Last day and the sun’s out !

Free to wander the streets I’ve spent the whole day exploring canals and dodging people on bikes.

The sunshine has changed the whole city with long straight stretches of water twinkling under a clear blue sky, cafes are now sporting people at the outdoor tables drinking coffee and people come out to sit on their steps and watch life pass them by. The public holiday of Pasen won’t start for two days yet but Amsterdam seems more relaxed and rested today with tourists and locals alike taking time out to enjoy the weather.

Even in the seedy parts of the city there’s a more relaxed atmosphere. I walk past one of the clubs on Oudezijds Achterburgwal and hear the doorman trying to pull in the early morning crowd. “Smut and filth, the cornerstones of society” he says to no one in particular.

Near the Bloemenmarkt I find a stall selling Maatjes Haring the Dutch snack of raw herring, sold with chopped onion and gherkin. The locals seems to eat them whole, picking them up by the tail and eating them like penguins, head back, held by the tail and thrown down in one. I opt for the paper plate and precut slices of fish.

With the sun on my back and lot of good memories I head for the station and the journey home.