Amsterdam

Not strictly training but it might be counted as 'cross-training'.

Isobel and I went on a mini-cruise with P&O Ferries. Peter was supposed to come too but he has a slipped disc and can barely walk. We set off Wednesday afternoon and stopped off at Pizza Hut to get something to eat. We boarded the ferry and took our gear up to our room. The had game of bingo, nearly watched the act that was on and decided to retire for the night.

Early Thursday morning I heard them delivering coffees to the rooms nearby and waited for mine. Strange, it didn't arrive. When I looked out there was no-one to be seen. So I got dressed went down to reception and he said they would get it up to me. It arrived a few minutes later. I'd ordered one but two cups arrived, oh well I managed to down them both. A bit of breakfast in the continental cafe and then we were disembarking for the buses to take us to Amsterdam. Nearly two hours and we arrived at Central Station but which way from here? Looked at a map and decided the nine streets that were supposed to be a shopping area were to the left.

We walked a way before we hit shops but there were some interesting things and we bought cheese in a speciality cheese shop and some other goodies in a 'Blokker' shop. When we got to the end of the street we turned off in search of more then walked back in the general direction of the station or so we thought! We walked for ages and turned various ways by which time I was dying for the toilet so we nipped in to a cafe called Razamataz. Isobel had a vast cup of Hot Chocolate and I got the weeniest cup of coffee but we got to use the loo thankfully.

We enquired which was the general direction of the station. The waitress asked if we were walking or on public transport. When I said we were walking she looked a little alarmed. She pointed out the general direction but said it was about half an hours walk and maybe we should try the bus. In hindsight that would have probably been wise but we didn't. We walked back roughly the way we had come but missed something somehwere and seemed to be walking an awful long way before we eventually spotted the station.

Heaving a sigh of reliefwe set off again looking for the livier parts of Amserdam. This time we found the shops. We walked up a long street of varying shops, stopping here and there for a look round. We took a side road off and got something to eat and then carried on back along the same street. We managed to get to a big open square where Poseidon was posing on a small platform waiting for photo opportunities with people. One of my biggest regrets is that my camera isn't working so I couldn't take any photos to remind us of the visit.

We then returned along another street but I couldn't resist a mooch round C&A and we came out with various bargains from there. Then back along the street we had originally come up. We watched the river boats for a while and marvelled at the myriad colours and shapes of the bikes parked outside the station, thousands of them!

By now our feet were killing us and we were lugging fairly heavy bags. A quick loo visit at the station and we got a slightly earlier bus back to the boat. Both of us nodded off.

That evening was pretty nuch a repeat of the previous one and we retired to bed about 11.00pm. I woke at 3.30am and could not get back to sleep. I tossed and turned and so did the boat. I looked at my watch 5.30am! I had just fallen back to sleep when there was knock at the door and coffee arrived.

Anyway after a very long disembarkation, due to immigration checking passports thoroughly, we set off home.

I was tired today and put off the run I was going to do with Liz and passed on canoeing too. Cycling tomorrow so I need to get some sleep tonight.