ONE LAST DAY IN AMSTERDAM

Farewell, my new lovelies!

The bags are packed, the boarding passes are printed (I still don’t trust those QR dots on my phone) and we’re ready to leave Amsterdam to fly back to family and friends Australia.

There are still a couple of hours left in a late summer’s day, in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. How to spend them? 

AMBLING IN AMSTERDAM – de Jordaan

Bikes, bells and Better Homes and Gardens.

It was Jordaan Open Gardens Day at the weekend. We strolled from one lovely oasis to the next, reminding ourselves why we can’t afford to live in this part of town. It’s too good for the likes of us.

SIX QUIRKY DUTCH MUSEUMS

Teylers Museum. Polished wood and creaky floors – the way a good museum used to be.

There are usually queues at Amsterdam’s wonderful Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, and for good reason.

But The Netherlands has a plethora of other smaller, fascinating museums of things we never knew we were interested in…until now.

SUPER AMSTERDAM SKIES

The construction crane across the canal has been an eyesore, but tonight it adds to the drama.

It’s been a quiet week, settling back into life in Amsterdam, broken by a spectacular evening downpour which caught us out in the open, sans coats or umbrellas.

No sooner had we scuttled inside, dripping wet, than the storm cleared, leaving a sky that had every smartphone in the town pointed heavenwards…

A friend told us he thought he saw one of my photos on the morning TV news (they’d lifted it from Facebook), though no doubt thousands of others captured  the same spectacle.

TULIPS IN AMSTERDAM

The Museumplein, with the Rijksmuseum just visible about the thousands of tourists making selfies with the I amsterdam sign.

Who wouldn’t be happy to be back in Amsterdam, working off a 24-hour flight by gently pedalling a bike around the parks on a sunny spring Sunday? 

2015 – FACES AND PLACES

The cool dudes at Jang Island School, Indonesia

So here we are, nearly ready to tick the calendar over. It’s been another busy year on the road, nine countries, a few walks, some good bike rides, a lot of spectacular locations, and friends, new and old.

Apart from some travel articles for the mainstream press and a new play, I’ve been more active with the camera than with the keyboard this year. So it seems appropriate to look back on the year through the lens. A few shots worked out well.