This past week, my sister and brother-in-law from Poland have been visiting, so of course I have been spending time with them, walking around Amsterdam and doing the usual touristy things one does with visitors from abroad.
Main
One morning, we took a walk in the Vondelpark:
The alternates:
Alternate 1
Also in the Vondelpark, a duck (or is it a goose?–identifying birds is not my strong suit) mother watches me carefully, with the little ones feeding in the background:
Alternate 2
Later, out in the streets, some more Amsterdam bird life:
Alternate 3
I popped into a neighbourhood grocery to buy a Coke, and the two girls manning the shop insisted on having their picture taken. I happily obliged:
Alternate 4
One of most civilised features of Amsterdam is the widespread presence of public urinals:
Alternate 5
I don’t think I will have lunch here:
The next three images are not from Amsterdam.
Alternate 6
A stop in Zaltbommel, reflection:
Alternate 7
When I come home from work, the family member who welcomes me most enthusiastically is my dog Cheeta. If she is in the garden, she sticks her head out through the fence:
Alternate 8
My sister and her husband also love dogs, and they do their best to spoil Cheeta when they visit. Normally she is banned from our beds; but when my sister gets up, the dog is allowed to take her place next to my brother-in-law, who usually sleeps somewhat longer:
Back to Amsterdam. Friday evening we drove back to the centre to take a walk after dark.
Alternate 9
We walked down the main shopping street, Kalverstraat. The shops were closed, and it was garbage pickup evening:
Alternate 10
We then looked in to the Cracked Kettle beer shop:
Alternate 11
And then we went across the street, all of 2 metres or so, and had a beer at the Gollem bar:
Alternate 12
Finally, we walked through the Red Light District, where my brother-in-law found a new girlfriend:
