We wash away the hangover's watching some Billy Connolly DVD's:
It's a good introduction to Scotland and more importantly Scottish Humour, so it starts us well for a week of me showing Paprika round Amsterdam.
It's tough finding things to do in Amsterdam when you're showing people round, cos the best thing you can possibly do in Amsterdam is sit around and do nothing. Compared to somewhere like Paris, there are far less "big" sights that tourists must see.
I've decided that since it's a sunday.... the weather's good and it's 3pm before we're up and showered, that we will head for some lunch around Leidseplein:
I'm determined that I am going to continue to eat healthy, so we dine at Wok to Walk:
It's a new fast noodle bar, and it does brown rice and brown noodles, so I can get a good bowl of protein without feeling bad for eating take away. The only drawback is that the queue's are horrendous.
When we finally have our noodles, we sit on Leidseplein and watch the street performers while we munch. It's the little Argentinean that can play keepie uppie while climbing lampposts.
After this my plan for the day is to take Paprika to a windmill. It;s my attempt at showing her some traditional Dutchness. It has nothing to do with the fact that this particular brewery contains the finest brewery between here and the Belgian border.
Paprika has warned me that she has a very low tolerance to alcohol. I'm starting my investigation on this tolerance by taking her to a brewery that brews very strong beer. The Brouwerij 't Ij:
It's a great place to have one or two beers by the canal, but you have to make sure it is just one or two cos these babies pack a punch. The Brewery is responsible for:
The crowning glory is Zatte. It's a fruity powerful beer that tastes like a dream(and pretty quickly makes you dream too)
We sit down beside the canal and take in the beautiful views. It's a lovely spot for a quiet beer ona nice day and shouldn;t be missed on any trip to Amsterdam.
For once I've decided to opt for something thats not a Zatte and take an Ijwit. It tastes very much like the real ale's me and mowgli had in glencoe. Flat and smooth but bursting with flavours. I prefer Zatte, but at least I've managed to move through the menu a little.
Half way through Paprika's Zatte, I'm starting to worry she's gonna fall in the canal. Luckily she's a happy little drunk! She does however agree that she's just tasted one of the best beers on the planet. She wants a second, but I decide that it wouldn't be a good idea this early in the day.
Instead we decide to head off on the bike and see what else we can see. Amsterdam has an area known as the Jordaan. It's full of little winding streets and small interesting shops. It's sunday, so most of the shops are closed, but it's a good place to relax with a coffee.
We chose a little bar and watch the comings and goings. we've decided that since the weather isn't looking too hot, we'll head down to the Zotte and have some beers and food.
We joke about going for a Zatte in the Zotte - maybe you needed to have had a zatte to have found it funny.
We get into the Zatte and it's dead. We ask for a Zatte, but we're informed that the Zatte is strictly belgian. Instead we get a Kwak and a La Chouffe:
The Zotte is a great little bar. It doesn't have the mingling atmosphere that goes on in the Gollem on a friday night, but it has great(Often obscure) music and fine fine fine pub food. This sesh is quite subdued:
We have some freshly cooked wholemeal bread with some pate, and then follow it up with some Chimay cheese:
It smells of old socks but is actually creamylicously delicous.
We head home with drunken smiles on our faces and introduce the Paprika to The Kiwi....
We watch Layercake, and head to bed...... ready to go back to work tomorrow:
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