Bike Until Your Butt is Bruised and Your Thighs Scream

Leftover from Liberation Day festival May 5.

That's when you know you're in Holland.

On a canal.

Upon arrival at the ferry port, I was one of the first people off (surprising, I know ;)) and the first person at immigrations where they briefly asked where I was going and why, then stamped my passport, then got to a train headed toward Amsterdam.  I asked this Dutch lady who was also one of the first where I could buy a train ticket, but she said the station was closed and we could have bought them on the ferry.  She said to just "play the innocent" and tell the conductor what happened and ask where I could buy a ticket.  He reminded me that normally not having a ticket and buying one on board would cost a penalty of 35 euros, but that this time he'd ignore it and let me get it on the other end. 

Eating a bitterballen at a cafe - fried balls of potato, meat, starch, mush stuff. 

The Dutch lady was very nice and we sat together.  We both had to switch trains at the same place, where I planned to then get a ticket to Amsterdam Central.  She offered to watch my big bag during the train switch so I could run and buy a ticket (we thought the switch was only 6 minutes).  I got to the ticket booth and the woman said they didn't accept cards, but I hadn't gotten any euros yet.  She told me where the nearest cash machine was, so I ran there (thankfully there was no line), got out some money, and ran back.  The woman already had my change prepared, knowing I guess that I'd be paying with a 10.  So anyway, Lies had told me to get a train to Amsterdam Central going in the direction of Denhaag.  But when I asked for a ticket, I forgot and just asked for one to Denhaag (which is closer and therefore cheaper than Ams Central).  So the Dutch lady and I ran to the platform, but the train we got on was 10 min late, so we didn't actually need to rush.  We realize two things once we are on board - 1) I have the wrong ticket for where I need to go, and 2) we are both on the wrong train because this one stops at Denhaag and does not continue to Amsterdam.  So, in Denhaag we get off and run across the platform to a train that continues all the way into the city.  I still do not have a correct ticket, so good thing they didn't check.  On the train we talked to a freshman at a nearby university who was reading an English lit anthology which I used in college, and we discussed Shakespeare and Beowulf and Chaucer.  Made me very happy :).

All this for 6 euros and 40 cents.

So anyway, I finally get to Amsterdam and ended up only paying 4 euros and 60 cents for the trip which would have cost 16 euros.  Lieselotte met me at the platform and thought it was really funny (and lucky for me).  We caught a tram back to her house and after she made us breakfast, I took a 2 hour nap while she worked on her masters' thesis. 

Then we went back into the city center where I rented a bike and then we went around the city and all of a sudden it got really beautiful with gorgeous blue skies and white fluffy clouds and actually got up to about 60 degrees.  We walked through the red light district which was actually rather pretty...until you noticed the sad, wretched looking, nearly-naked women in the windows beckoning to the men who walked by.  When we were done looking around the center city via bike, we went to a market where we got a TON of fruit for only 6 euros and 40 cents.  It was unbelievable.  Lieselotte says the healthy food is the cheapest food here, so we are going to eat well this week!

Lies is talented with the camera.

After returning to Lieselotte's, she made a nice dinner for us with salad and a pasta dish (with arugula, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, garlic, tomato, mozzarella, chili, pepper and salt).  It was very yummy.  Then we rode our bikes to the beach (man made) about 15 min away.  It stays light here until about 9:00 and isn't totally dark until after 10.  We got back about 8:30 and had some tompoucen (Dutch pastries that Lies bought for us). 

Sunset from the beach.

It's already been a very full day and my butt is already bruised. haha  Tomorrow we will probably go see some museums. :)