Nice day it was

Written in the afternoon:

Annemarie and Martijn are at work and Bram is with the sitter. I suppose I could have booted up and headed out a couple of hours ago, but I am on vacation. Up at 10:15ish isn't too bad and I'll be out of here by 1pm or 2pm. Walking, the Botanical Garden and a bookstore are on my list of things I might like to do. An hour ago it was amazing outside – warm, sunny, puffy white clouds – right now clouds cover the sky. There are passing moments of sunny blue, but I don't trust it. The weatherman says light rain and a high of 57.

Hmmm, as last night's rain washed everything fresh, my path will take me by the Garden. If I don't stop there, I'll continue along the Herengracht (gracht = canal) around the center of town. There's a bookstore somewhere along that route. If I can't find it, I will head down the dreaded high street – Kalverstraat. Thousands of people, local and tourist, gathered to participate in keeping the Dutch economy going. There is a Waterstone's somewhere on that street.

Speaking of English... when I arrived at Schipol airport, I noticed that the signs are all in English. English only. Arrivals Hall, Toilets (with a sign for Ladies), Baggage Claim. All only in English. Annemarie says that there has been a bit of protest about this – after all, people here speak Dutch even if they do start learning English young. It was unsettling to go from a country whose international arrivals terminal barely acknowledges (with smallish print) that the rest of the world doesn't read Cyrillic to a country where the native word isn't even on the sign. I could have been in Chicago or London.

Written at the end of my day:
I did find the bookshop I remembered and sucessfully avoided the dreaded Kalverstraat. I had a nice walk, no rain, enough sun. Spent the evening quietly in; I have started knitting socks of the yarn purchased in Russia. The pattern is Monkey from the Winter 2006 issue of Knitty. So far, so good.

I think I'll not write the unwritten of what I did in Russia until I get home and can post with photos. I will post general reflections. Next.