A is for...

...Anne Frank or Amsterdam or Almost (in the case of France vs NZ).

This week we have our friend Kirsty visiting us. She lives in CT but is spending some time in London doing supply teaching. This week is school holidays in the UK and so she has some time off (it is great to have you here Kirst).

Being a tourist in the Netherlands (or having one to visit) almost always involves a trip to Amsterdam, and so that is what we did yesterday. We got out our winter coats (the temperature was due to stay in single figures all day) jumped on the train and headed for Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is always vibey and it is a great place to just walk around and take in the atmosphere. One of the 'attractions' this time round included the "Occupy" protesters camping out in the city center. For those that aren't familiar with the protests, "Occupy" is an anti-capitalism protest that has spread from Wall Street to London to Amsterdam to Melbourne. It has even resulted in St Paul's Cathedral in London closing for the first time since WWII (the protesters are camping on the cathedral doorstep and there are now health and safety concerns).

We continued with our stroll around Amsterdam and headed in the direction of the Anne Frank museum - it is located in the building that the family actually hid from the Germans in. Bron had been into the museum some time back, but it was a first for Justin and Kirsty. The museum is very well set out and full of interesting information, such as the fact that the diary of Anne Frank has been added to the UNESCO register of significant world heritage documents. 

This perfect Amsterdam car for those narrow streets

Kirsty and Bron in Amsterdam

A reason to visit Amsterdam

Kirsty trying out the local cheeses

Hanging out with Anne

"Come and join the party dude, like, for real!"

"No seriously, it's not just about smoking weed. This is a revolution!"

It is best not to bring your BMW to these kinds of gatherings...

Today (Sunday) was spent in Rotterdam. It started with the rugby world cup final (which was watched at a packed local Irish pub), lunch at a local Turkish restaurant (and the decision that Turkey will definitely feature in one of our future holidays), and just generally strolling around and enjoying the sights.

The KijkKubus (cube houses) in Rotterdam

The old harbour (Rotterdam)

The week ahead is looking to be a busy one (and to be honest we are both feeling a bit 'gat-vol' with work) and I am sure a lot of you are feeling the same way. So I thought I would leave you with this little extract from an email that we received from Bron's uncle. He is talking about his pet sausage dog and finds a great way to put a positive spin on what most would consider a little bit annoying.

When I work in the garden she watches me closely and every now and then comes to see what I am doing. I can almost hear her say “boss, what are you doing? Something for me? That clivia is planted skew, I’ll pull it out for you and you can then plant it correctly”. And she does!

I hope you manage to find your positive spin this week!