as sadly it was the last day of this year's trip. Dragged the holdall downstairs at the same time as I went to breakfast as I just couldn't do the stairs twice!
Checked out, left the bag in the luggage store and went in to breakfast and met a young Chinese woman, in town as part of some delegation or other attending a conference. She was from Beijing and had never been outside China before. Her face was a picture as she marvelled open-mouthed at the street outside then disappeared, camera in hand, another instantly in love with Amsterdam, on her first exploration.
Legged it up to Noorderkerke to the Monday market, lots more flea market type stalls and less housewares / clothing dealers than before. Saw Holly and TAK setting up and said hello and goodbye.
Off then via Broodje Bert (that bacon is bloody amazing) to meet a guy in Cafe Scheltma(?) on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwaal to buy some stamps.
On route I was approached, for the first time this trip, by an 'Excuse me sir have you any spare change please' hopeful but with a more optimistic if slightly overcooked first line, 'Excuse me sir I need 2000 Euros''. I was tempted (but not for long) to bung him five Euros for his cheek but settled for a more satisfying sarcastic 'Don't we all mate, don't we all' and moved on.
Popped into the Cafe de Zwaarte to see an old boy who has been drinking in there from 10 until 12 every weekday for 53 years apparently! Again how nice to be greeted by name as I walked in despite not seeing him for a year and then just for an hour or so.
While in the Zwaarte 'the nutter' appeared and sat on a bench outside the Atheneum on the Spui. Everywhere has one (we have Mac The Knife for example) its just a matter of degree and when you spot him. This bloke, a big black guy, was shouting, shaking his fist at and on occasions chasing, everything that moved from tram to pedestrian - one way to guarantee a tourist-free seat in what is a popular area to just sit and watch. The cause of his excitement appeared unbelieveably to be a six pack of Heineken - a nutter indeed!
Dropped some stuff back at the hotel then walked this time across Rokin, far less road works and disruption this year but still a way to go, and through Grimburgwal to Kloviersburgwal then via Staalstraat to Groenburgwal and Raamgracht, two beautiful 'forgotten' canals.
All too soon it was time to head back to the Gollum to have a last beer with Surreal. Just after four a middle-aged American lady - an Amsterdam (20 years of visiting) and beer nutter came in followed shortly afterwards by a young bloke from Chicage who was on his way to Switzerland to see some of the Euro 2008 games. Swept up by the Dutch fervour he was in a Dutch football shirt and orange cap but his knowledge of football (and he called it football not soccer) was amazing.
One thing led to another and eventually thanks to the hotel receptionist, I was poured into a taxi sporting Turkish flags and driven by a Turkish football fanatic at about 7 pm. The guy managed to drop me claiming the roadworks prevented him getting any closer, about 400m from CS and I was daft enough to tip the bloke.
The rest soon flashed by, CS, the rail journey to Schiphol, check-in, boarding and suddenly it was all over for another year.
One last quote from our graffitti friend seen on a hoarding in Oude Looiersstraat near La Tertulia: 'I touched the glass where oblivion rules outside'.


Thanks for your interest
Tot ziens!

Great set of reports . Enjoyed the read.

[theguest]

great stuff. thanks for the series of posts!

[theron7]

I enjoyed reading about your journey and wanderings, thanks for taking the time to share!

[PUSSYGALORE]

Ditto

[Mac The Knife]

Ditto

Shit, you are so educated.

Please ditto me. (whatever that means)

[PUSSYGALORE]

Ditto

Shit, you are so educated.

Please ditto me. (whatever that means)

My darling Mac, the term 'ditto' means 'the same'. So if you said to me 'I LOVE YOU', and I replied 'DITTO', it would mean that I LOVE YOU BACK.

I used it here as a short version of what the other guys had said about the trip report.

Did you not see the flick 'GHOST'? Some really great romantic love scenes between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. He had the lead roll in the flick 'DIRTY DANCING', oh those were the days!

XX

[MikeFromTx]

Ditto

Shit, you are so educated.

Please ditto me. (whatever that means)

My darling Mac, the term 'ditto' means 'the same'. So if you said to me 'I LOVE YOU', and I replied 'DITTO', it would mean that I LOVE YOU BACK.

I used it here as a short version of what the other guys had said about the trip report.

Did you not see the flick 'GHOST'? Some really great romantic love scenes between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. He had the lead roll in the flick 'DIRTY DANCING', oh those were the days!

XX

Have you seen Silence of the Lambs? Buffalo Bill doesnt watch that much tv.

