From the Thalys
December 13th. On board the Thalys train somewhere between Rotterdam and Antwerp, on our way to Paris. 11.15 am and I have had a small bottle of Louis Montellier Bordeaux sitting beside my laptop waiting for a slightly more suitable time to drink it and I have waited long enough. There is something about thundering through the countryside at 300 kilometres an hour while sipping a Bordeaux. It’s the feeling of adventure.
Wandering through the tiny brick streets last night, looking for a place to eat (Argentinean? Uruguayan? Italian?) it became a matter of who had to best gift of the gab as to which restaurant we ate at. On the street in the Leidseplein waiters were out on the street to persuade you to come into their restaurant. They would promise you free this and extra that, “‘specially for you,” should you like to dine in their restaurant. We dined Italian.
The Mayor has had a clean-up in Amsterdam http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/182348 Gone is the red light district for which Amsterdam was famous.We also notice that the beggars and homeless people also seem to have disappeared. We hope they are warmly accommodated somewhere, I would not like to be homeless in an Amsterdam winter.