Belated Amsterdam Tales, Days 4-6

So I'm back to continue the story of my travels in Amsterdam. 

Monday 8th August: We set this day aside for buying souvenirs for our friends and family back home. After a little wander, which turned up a crochet sheep and a notebook with a heat-activated colour change cover for my sister, we got hungry for The Original California Burrito which we enjoyed - though nowhere near as much as we did a burrito from Benito's Hat - along a new stretch of canal in the west of Amsterdam. We somehow found our way back to the Red Light District again (as always) and sat watching the world go by from our favourite spot opposite a strip club called the Moulin Rouge. Was fun to watch how people in small vans and cars traversed the busy canal-side roads and bridges so packed with pedestrians and cyclists. 

Snapshot of the room

Pretty much every day we bought food for later that night or the next morning from the local Albert Heijn Mart, which we did before our return to our room. I forget if we actually ordered the chips from room service that night instead of the Sunday. It was over a week ago now! (wow)

Tuesday 9th August: We were woken by a storm at 5am, the rain of which persisted for most of the morning so we stayed in our room until later that afternoon before going on another trek into town for gifts. We had no plans for dinner that day so we just bought snack foods (sandwich, pizza, noodles), wandered into various shops, and eventually returned early to the hotel to watch TV on the lovely screen you see here, and snack until bed for the last time in our gorgeous white room.

Curtained corridor

Wednesday 10th August: Leaving Day. We slowly packed up and got ourselves ready for an 11.30 departure, returning our room cards, getting our room service tab back, and bidding farewell to the beautiful Hotel Arena before hauling our luggage back through the city.

Like magnets, we were drawn back to the Red Light District one last time for a quiet drink by the canal, then into the retail centre of the city for souvenir t-shirts and sweaters, then finally to the station and onto a train for the airport. We'd hoped for a decent break with some lunch before boarding but due to the long walk from security to our gate, there was no time. We were on-board before we knew it - but at least I had food! Then the ground - and Amsterdam - were receding below us and we were over the ocean bound for Britain once again. Despite some minor turbulence, we arrived ahead of schedule and were back in rush hour traffic in the taxi by half 5pm. Some things never change.

Hello again, England

Since my return home, I have yet to see Jackson again due to being kept busy at home, and with my return to university fast approaching, I am hoping I can get more time. As to my university business, I am onto a new book - The Sorrows of Young Werther - a little novella of the Romantic era and very sad it is too. If I can just soldier through these last few, I might stand a chance after all!

For now, I think that covers it.