Ever since our first date, Shane and I have shared our love of travel. We talk and dream of places we’ve been and places we’d like to see and trips we’ll some day take. Our plan had been to go to Thailand this November but when that looked tight via standby travel…Europe, a place we knew we would make it to some day…just happened. And so donning backpacks and he in a tie and me with my string of pearls (we may be backpacking but let’s make it classy!), we set off and began with a brief visit to Amsterdam. We wound our way through the canal lined streets, admiring the houses each with their own shape and roof line, looking very ‘Amsterdam’ as some leaned this way and others leaned that way. Never before had we seen so many bicyclists. That we had been warned of, their intense bike culture…I enjoyed watching it…from a safe distance. We stopped in at a new Starbucks concept store. Then there was the old brown cafe, dating back to the 1600’s, and this became our highlight. Lesley, fellow photographer and world traveler, had told me about Papeneiland, where the beer was good and the locals go. We got the corner table, a couple of Amstels and perhaps the most delicious slice of apple pie. To be continued…
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