Exploring Amsterdam - Day 2

Today we were once again a bit slow in the morning.  Steven, Nikki and I took a Uber to the Microbes Museum after breakfast - which ended up around 11.30am!  The Microbes Museum or Micropia was fascinating. We spent a couple of hours looking down microscopes and playing with interactive technology.  My favourite part was watching how Probiotic soaps worked, as opposed to antibacterial soaps.  I also loved the bedbug - taken with my cellphone down a microscope...

As soon as we finished in Micropia, we used antibacterial wipes to wash our hands cellphones, bag handles!  It had got us paranoid of bacteria!!

Afterwards we walked to the Coffee Salon to meet up with Michel and Anne.  It was a bit of a walk, and although I asked directions twice, I was always in the right direction which is pretty good for me. This is the Amstel River which we crossed. I have photos of the same river from a couple of years ago.

After a great Flat White at the coffee salon - probably the best flat white I've had for a while, we walked back into town, passing this beautiful remake of Rembrandt's 'Night Watch'.  It was really well done, and lots of people were getting photos..

Then it was through the flower markets, stunning place, all along the canals.  Shame I can't bring Tulip bulbs back to NZ - there were so many of them!

Then it was to the Canal House museum where we learned about the history of Amsterdam and how it was built, and in particular the foundations and why some of the buildings are leaning.

This is one of the canal houses that are on a lean.  Michel assures me that although it was on more of a lean than most, it's held for several hundred years so it's fine!

 Another walk - still stopping to take images because Amsterdam is really beautiful.

 Then to the Belgian pub where all we had a much needed beer after all our walking...

 I had the Raspberry Beer.  It was divine - intense flavours.  Probably the best beer I've ever had.

Anne then insisted Nikki and I tried the Cherry beer.  It wasn't as nice as the Raspberry, but it got better the longer it was open!

After that one, I also tried the Peach - which was also fabulous.  And before anyone say I would have been drunk - these beers were only 2.5%, so I was fine. On the other hand, I can feel my veins still full of sugar!

On way home we called into the supermarket again and Anne got the ingredients to make a dutch dish - sausages and mash!

Tomorrow I'm off toBarcelona!

Exploring Amsterdam

Flying into the Netherlands was lovely.  Everything looked so precise. Even flying over the city there were apartjments all laid out beautifully with green space in between...

Anne took Nikki, Steven and I on a walking tour around the main part of Amsterdam.  Walking along the canals, nipping into cheese shops to try cheese, trying the local herring, and finally having a beer at the end in Vondelpark.

Narrow Streets...

 Canals. Everywhere people were enjoying the summery day and eating and drinking around at cafe's next to the canals.

 We made lots of friends everywhere...

I was fascinated in the reflections of the canal - this is the Red Light District....

 In a shop window!  Should I try it?  Will it help the pain in my foot?  I wonder!

 And if  icecream isn't your thing - there's cookies too!

 Or some energy drinks....

 We did some cheese tasting - above garlic and Cumin, below green pesto and lavender.  I loved the lavender.  Thee were also vanilla and rum, which was just plain.... weird!

 Out in the street we tried the Herring and pickles.  Nikki and I loved it - so much so we got some for pre dinner with cheese and wine as well.

 Stopped for a break and someone offered to take a photo of us all!

 And this cheese was DIVINE.  Shame we can't take it home to NZ!

 Although rather expensive...  I'm sure it's worth it though!

 And a shop full of ducks.  Just what you need.  I didn't see the 'no photos' sign on the wall, but it did get pointed out to me AFTER I had taken the photo!  Not sure why the ducks though - one of those dutch mysteries!

 And Cheers!  Wit Beer in the Teahouse in Vondelpark at the end of the day.

I'm still jetlagged and fell asleep at the dinner table so put myself to bed early - Still woke at midnight though, and again at 5am.  So popped up early to do this.  Today we're heading to the Microbes Museum and Utrecht.

By the way - all these photos are taken on my phone as the little computer I have with me won't read my RAW files from the Canon 7D2.  Even though it's Lightroom 5.7.  If anyone has any clue - please drop me a line!

Travelling to Europe

I'm now back in the Netherlands. My daughter is graduating with her PhD so I'm here to celebrate with her. It was a long journey to get here ...

