St Lucia day 2

​Well… we’re back from dinner finally (inside joke, but let’s just say we had a long dinner last night). 

Today Bailley and I cooked breakfast, Abigail isn’t feeling 100%, so is sleeping in a bit. 

I think today we may pencil in the rest of the days and hopefully hit a beach or two.

Ok, we _think_ we have a Saturday plan for sulphuric springs, waterfall, and catamaran. A Garvin special, so we’ll see! 

So post breakfast, post planning, we hit the road for the Jaloise or Sugar Bay beach. I swear, picking the longer sketchy road over the shorter death road… I felt like we were there in ten minutes, where it had been feeling more like 45 minutes. We find the resort and are directed to parking. This place is insane, directly on the inlet between the two pitons. We walked down the steep road until we reach the resort. 

Beautiful. We were told that if you buy food or drink, just save the receipt and you can catch a shuttle up the steep road back to parking. Man, this can’t get any better… well, that’s closer to true than we thought at the time. The beach was really pretty and being sandwiched between the pitons, made it picture perfect. But instead of taking pics, we decide to enjoy first. So… palapa… don’t care how much, I want one. Find a free one and ask… ummm ‘no’, only for resort guests. Ok, fine. We lay out stuff out on the sand and get in the water. Wow, just beautiful. We enjoy a while, but I wanted a drink and maybe a snack while drying off so I could put on sunscreen, before getting back in the water. Bailley wanted a drink and Abigail didn’t want to be alone, so we all leave the water. Walk up to restaurant… ummm ‘no’, only resort guests. Huh… ok, so how do we get a drink or receipt. One non resort place next door.., ok. So we walk there, and they aren’t seating people… I guess it was between services. Hmmm, ok, so we decide to leave and maybe come back another day. We find the shuttle and just pay them to drive us up to the car. We drive and stop at Martha’s table (hand written menus, as legit as they come)… they stopped serving for the day. Hooo boy, striking out left and right. So we start heading back and tried a couple more places before finding one open and accepting us. Luckily, the food was good and the views, unexpectedly, were phenomenal. Which ended up being good, because we only got one or two pics on the Sugar beach.

After eating and chatting and laughing, we hit the road back to the house (Abigail literally hit the road, falling as we left the restaurant). A quick skinned knee cleaning and a short dip in the pool once we got back and now start winding down for the night.

St Lucia day 1

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Now that’s a nice coffee.

Wowza, since we arrived after sunset, the morning view was some kind of surprise. I sit and drink coffee… lots of coffee, while waiting on the girls to get up. Once up, we try to start making some plans for the week. Today, pretty low key, mainly hitting a grocery store, an atm, and the botanical gardens and waterfall.

So we drive back to Choiseul to Massys, where we loaded up on groceries, heavy on the snacks. Then tried an atm with no luck (shades of Mexico City all over again). We drive back to the house and put everything away, then made our first foray to Soufriere. We drove through a cocoa grove, with beautiful mature fruit. 

We also found some of the most challenging roads, including fording a stream. So, we definitely found where we _don’t_ want to drive again. But, we made it to Soufreire. A short walk and we found a place to eat, and par for the course, it had great views.

After lunch, we walked to a bank and were finally able to get money. The bank was right on the water, so we walked a bit before driving to the botanical gardens. Beautiful, but I agree with Bailley, it seemed like just a path through the natural beautiful jungle. 

Ok, then more driving. We did make a huge stride though, the new trick is to decide the route based on specific ‘bigger’ roads, no shortest, or quickest route. That plus a group effort with Abigail helping me stay on the correct side and avoiding the death ditches while Bailley navigates has really worked well. One of us drops out, we’re toast.

Back to house before dark… huge win, where we just relax and enjoy the pool.

I think some dinner, within walking distance luckily, then just chill for the night.

St Lucia travel day

​Why is it that the Caribbean seems so close yet is so difficult to get to? I left the house a bit after 3:00am for the airport… man makes for a long day. Mental note: next time really try to get to Miami or Charlotte a day early and don’t do this in one day.

