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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter taking leave from Aric, he watched me passing passport control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I expected, it was a full flight (starting from Jakarta)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Departure was at about midnight, supper was served. Not bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is the flight route we took, a bit longer than usual because of adverse weather conditions. I can never sleep well in a plane, but I was still reasonably fit on arrival. The pilot announced that ground temperature was 0 degrees! I decided not to take a taxi, but the train to the Amsterdam Zuid station. Here I am in the train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday 23 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a 20 minutes walk from the station to my apartment. Cold, but a beautiful blue sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n View from my apartment. Of course I had to switch on the central heating \ud83d\ude09 .<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few hours sleep I went to the nearby AH supermarket to buy food. Herring, Dutch cheese, strawberries. buttermilk. And flowers. I bought two bunches of tulips, later my friend Yolanda came to say hello and brought another bunch. Tulip country!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday 24 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still very cold. My apartment is on the 13th floor, with a good view of the surroundings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A recovery day, although I had no jetlag problem. But I had a problem with my local network. Aric helped me (from Malaysia!) to solve it. Shopping again. for dinner, traditional Dutch fare. Wine and whisky are much cheaper than in Malaysia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday 25 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start of my “social” agenda. I try to avoid two “dates” on the same day, but that is not always possible. My soul mate Inez came to my apartment for lunch and I went to my brother Pim for dinner. He had prepared asparagus with smoked salmon. Strawberries with cream as dessert. Delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday 26 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another double date. My former student Wim visited me in Backershagen for lunch. Later I had dinner with Yolanda, It has become a tradition that we have a “luxury” dinner during my Dutch trips. She selects a restaurant, this time it was De Plantage next to Artis, the Amsterdam Zoo. A popular venue, you have to book a time slot! Very relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An unusual starter, octopus. Delicious. Main course was “diamanthaas” (Google translates it as chuck tender)And the dessert was “Heavenly Mud” With aperitive, wine and coffee we paid 135 Euro. Really a place to visit again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we had a lot to talk about, our time slot expired, but no problem, we had our dessert and coffee in the adjoining cafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saturday 27 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n King’s Day, when the birthday of the King is celebrated is the most popular holiday in the Netherlands. . An estimated 1 million (!) people visit Amsterdam that day, making the city center too overcrowded for me. But I always like to visit the Vondelpark, where kids sell their toys and collect some coins by playing music. Also crowded but still acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people are wearing orange, or the colors of the Dutch flag. I have some decorations at home, but I am too shy to wear them in public. Actually I am against the monarchy, although I like the festivities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids playing music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends of mine are living next to the park and always sell objects they don’t need anymore in their household. I had coffee there, before I walked back through the park to the place where I had parked my bicycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was some rain in the morning, but in the afternoon it became pleasant weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything is well organised by the town council. Extra large rubbish bins are placed everywhere, and there is medical post. just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One last impression. I was lucky to find back my bicycle (the left one with the red cable lock).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunday 28 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n A well-deserved rest day<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday 29 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visiting Lambert, an old friend. Slowly the weather is getting better. Tulips everywhere and a real sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday 30 April<\/p>\n\n\n\n By train to Utrecht where I met another Yolanda, a former student, for lunch. Utrecht is one of my favourite towns, with its terraces along the canals. Suddenly this day it was almost summer, we had lunch outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For lunch we had a very typical Dutch speciality, kroketten<\/a> (croquettes) on bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We walked back to the station, enjoying the festive atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday 1 May <\/p>\n\n\n\n Labour Day! The Netherlands must be one of the few countries where it is not a holiday. I had invited former student Raoul and his Thai husband Aunn for dinner at my apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time for a selfie, taken by Raoul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had prepared my “famous” meatballs. Unfortunately we had so many things to chat, that I forgot to check the roast potatoes. Rather overburnt \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thursday 2 May <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another rest day<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friday 3 May <\/p>\n\n\n\n Inez had booked two tickets for the Frans Hals exhibition in the Rijksmuseum and asked me if I would like to join her. When we arrived at the museum we were shocked by the crowd and then realised that it was school holidays. There was such a long queue for the cloakroom, that I decided to skip it. I had to carry my backpack on the front \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with time slots it was still crowed in the exhibition rooms. Not easy to take pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes I had to wait quite some time until no people were blocking my view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I liked the portraits. Here are a few. Many show people enjoying a drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n