Bijschrift toevoegen

We arrived at Auckland airport three hours before the flight thinking we would be there early and get checked in rapidly, only to find everyone else on our flight had done the same thing. After waiting in the lengthy queues for 10 minutes I went up to the service desk and explained both Nikki and I were deaf. Thus we skipped an hours wait, got checked in quickly and left everyone else wondering why we were special!

Up to the bar where Geoff shouted us a meal and drink in celebration of losing his wife for a month!

Then it was through security, grabbed our duty free and we pre-boarded before everyone else. Plane left on time.

We had good seats two rows behind business class. But seats were not that comfortable. Although we both dozed neither of us slept well. Nikki had the window seat.

Arrived in Shanghai at 5:22am. Airport was empty. We transferred to International transit no problem but going through Nikki and I were branded with red stickers with our flight number. We felt 'special! Although we had not left transit area we had to go through security again, I had to remove shoes and we had to throw away our water bottles. Madness. We were also given a card of 'warm tips'!

We wandered up and down Shanghai airport, but at this stage nothing was open and barely a soul about. Had breakfast. Coffee is the equivalent of 10.00 NZD so we just ate then went to Starbucks. I managed to spend my 100 yen in less than an hour! We tried to get wifi but was rudely told to go to information desk. No one was there! They were right next to each other. I waited about in minutes but no one turned up. Oh well, who needs the Internet!

We found some comfy seats and had turns to stretch out and sleep while waiting for our connecting flight to Amsterdam. Time moved very slowly. Airport got very busy, lots of loudhailers blaring. It was so loud I went deaf! People everywhere. Comfortable beds at this stage would have been nice!


Outside was hot (29C) humid and very very smoggy. Air quality terrible.  The sun had a hard time shining through.

We tried to pre-board our flight to Amsterdam from Shanghai but the Chinese did not understand us, but we managed to get in front and we're in the first lot to get on plane. However I was pushed several at at at times while walking up steps to plane. I Mentioned this to hostess. Then my movie screen was broken, and after showing this to hostess it was Explained to us That business class was full, we were moved to However bulkhead seats-which were very comfortable.

We flew over China, Mongolia and the Western Siberian Plains. Was fascinating looking down seeing Such solid empty country. Brings out the explorer in me !!

Arrived in the Netherlands on time. Straight through, we were out within half an hour. Luggage arrived safely. Trained to Anne and Michel's new apartment. Anne had made a lovely meal for us.

Our day had been Approximately 24 hours long, and we had had two breakfasts, a lunch and two dinners. But we are here !!! 


I'm up and about raring to go. No idea what time it is but everyone is still fast asleep!

Insurance Woes

I've been trying to sort out an insurance problem nicely. Via email. I'm not getting anywhere, so it's time that a little social media is used to speed the process along. This is a story of three companies in New Zealand. IAG insurance (NZI), Noel Leeming, and Electrolux New Zealand. IAG have always seen me through properly, and I recommend them as an insurer, but I'm not happy with the current status, which may not be their fault. However they do hold the key to solve this. Noel Leeming is a New Zealand owned department store - They also hold the key to resolve this. Electrolux also have the power to right things by explaining to insurance company that a mistake has been made and I have the wrong vacuum cleaner. 

I'll backtrack a little. It started back in January 2016 when my solar hot water pump decided to fail. It spurted water all over the carpet and flooded my hot water cupboard, the hallways, and one bedroom. That was all sorted quite quickly. However, sitting in the hot water cupboard was my Electrolux Ultraflex vacuum cleaner. Only about a year old, I had paid $900 for it and I had chosen it carefully to suit me. Note that it is Orange and grey, has a turbo nozzle, and it also has a handle - one of the reasons I bought it as vacuum cleaners can give me a sore back where I broke it may years ago.

The vacuum cleaner was found totally wet, after having water spurted on it several hours at least, and we all know that electronics and water don't really mix. I pulled it out and put it out to dry on my deck in the warm Marlborough sun for three days. The amount of water that came out of it was probably enough to fill a small ocean! Three days later I turned it on and surprise surprise it worked. However it never sucked that well after that. It used to be very sucky, and once it picked up hair and cat fur, but after it's 'swim' it no longer did. The insurance company sent an electrician around and he confirmed that while it worked, it would probably get worse over time. But that's okay - I have replacement insurance and it's all part the claim, so I went ahead and made a claim for a new replacement. Replacement insurance means having things replaced like for like.

