Today dawned wet with the promise of more rain. We left the hotel about 10 and dashed across the Overtoom Street to the Starbucks Cafe and ordered us some brunch. Cappuccinos (huge in a mug) with a tub of fresh fruit salad followed by a shared ham and cheese croissant and a pastrami pretzel. Nice and fresh while we watched the rain from one storm to the next drip down outside, getting heavier and windier from time to time. Trying to put off the inevitable - going out in to it.
Eventually we set out when it abated a little. We are headed to Europcar to arrange a hire car for the next two days so we can head away from Amsterdam and go to Delft and Gouda. It is only two (long) blocks down, and even though we were wearing jackets, we still managed to get pretty damp. But no problems,car is now booked all ready to just go back in the morning (towing our luggage over uneven cobblestone paving) and collect and go.
We have decided that today we will try to limit the walking a little from yesterday.Could be helped by more careful navigation methinks! The public transport in Amsterdam is actually very good and we take a Number 1 tram towards the Old City to see the Amsterdam Museum. Once aboard the tram, the very helpful conductor at his desk on the tram told us we could go all the way to Dam Square on the No. 1. We thought that we would have to change lines.
So into the Dam stop we go and walk over to the Amsterdam Museum. While not free to enter, the entry price of 15 euro was well worth it. Set in a building that formerly housed a Monastery until 1578 when it became an orphanage.
The building takes you on a journey through the interesting history and development of Amsterdam when it was one of the leading cities in the discovered world. There are maps that chart the growth of the City as land was gradually reclaimed from the water. One thing that I never knew is the Amsterdam is built on timber piles driven deep into the soil beneath. They range in depth and age. The grand Central Station has 8,657 piers of 11 metre lengths supporting the building. And as we learn later today, the sound of the pile drivers is still a common sound in Amsterdam. Who knew?!
We see examples of the wealth of some of the citizens and the artistic excellence of others. There are two amazing globes with maps of the know earth and heavens. There is a model of the new Town Hall constructed in 1648 to show the carpenters what was wanted. The actual building was completed in 1655 and became known as the Eighth wonder of the world. From the 17th century, an exquisite goblet etched with a view of Amsterdam and a falcon shaped spice storage box in carved silver with garnet eyes. Such workmanship was a beauty to behold.
Supposedly a 45 minute self-guided tour, we took a couple of hours to really delve into this fascinating place. The museum caters to all - short and tall, all languages, all interests. They even had Donna steps to allow shorter people to fully see all the exhibits!
Following our exploration we went down to the Museum Cafe and decided that while lunch was not needed, coupes (ice-creams) were. Donna had Salted Caramel with rum raisins and cream, while I settled for the Malibu with Coconut Ice-cream, toasted coconut and Malibu foam. OMG so good and timely with the heavens opening again.
From here we got back on the tram and went around to the Musuems Quarter, admiring the lovely gardens of the Rijksmuseum before wandering (because my feet are beyond rushing!) to the Bols Museum. Everyone would love this one, dedicated to the Bols liqueur story.
Again, dating back to the 16th Century, this is a story of ingenuity.
The visit is very interactive and fully customer friendly. The first experience is all about measuring how your surroundings influence taste. You enter a small room (behind Door 1, 2 or 3) that goes dark and then drink from a small bottle you are handed when you pay for your ticket. Sound and light bombard your senses in a psychedelic experience. The alcohol in your mouth seems to become tarter, then sweeter and then even tangy. So I guess, yes it does. From here you enter the flavours room where there were 35 different bottles to smell from. Some were easy to pick such as the chocolate, coconut, watermelon, kiwi fruit while others were impossible to tell. And then into the distilling room where the aromatics were on display.
We ended the visit with a visit to the cocktail bar. Neither of us can remember the name of the actual cocktails that we chose from the taste wheel (and conveniently they don't include them on the webpage), but Donna's was strawberry based while mine was citrus and coriander. Both very yummy and moreish. Didn't dare to have more than one as there were about a dozen steep stairs we had to negotiate to get out of the building. Once out the line to go to the Van Gogh Museum as it was now past 5pm. En-route back to the tram we pass the Diamond Museum, Watches Museum and plenty of others. Later today we see the Bag and Purse Museum and the Cat Museum (sorry Gen, it was shut).
Back on the tram to Leidersplein to the Canal Boat wharf. Another interesting hour seeing Amsterdam from the water. Gentle back canals to the main boating waterway (called the IJ) where we were just a little alarmed to see two ferries bearing down on us at speed. The stunning canal that you can look down to see seven bridges in a row.
Amsterdam is its waterways in so many ways. Lots more seen including architecture new and old, but I'll have to share more when I get home. I have seven minutes to finish here and get to bed (i am told!) Dinner very light - cheeses and crackers and a bottle of shared chardy, in our hotel room.
Nite all. See you again soon. Off to catch up with Anne Blyth who is flying in from London in the morning. We are meeting her in Delft.
The rain had set in over Dunedin late last night. It was thunder and lighting kind of rain and this Allie commented this morning that as we were leaving, we could take our weather back with us - they are not used to this 'tropical climate'. Lol - if only she knew that this was really nothing like we get at home!
It's been an enjoyable stay at The Brothers and Allie now predominantly runs the boutique hotel on her own. Her father spent 14 years restoring and renovating the building and establishing the business. These days he only comes down when she really needs a hand - like tomorrow when she has to do breakfasts for 28 people!
We head out of the hotel and down the steep one way street into the Dunedin centre and then turn north towards Oamaru and the beach at Moeraki. We are travelling through rain and mist for the length of the journey. Inconvenient but not at all cold. As we are on the Highway 1 heading in the general direction of Christchurch, the traffic is much heavier with everyday commuters and delivery trucks than travellers. And they are all in a hurry - as though their work cannot wait. Oh, and the occasional pedestrian on a very long walk, a strange sight on a day like today.
