Who would've thought a volcano in Iceland would make it onto my blog...
My mum was scheduled to fly home from Schiphol to Sydney on Friday 16th April, but with the ash cloud closing the airport it was postponned to Sunday 18th April.
She is now booked on Monday's flight, let's see if that takes off
20 April 2010
The Danes love a good chair
Copenhagen April 6-10
Our love of Danish design meant we needed to get to Denmark one day. Cheap tickets on the night train, we were on our way.
We set off from Amsterdam, slept as the train made it's way through Germany and woke up as the train was island hoping through Denmark to Copenhagen.
The Danes love their design so much, they are prepared to live in housing with shared bathrooms, but still have designer furniture!
Department stores dedicated to designer homewares, and furniture. Drool.....
McDonalds is even decked out with designer furniture.
We made our way through the neighbourhoods of the city, and cruised along the canals and out in the harbour. Looked at the architecture, checked out the palaces, and climbed the rundertoren for a better view of the city.
The Kroner is still strong and smashes all other currencies, the prices are just exorbitant.
A trip to Hamlet's castle was a must. A scenic train trip up the coast, we stepped out of Helsingor train station, to see Kronborg slot perched on the point, overlooking the Baltic sea and across to Sweden.
Kronborg Slot, is the setting known as Elsinor in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
A play group were practicing Hamlet in several of the rooms as we walked around, but with no audience, seeing Hamlet walk past the doorway and the cast of characters walking around all dressed up. It really looked real, as if we were stepping into the scene.
We had planned to go to sweden for lunch, a 20 min ferry ride, but we forgot our passports. Instead we ate in a local restuarant, a hearty danish lunch. Meatballs, cabbage, potatoes and horseradish, washed down with Carlsberg beer.
And then ofcourse the train trip home was a fun suprise to be travelling 1st class. Complete with shower and breakfast.
Drinking a beer, watching the sunset over the danish countryside roll past....
Our love of Danish design meant we needed to get to Denmark one day. Cheap tickets on the night train, we were on our way.
We set off from Amsterdam, slept as the train made it's way through Germany and woke up as the train was island hoping through Denmark to Copenhagen.
The Danes love their design so much, they are prepared to live in housing with shared bathrooms, but still have designer furniture!
Department stores dedicated to designer homewares, and furniture. Drool.....
McDonalds is even decked out with designer furniture.
We made our way through the neighbourhoods of the city, and cruised along the canals and out in the harbour. Looked at the architecture, checked out the palaces, and climbed the rundertoren for a better view of the city.
The Kroner is still strong and smashes all other currencies, the prices are just exorbitant.
A trip to Hamlet's castle was a must. A scenic train trip up the coast, we stepped out of Helsingor train station, to see Kronborg slot perched on the point, overlooking the Baltic sea and across to Sweden.
Kronborg Slot, is the setting known as Elsinor in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
A play group were practicing Hamlet in several of the rooms as we walked around, but with no audience, seeing Hamlet walk past the doorway and the cast of characters walking around all dressed up. It really looked real, as if we were stepping into the scene.
We had planned to go to sweden for lunch, a 20 min ferry ride, but we forgot our passports. Instead we ate in a local restuarant, a hearty danish lunch. Meatballs, cabbage, potatoes and horseradish, washed down with Carlsberg beer.
And then ofcourse the train trip home was a fun suprise to be travelling 1st class. Complete with shower and breakfast.
Drinking a beer, watching the sunset over the danish countryside roll past....
Welcome to the Kasbah
Marrakech, Easter 2010
We jumped in the taxi at the airport and made our way to our Riad in the middle of the Kasbah. Dodging people, motorbikes, donkeys and other drivers, the taxi squeezed through streets I wouldn't think were wide enough for a car. Taking 5 point turns to make it around the corners. We got out of the taxi, opened the door of our Riad and stepped into a peaceful oasis.
We sat down in the peace of our courtyard to mint tea, pastries, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
And then we were off back into the swarm of activity, headed for the main square Jemaa El Fna. For hundreds of years people have been meeting in this square, and the chaos remains. There are snake charmers, monkeys, toothpullers, fortune tellers, and much much more.
From the square we stepped foot into the maze of markets, known as souks. Here you can buy anything morrocan you want, lamps, fabric, tea sets, furniture, shoes, herbs and spices, tangines... And if you get lost you can pay someone to get you back to the street.
We looked at the palaces, the mosques, we walked through Yves Saint Laurent's Garden. And we constantly dodged traffic , constantly avoiding getting hit by a car or bike and watching where we walked.
