We took a train from Paris. It seemed easy, and the most practical way to get from the center of Paris to the center of Amsterdam. When you take into account traveling to and from airports, then standing around waiting for your bags, train travel in Europe can be smarter. It's not always true. Just study your options.
A woman and man (strangers to one another) directly behind us got into an argument over what she said was his spreading. She said, "Stop spreading!" For those not in the know, Google man-spreading. All this was in English. She was German. He was African, with a British accent. Seats are smallish. She initiated it, and her tone was very strong and angry from the start. From the outset, it sounded like it was a big overreaction. I think she got caught off-guard by his English, which was superb. He took over the conversation pretty quickly, and with some firm points of his own. She got very quiet. I thought I was going to have to say something, but luckily it calmed down almost as quickly as it started. When you're traveling and dealing with tight spaces and the stress of commuting, little incidents like this can easily happen. It pays to be cordial. And for me, when i am on the road, not only do I enjoy watching people, it's intriguing me to see how we interact with others. My nerves certainly get tested.
This was my first view of Amsterdam just before we exited Central Station. The big guy coming in quickly caught my eye. He came in singing, and loudly. Amsterdam, like my city in the USA (Asheville, NC), attracts eccentrics, artists, misfits, creatives and the mentally ill. And sometimes it's hard to tell what's really going on with a person. There's this element in Amsterdam, for sure.
Our Airbbnb host recommended a few restaurants. One was this Ethiopian spot just down the road. I hadn't tried Ethiopian since a trip to Chicago in the late '90s. Kade had never tried it. Food was pretty good, and seemed fresh. The experience of it - the style of eating - was worth it alone. Certainly not the easiest way to eat (only with hands). I got one of the mango beers, and drank it out of a coconut shell.
Immediately what stood out in Amsterdam were the bike lanes, and the number of people riding around on bicycles. Throughout the city we observed a real emphasis on providing maximum comfort for people moving about - on bicycles, walking paths, cars and trams. And I am pretty sure there was a metro, too. You can't help but be impressed with how efficient and well-planned Amsterdam is in this regard.
Sometimes interesting seeing what familiar products are on store shelves. Lipton also is very popular in Thailand.
Looking up at the apartment where we stayed
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