Ooh, a cheese factory - we dart into a small side street to visit the Evansdale Cheese Factory - a small independent operation and come away with two cheeses - smoked brie and sage cheddar.
We are travelling back through the mountains as they come down to meet the sea, which is broiling angrily today - passing through Palmerston (funny, I always thought it as a bigger town), then Bushy and then Shag Point before turning off to the beach at Moeraki. At this beach, we (well Michael, while I looked from the car-park, because it is still raining lightly) visit the Moeraki Boulders. These siltstone rocks are unique in their weathering. The closest thing that I can compare them to are huge thunder eggs.
They vary in size from a rockmelon through to ones larger than a man - Michael's hat gives some perspective and his video really demonstrates their location well. I love the ones that have been weathered by the constant forces of water and wind until they have broken apart. Some of them are covered in tiny razor-sharp barnacles.
Then we are back on the road heading north to Oamaru. Although the town only has a population of 13,900, its CBD is much larger than Maryborough's and along the entire length the main street is lined with flower filled hanging baskets - they provide colour and made the town feel very inviting and cheerful. There are some impressive neo-classical buildings, but as we still have a way to go, we decide to have a quick look as we drive through.
As we head north through town - ooh - another cheese factory! This is the Whitestone Cheese Factory - much larger and with an established export market. we try a sampler plate and they have some really delicious cheeses including a very smooth blue cheese that I can try as there are bands without the 'blue bits' in it - yum yum yum.
Allie has told us of a wonderful restaurant to pop in to for lunch.
Riverstone Kitchen is about 15 kms north of the town. In fact, it sits out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by farmlands. Their gardens are filled with everything BIG. Big cosmos, big zucchini (and the zucchini flowers), big (HUGE) mushrooms the size of a dinner plate, big melons and some of the biggest pumpkin I have seen. "It's the cow shit" explains the farmer laconically who is trimming stalks the size of bananas from the mushrooms!
There are plenty of people here and we need to wait for 15 minutes for a table. There are people at a table adjacent who are having their dessert and it looks fabulous - gooseberry + blackcurrant shortcake with vanilla bean ice cream I am told when I asked. The menu is simple and uncluttered and there are a couple of additional daily specials. After forever to consider, we choose (Michael) beer-battered fish (sole) + chips with salad greens, tartare sauce, lemon + fresh herb while I chose Havoc pork with wet polenta, roast baby carrots, wilted greens + oregano oil.
Now, this meal was one of the highlights of our New Zealand food journey. The polenta must have been cooked slowly, like the pork. And who would have thought to pair it with Oregano - it worked so well. Michael's fish was delicious - the batter was light and complemented the pure white flesh it enclosed and the tartare sauce was to-die-for.
Normally we would bypass dessert, but not this time! Lemon Meringue with Blackcurrant Ice-cream and Michael had the Toffee-apple Crumble with Caramel Sauce with Zabaglione Ice-cream. Both were amazing. We finished with coffee and bought one (and only one) of their savoury scones to have for dinner as we knew that we would not want much.
Truly amazing and I am sending a message to Allie to thank her for the recommendation!
Once replete, we get back in to the car to finish our journey to Fairlie - back into the high mountains and the closest accommodation that we could get to Lake Tepako where Michael is hoping to take a flight over the Glaciers tomorrow. He received a phone call from the company while we were travelling asking us to phone in about 8:15 am. The cloud cover is very dense and covers a wide band of the skies today and if it does not clear, the flight just might be in jeopardy - egads!
We have a two bedroom unit at the motel here in Fairlie. Tiny bathroom, but functional kitchen included. I have sorted through the brochures that I want to bring home and safely packed the souvenirs.
And as a special treat, I tried to upload a video Michael took of the Moeraki Boulders - but the file is too big - I'll give it a go on my Facebook page!
The building takes you on a journey through the interesting history and development of Amsterdam when it was one of the leading cities in the discovered world. There are maps that chart the growth of the City as land was gradually reclaimed from the water. One thing that I never knew is the Amsterdam is built on timber piles driven deep into the soil beneath. They range in depth and age. The grand Central Station has 8,657 piers of 11 metre lengths supporting the building. And as we learn later today, the sound of the pile drivers is still a common sound in Amsterdam. Who knew?!
We see examples of the wealth of some of the citizens and the artistic excellence of others. There are two amazing globes with maps of the know earth and heavens. There is a model of the new Town Hall constructed in 1648 to show the carpenters what was wanted. The actual building was completed in 1655 and became known as the Eighth wonder of the world. From the 17th century, an exquisite goblet etched with a view of Amsterdam and a falcon shaped spice storage box in carved silver with garnet eyes. Such workmanship was a beauty to behold.
Supposedly a 45 minute self-guided tour, we took a couple of hours to really delve into this fascinating place. The museum caters to all - short and tall, all languages, all interests. They even had Donna steps to allow shorter people to fully see all the exhibits!
Again, dating back to the 16th Century, this is a story of ingenuity.
We ended the visit with a visit to the cocktail bar. Neither of us can remember the name of the actual cocktails that we chose from the taste wheel (and conveniently they don't include them on the webpage), but Donna's was strawberry based while mine was citrus and coriander. Both very yummy and moreish. Didn't dare to have more than one as there were about a dozen steep stairs we had to negotiate to get out of the building. Once out the line to go to the Van Gogh Museum as it was now past 5pm. En-route back to the tram we pass the Diamond Museum, Watches Museum and plenty of others. Later today we see the Bag and Purse Museum and the Cat Museum (sorry Gen, it was shut).