[TAK]

a young bloke from Chicage who was on his way to Switzerland to see some of the Euro 2008 games. Swept up by the Dutch fervour he was in a Dutch football shirt and orange cap but his knowledge of football (and he called it football not soccer) was amazing.
!

Good report Swin,
It was good meeting you and I enjoyed you company.

BTW, anybody that is from ChicagE would probably call soccer, football.

LOL!
Dag
TAK

[PUSSYGALORE]

Ditto

Shit, you are so educated.

Please ditto me. (whatever that means)

My darling Mac, the term 'ditto' means 'the same'. So if you said to me 'I LOVE YOU', and I replied 'DITTO', it would mean that I LOVE YOU BACK.

I used it here as a short version of what the other guys had said about the trip report.

Did you not see the flick 'GHOST'? Some really great romantic love scenes between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. He had the lead roll in the flick 'DIRTY DANCING', oh those were the days!

XX

Have you seen Silence of the Lambs? Buffalo Bill doesnt watch that much tv.

Sorry MikeFromTx but I dont get that comment. Could you please explain yourself.

[shezzuk1]

You are a serious weirdo PUSSYGALORE, don't ask me why but you just are. You really give me the creeps. When I was a small child, I dislocated my arm/shoulder in a playground in Wales, and there was this strange woman that tended to me, you remind me of her.

[PUSSYGALORE]

You are a serious weirdo PUSSYGALORE, don't ask me why but you just are. You really give me the creeps. When I was a small child, I dislocated my arm/shoulder in a playground in Wales, and there was this strange woman that tended to me, you remind me of her.

Dont ask you why but I just am. Are you sure it was your shoulder you dislocated. Grow up freak. This is the big girls' playground. Your mama should have warned you about us.

But your still a small child, whats changed?

Yes I can imagine a 'strange' kind of woman wanting to 'tend' to you!

Maybe she should have done us all a favour and put a plastic bag over your head for a couple of minutes - oh, I see, maybe she did and thats the problem here.

Or maybe you stayed too long in the birth canal. Staying there too long can cause all sorts of nasty things, brain damage, pesonality disorders.

If you ever manage to sire anything other than bullshit, perhaps you could ask your birthing partner to have a c-section. Less risk that way of any problems, cos you sound to me as though you've got enough already.

Get a life. Bet you'de love one like mine deary, its sweet.

[MikeFromTx]

Ditto

Shit, you are so educated.

Please ditto me. (whatever that means)

My darling Mac, the term 'ditto' means 'the same'. So if you said to me 'I LOVE YOU', and I replied 'DITTO', it would mean that I LOVE YOU BACK.

I used it here as a short version of what the other guys had said about the trip report.

Did you not see the flick 'GHOST'? Some really great romantic love scenes between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. He had the lead roll in the flick 'DIRTY DANCING', oh those were the days!

XX

Have you seen Silence of the Lambs? Buffalo Bill doesnt watch that much tv.

Sorry MikeFromTx but I dont get that comment. Could you please explain yourself.

It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it's told. Think pussy think!

[boneymaroni]

Nice trip reports Swin....I genuinely enjoyed reading them

[Generous_J]

You are a serious weirdo PUSSYGALORE, don't ask me why but you just are. You really give me the creeps. When I was a small child, I dislocated my arm/shoulder in a playground in Wales, and there was this strange woman that tended to me, you remind me of her.

Dont ask you why but I just am. Are you sure it was your shoulder you dislocated. Grow up freak. This is the big girls' playground. Your mama should have warned you about us.

But your still a small child, whats changed?

Yes I can imagine a 'strange' kind of woman wanting to 'tend' to you!

Maybe she should have done us all a favour and put a plastic bag over your head for a couple of minutes - oh, I see, maybe she did and thats the problem here.

Or maybe you stayed too long in the birth canal. Staying there too long can cause all sorts of nasty things, brain damage, pesonality disorders.

If you ever manage to sire anything other than bullshit, perhaps you could ask your birthing partner to have a c-section. Less risk that way of any problems, cos you sound to me as though you've got enough already.

Get a life. Bet you'de love one like mine deary, its sweet.

You are fucked

[LastHamlet]

I spent part of Sunday reading this set of reports, Swin, and finished them off this morning. Excellent Read!!!and Many Thanks for letting us travlel along.

All The Best Regards,
LH

[SlyCrayon]

"To thine own self be true"



Posting after Hamlet, I felt I should quote Polonious.

groetjes
; )