Noel Leeming duly rang me a few days later to say there was one that I could pick up from Dunedin - a nine hour drive away, and after a little persuasion I got them to send it to the Blenheim store. It was picked up and the day I got it, I put it together and tested it out. Okay - it was a different colour- perhaps the model had changed a bit. But it didn't have a handle either which was annoying. So as soon as I could, I took the box back into Noel Leeming to say there was a part missing. On investigation they told me I had been given the WRONG model. Had I used it? Yes - once to test it out. They couldn't take it back because it had been used,  so contact your insurance company. It has been confirmed by Noel Leeming I have the wrong model. 

Back to the insurance company. They are being told by Electrolux that I have the correct model but until Electrolux admits their mistake, they can't do anything about it.  I've researched it carefully using the Electrolux website and I can see clearly that I definitely have the wrong model, it's cheaper by at least $200, it's smaller, has NO handle and is uncomfortable to use, and no turbo nozzle. Hardly like to like replacement. This is the model I have been given instead. And this is what it looks like...

I choose my appliances very carefully and I insure them for a reason.

So what do I want? 

I want this sorted out. I want someone with the balls to stand up and say - yes - a mistake has been made and we will rectify it. 

It's THAT simple.

Berlin - Day 1 - November 2014

Time I got the blog going again.  Finally updating my travel photos again from November 2014. Slack I know but I've been busy. I never did keep a diary of my travels on this trip, so my memories are just going to be from the photos.

After Amersfoort in the Netherlands and saying bye to Jay and Gordon, I flew out the next morning to Berlin. I got a front seat in the plane (first class on a budget airline), and after landing, walked to the train station to catch the train. After much hemming and hawing I finally managed to get the ticket machine to work and get a ticket, but had no idea if I had the right one.  Fortunately a nice young man helped me, and then helped me find my station as we had to change once or twice, and had great difficulty trying to find the right platforms. Really laughable at the end. The young man was from Slick Steve and the Gangsters - which I found his poster plastered right outside my backpackers!

I booked into Wombats, Berlin, in a six bed dorm, but the only bed available was a top bunk, which wasn't really suitable for me with my balance. No one was prepared to change, so I had to upgrade to a private room, which ended up being really nice.  Dumped my luggage and then headed across the road to eat at a thai place for lunch as I was starving.

Once sated, I headed out to explore, caught the train down to Alexanderplatz, then down another two stations to look around.  The architecture was amazing...

Remnants of the Berlin Wall were around, many decorated with art...

I enjoyed looking at the German Treats, but I didn't try as I was full of Thai food!

I'm always a sucker for merry go rounds - especially with the lights on.  I wished I had had my tripod!

This was the weekend of the 30th anniversary of the wall coming down, so there was a lot of history on show...

More wall art...

Okay this is a red elephant, but I have no idea what it meant.  But took a photo anyway!

Found a garden of gold statues...

Then made my way to the Memorial of Murdered Jews of Europe..

This memorial is for the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold. It consists of a 19,000 m² (4.7-acre) site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or "stelae", arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field. The stelae are 2.38 m (7 ft 10 in) long, 0.95 m (3 ft 1 in) wide and vary in height from 0.2 to 4.8 m (7.9 in to 15 ft 9.0 in). They are organized in rows, 54 of them going north–south, and 87 heading east–west at right angles but set slightly askew. An attached underground "Place of Information" holds the names of all known Jewish Holocaust victims, obtained from the Israeli Museum Yad Vashem.

Building began on April 1, 2003, and was finished on December 15, 2004. It was inaugurated on May 10, 2005, sixty years after the end of  WWII, and opened to the public two days later. It is located one block south of the Brandenburg Gate, in the Friedrichstadt neighborhood. The cost of construction was approximately €25 million

It was starting to get pretty dark so as I was still jetlagged decided to head back to the Hostel.  Caught the train back to Alexanderplatz, and then walked back through the shopping areas.  Wanted to buy a few things, but couldn't because lack of space in luggage!