A Day in Volendam

We headed to Volendam in the morning - a place I hadn't been before. It's very small, but that was good as Nikki wanted to check in for her flight home in plenty of time. Anne drove us to Volendam as we still had the rental car, So Mum, Reid, Nikki and I got a map from the tourist centre, and a walking tour information booklet and set off. 

We were told that the town developed in the 1400s, and to look at the facades of the buildings, as well as the curtains of the houses, as people of Volendam like nice things.  The curtains certainly were lovely!

The canal was a lovely green colour from the oxygen weed which the ducks waded through!

Some of the houses had lovely gardens in front...

And then we found the main street, full of cafes and outside seating...

I found my boat...

Birding with my cellphone camear again - had left the big lens at the apartment as I'm sturggling with a sore back! The Dutch Seagull...

The harbour was lovely.  I thought it was the north sea, but no, it's a fresh water lake that goes for iles and miles.

We got some Poffertjes - 8 of them, 4 with whipped cream, 4 with chocolate. Enough for two each!

 

This is what some of them looked like...

I found a dutch man and gave him a kiss.  I was met with stony silence...

I gave up any romantic notion and headed down the main street for some retail therapy intsead...

And I found a beach! My first in the Netherlands! I put my big toe in the water and it was..... FREEZING! Give me southern Italy's waters any day!

Houses line the coast - very pretty!

I caught Reid getting up close and personal with a lovely dutch lady...

Looks like the friendship is over! My mother won't share!

Whew - they made up!

We then stopped for lunch. Generous sized portions and lovely food. We all had a wine with lunch as well seeing we're on holiday!

Then we walked back to the main square and caught the bus and tram back to Anne's apartment. Another example of the beautiful gardens in Volendam...

On the way back to Anne's apartment by the canal, was a Blue Heron. Birding with my cellphone again!

 Then Nikki packed up and Anne and I saw her off at the aiport. Here is us saying goodbye in the kiss and goodbye zone under the sign!

 Mum and Reid leave tomorrow - and I've now started my second part of the trip :)

Day two of Singapore - the Morning...

I was staying at the Daintree Apartments no far from a National Park area, and there were plenty of monkeys in this area..  Keith got me up early and took me up into the Rainforest looking for them before the heat of the day.  It was still hot despite it being early though!  

Here a monkey is unperturbed b a worker walking to work... He snarled at me though after though - obviously doesn't like Papparazzi.  The monkey that is, not the worker!

I often feel like this baby.  Wouldn't it be lovely to run away sometimes...

I often feel  like this too!

Up in the rainforest were several people doing yoga, and a swordsman.  I wondered for a minute if I were safe!!

The quarry lake was calm with great reflections.  I had hoped that I would see Kingfishers, but there were none that morning!

I had this feeling of being watched, so looked up.  Sure enough..

It was hot, so while waiting for the Kingfishers, I sat down, and watched an ant crawl past my foot.  I wondered if it was a biting ant as it was quite big. I din't try and find out though!

Turtles swam lazily past...

And the sunrise lit up the leaves...

On the way back down I found gorgeous orchids, covered in ants...

And I was amused by some of the signage on the road going back to our apartments...

Back at the Raintree, I grabbed my togs and headed to the pool and slept there for two hours as I was so jetlagged and I hadn't slept that well that night. I always find jetlag is worse on the way home from Europe than on the way there. It was rather pleasant by the pool.  I could get used to the life, but not sure I could get used to the heat!