Homeward bound

Just now we cleared the security at the departure gate at Schiphol airport after a sleepless night due to our hotel's noisy location beside an Amsterdam "coffee shop." I put that word in quotation marks because in this city a coffee shop refers to a place where one can use cannabis. We passed a number of them over the last two days journeying around Amsterdam, but we didn't go inside. Apparently they do a brisk business into the small hours of the morning.




Amsterdam is a fascinating and beautiful city and very easy to explore by foot and transit. Yesterday we cruised on the canals under trees of changing colours and then saw the annexe where Anne Frank and seven others stayed in hiding for over two years before being discoverd and taken to Nazi camps. It's sobering to visit this museum and read the words of one young girl who is now a symbol for the many holocaust victims.

We surely want to return to Amsterdam sometime and spend more time. it's easy to explore as people are so friendly and speak excellent English. What a relief to speak easily with people after struggling with the Italian language in Abruzzo! We would like to return here some day and see more, but now we're looking forward to seeing family and friends after being away for five weeks. And also to reuniting with Maggie and Geordie, who have been under the loving care of our wonderful housesitters.