Jemaa El Fna at night turns into a nightmarket full of food stalls, and comes alive with entertainers. You can sit in the food stalls and eat morrocan dishes, lamb, couscous and seafood... or even morrocan chicken. We teamed up with other people staying at our Riad and entered the market looking for the stall recommended to us. We ate Morrocan Fish & Chips, the freshest sweet fish and calamari. Another night we tried a different stall for lamb and couscous.
Away from the frantic hustle and bustle of the streets, we soaked up the sun on the rooftop terrace of the Riad, and cooled off in the chilly plunge pool.
We jumped in the taxi at the airport and made our way to our Riad in the middle of the Kasbah. Dodging people, motorbikes, donkeys and other drivers, the taxi squeezed through streets I wouldn't think were wide enough for a car. Taking 5 point turns to make it around the corners. We got out of the taxi, opened the door of our Riad and stepped into a peaceful oasis.
We sat down in the peace of our courtyard to mint tea, pastries, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
And then we were off back into the swarm of activity, headed for the main square Jemaa El Fna. For hundreds of years people have been meeting in this square, and the chaos remains. There are snake charmers, monkeys, toothpullers, fortune tellers, and much much more.
From the square we stepped foot into the maze of markets, known as souks. Here you can buy anything morrocan you want, lamps, fabric, tea sets, furniture, shoes, herbs and spices, tangines... And if you get lost you can pay someone to get you back to the street.
We looked at the palaces, the mosques, we walked through Yves Saint Laurent's Garden. And we constantly dodged traffic , constantly avoiding getting hit by a car or bike and watching where we walked.
Jemaa El Fna at night turns into a nightmarket full of food stalls, and comes alive with entertainers. You can sit in the food stalls and eat morrocan dishes, lamb, couscous and seafood... or even morrocan chicken. We teamed up with other people staying at our Riad and entered the market looking for the stall recommended to us. We ate Morrocan Fish & Chips, the freshest sweet fish and calamari. Another night we tried a different stall for lamb and couscous.
Away from the frantic hustle and bustle of the streets, we soaked up the sun on the rooftop terrace of the Riad, and cooled off in the chilly plunge pool.
The First Month
Well I've been here a month now, so it's definitely time to give you a proper update.
Spring arrived at the same time we landed, the weather has continued to be mostly warm and sunny ever since. We've been watching the trees blossom and the tulips popping up.
After phonecalls, appointments and interviews I'm officially a resident of Amsterdam! I'm pleasantly suprised at how painless the process has been. It's mainly worked out so well because I found somewhere to live so fast - as you can't get any papers to work without a permanent address.
I'm sharing a flat with one of my relo's, Esther. We live on Madurastraat, it's in the east of the city near Zeeburg. About 10 mins on the tram from dam square. There's even a windmill around the corner from our place.
Glamarama has been replaced by 2 parks Flevopark complete with swimming pools, and Oosterpark. Sunday was a warm 18 degrees, everybody headed for the outdoors either setting up table and chairs on the footpath out the front of the apartments or going to the park.The girls were out in their bikini's soaking up the first rays of sun for the season (a phenomenon otherwise known as "Tits out Tuesday").
Well yesterday I bought a fancy picnic rug, ready to get out there with the locals. I'm not convinced yet that I can get a suntan in Amsterdam, but it's an experiment i'm prepared to try.
Job you ask? I've officially started looking this week, fingers crossed I can find a good one.
Cheese Clogs and Windmills... There's definitely been a lot of cheese, and there's a windmill down the road. But I don't think I'll be near a pair of clogs or crocs anytime soon.
Spring arrived at the same time we landed, the weather has continued to be mostly warm and sunny ever since. We've been watching the trees blossom and the tulips popping up.
After phonecalls, appointments and interviews I'm officially a resident of Amsterdam! I'm pleasantly suprised at how painless the process has been. It's mainly worked out so well because I found somewhere to live so fast - as you can't get any papers to work without a permanent address.
I'm sharing a flat with one of my relo's, Esther. We live on Madurastraat, it's in the east of the city near Zeeburg. About 10 mins on the tram from dam square. There's even a windmill around the corner from our place.
Glamarama has been replaced by 2 parks Flevopark complete with swimming pools, and Oosterpark. Sunday was a warm 18 degrees, everybody headed for the outdoors either setting up table and chairs on the footpath out the front of the apartments or going to the park.The girls were out in their bikini's soaking up the first rays of sun for the season (a phenomenon otherwise known as "Tits out Tuesday").
Well yesterday I bought a fancy picnic rug, ready to get out there with the locals. I'm not convinced yet that I can get a suntan in Amsterdam, but it's an experiment i'm prepared to try.
Job you ask? I've officially started looking this week, fingers crossed I can find a good one.
Cheese Clogs and Windmills... There's definitely been a lot of cheese, and there's a windmill down the road. But I don't think I'll be near a pair of clogs or crocs anytime soon.
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