We aren’t at full force this trip, with Madison staying home due to not being able to take off of work. Bailley, Abigail, and I all left from different cities and converged in Miami. Even that wasn’t without some hiccups. Bailley’s plane originally said they needed a tire, so four hour delay, followed by “nah, it’s ok”. Oddly, that was the plane we all got on for the Miami to St Lucia leg… and they did change the tire. So, we’re an hour and a half delayed, but together and about two hours from St Lucia.

Well, finally swung low and got a good view of the pitons as we landed. A really cool, nice airport. 

Immigration, check. Car rental, check. Now to drive. Right hand drive and left side of road, winding through city, did ok. But as we got closer to the villa, the roads got really narrow, really rough, super steep, and really twisty. Made for an exciting drive. We finally get to the villa and meet Garvin, our new bestie. After showing us the house, we asked where to grab a quick bite… he drove us to Cool Joint where we drank and waited on our chicken and pork plates. Thank goodness he was driving and it was nice to get some local tips.

We eat and eat. So much good local food: chicken/pork, Mac&cheese, some lo mein dish, lentils, pasta salad, cole slaw, and peas and rice. 

Abigail and Bailley exchange gifts, then Abigail and I splash in the pool a bit before deciding to head to bed for a needed collapse.

Amsterdam to home travel day

Up early for flights… tidy the house… do final packing… and we’re off.

Tram to train to airport. Bittersweet goodbye to the girls. I have to remind myself this trip has to end for us to go on another!

Final mission: magnet. Whew, cutting it close, but I did find one that spoke to me finally… check that, I found a few that did 😂. Now breakfast and wait. I may have uttered my last “dank u wel”. Well… here’s to next time!

Amsterdam day 5

Last full day… wuuutttt?!?!?

Today we got up a bit later than planned. Abigail, Bailley, and I left Madison to sleep while we grabbed some pastries for breakfast. We went back to the house and we all ate and fueled for the big day 😆. Madison decided to take public transportation, but the rest of us went and rented bikes! I’m excited and a bit intimidated… check that… a lot intimidated. Bikes rule here. The pecking order is bike, pedestrian, then car. Bikes have the right of way and don’t stop. They show quite the commitment. Anyway, we got bikes and headed to the ferry THROUGH DOWNTOWN AMSTERDAM.

Whew, big relief once we got off the ferry. Oh my… just beautiful, rural Netherlands all the way to Zaanse Schans.

Good news, the Netherlands is very flat. Bad news, it was 14 miles in quite the wind! But we did it!

The area was very pretty. I loved going in a working windmill… the wooden cogs and gearing creaking and popping as it turned.

We decided to not cycle back, but rather catch a train. We find the station, maneuver our bikes down, tap in, and wait on the train. We go to get on and a train attendant starts yelling at us, then asked if we bought tickets for the bikes… ummm nooo… then he says bikes aren’t allowed from 4:00pm-6:00pm due to the crowds. Huh. Bailley goes and finds a kiosk and buys bike tickets and we decide we’re just going to get on the next train regardless. Almost 5:00, we roll onto the train, luckily, no attendant to yell at us. Centraal station was busy to be rolling with bikes, but there were other locals doing it. We made it to the bike return with minutes to spare!

One last walk to the apartment. Madison ventures out for a while to take in the last bit. Bailley walked back to meet her friend Liz who came to Amsterdam with some friends. It’s just me and Abigail… she’s working and I’m blogging 🤣😂🤣. Almost time to cleanup the house before leaving early tomorrow.

Amsterdam day 4

Up kinda late. Abigail and Bailley run grab everyone breakfast. Short walk to tram to get to the Van Gogh Museum.

What an incredible museum… 10 of 10, no notes.

A little snack in a cafe then grab a drink at a grocery store and walk to Vondel Park.

We all walk around and meet back up around 3:30 and start walking to Rijksmuseum.

Great museum, just beautiful, but let’s be honest… after Van Gogh museum, it had to be a drop off LOL. I mean Rembrandt and Vemeer… please…

Madison grabbed a tram to the house and we grabbed a tram to Foodhallen. What a great place and all the food we tried was great.

Then tram toward the house with a short attempt to look at magnets. Now back at the house to rest and watch some post season softball. Dinner was a nibble on more fries from Fabel Friet, then a stroll to drinks.

One more stroll through the RLD when it was actually dark, ie. after 10:30pm, then back to house for sleep.

Amsterdam day 3

Up early, read some, walk for stroopwafel and coffee while the girls sleep.

A bit of a late start, but finally rolled out for Chun. Ugh, the line extended to the canal bridge. After twenty or so minutes, a person from the restaurant finally came by and said we could go in now if we were doing take away… yes… yes we are! Grabbed a few different toasts and headed back to the house. Toast stuffed with bacon egg and cheese, egg and avocado, and beef bulgogi… genius, all of it.

The girls jewelry shop a bit then we go buy a painting I want.

Back to house, then to tram to train station, then train to Delft (through The Hague). Liz, a college friend of Bailley, is at Technical University of Delft. She showed us around campus before going back to work. We grabbed a coffee and then toured the Royal Delft porcelain factory… beautiful stuff.

Met up with Liz for dinner, then train back to Amsterdam centraal, then a walk to Winkel 43, for a local’s recommendation on Dutch apple pie.

Then the slow (for me anyway) stroll (trudge?) back to the house.

Amsterdam day 2

Madison and I step out early to grab breakfast. Hans Egstorf is closed… OH THE HUMANITY!! So, we stop at an Italian bakery and get two Gouda croissants and then order an omelette at another place. Shocker… it’s all fantastic.

Ate while waiting on Abigail to stir. Finally up and ready for us all to go get Dutch mini pancakes on our way to drop off Madison at their tattoo appointment.

Bailley, Abigail, and I had to run get a tank top for Madison.

We said goodbye and walked to the Tony’s Chocolonely. I left them there and walked to the Jordaan area and by the Anne Frank house and looked for paintings along the way.

I also hit a Jumbo grocery store… awesome! They had bar soap and some unique beers… score.

After a short break, I head out for a late lunch… going Dutch for real on this one… bitterballen, kaastengels, Heineken, and Jopen at Cafe de Doffer just a short walk from the house.

Bailley and Abigail eventually made their way back to the house after shopping.

We chatted and napped a bit, hopefully resting up enough to go out tonight for a while.

Dinner reservations… Madison still getting tattooed, then a long circular walk through the Red Light District. No pictures… even though others were, as you’re not supposed to.

Whew… a very long and fun day.

Amsterdam day 1

Man, one thing about a good collapse… I slept like a rock! Waking refreshed was very nice, but even better to wake up to a text of “we landed”. Abigail and Bailley got to the train by the time Madison and I were fully up. We headed out to meet up at the Royal Palace and then made the walk (felt much shorter today) back to the house.

Whew! It took a bit, but good to have the whole crew together!

A short rest and then onward to find coffee and a stroopwafel!

We then just strolled and window shopped for a while… with Bailley and Abigail trying to stay awake. We hit Fabel Friet for a light-ish lunch of fries and a croquette (rund).

We then headed to Micropia, a microbe museum, and the zoo (fourth oldest zoo in the world).

On the way back to the apartment we grabbed some Lebanese food and ate while trying to map out other days’ activities. Then a little after 4:00, we walked to our canal tour.

Now back at the apartment where Abigail and Bailley can finally collapse.

Amsterdam travel day

Travel day to Amsterdam today. The flight itself was nice, but would have been a bit nicer if the person in front of me wasn’t in full recline most of the trip. Also, was a bit weird in that there were so many people standing in the aisles… and not just waiting for the restroom… like, it was a thing.

I had text access on the flight which was nice. Madison was arriving a hour before me so just waited at the airport.

We hopped on the train from the airport to Centraal station… easy peasy. Then a bit of a walk to the apartment… a beautiful, 400 year old house by a canal.

We did some walking and exploring, mainly trying to stay awake. Finally went to a seafood place for lunch before resting a bit.

OK… struggling to stay awake… so more walking. We finally decided to grab a bite for dinner at a Lebanese place we smelled before we saw earlier and eat in the apartment.

The next few hours were easier to stay awake as they were filled with frantic texts with Abigail dealing with a two hour delayed first leg.

We decided on a nightcap (even though at 10pm it’s still light) at the Flying Dutchman before finally hearing both Bailley and Abigail were on their flight and the collapse could commence.