A lack of untowardness is always a good thing...

Playlist

January away...

Holiday almost away...

Up at seven...

Last breakfast...

Loads of unused juice and yoghurt and some fruit left over re the supplies supplied by our host...

All packed and ready to go...

Views from/on the House Boat this morning...

Final visit from the Peep-hens...

Leaving things as we found them...

And out...

Chat with owner Rene - a glowing review will be posted in the fullness of time (after all it's now 11 February when I've finally managed to get to this point in documenting the trip!)...

At 8am, a trundle to Het Funen (The Fun) for our final No 22...

Here it comes...

Into Centraal for the 8:30 train to the airport...

Arriving 20 minutes later...

It's rather large...

It took over an hour to get through security and passport control...

Unacceptable...

But we have to just accept it...

To the gate in plenty of time, 10:40 for a 12:10 departure...

Boarded an hour later...

The usual Schipol long taxi...

Take off just 7 minutes late - acceptable...

...and a flight soundtracked by an old podcast...

...with free sandwiches and drinks...

Touchdown at 1:25 Dutch time, 12:25 UK...

...and, amazingly, the swiftest walk through re passport control we've ever had at the shitfest that is Edinburgh Airport...

Straight onto an airport bus...

...and, at the foot of the hill, over the road for a just arriving 26 to take us back up said hill...

A further trundle down from the terminus and here we were back home after 173 hours and 26 minutes of fun (including the Exec Producer's birthday), between this pic last Saturday morning...

...and this pic this Saturday afternoon...

It was great to have been back in Amsterdam and our day trips to Utrecht and Haarlem were top notch too...

The weekend was still young...

The unpacking, reconstituting of things which had been unconstituted on our departure etc etc, ripping and listening and writing and surfing etc began in earnest...

And catching up on TV once we were settled back in...

Later on, today's CD Box...

Totally Handel...

Chose a 3CD reissue of a 1979 recording of “Serse”, aka “Xerxes”...

  I like a cheeky wee (or large) Handel opera for my sins…

Especially good for soundtracking the start of a big catch up... 

...from tomorrow...

First steps made tonight though, including downloading some new releases from yesterday's New Music Friday...

Lights out at Midnight...

Highlight of the Day: Home safe and nothing untoward has happened in our absence...

Today's New Music:

Non-buyers' regret...

Playlist

Last full day of the trip...

Today's CD box goes from Gorecki to Handel...

I chose String Quartets and Trios by Sofia Gubaidulina...

...expertly played by the Danish Quartet, recorded for Radio Bremen in 1992...

Tasty, oblique music. A composer whose work I’ve enjoyed now for a couple of decades...

Didn't play it today though, as we listened to it on Wednesday...

The views from the House Boat this morning...

Another tasty breakfast and out for some action...

The 22 along to Centraal...

...and on to the train for Haarlem...

A short journey, alighting at this lovely old station...

A walk towards the old town...

Across the Nieuwegracht...

...noting the architecture along the way...

...and lovely little streets...

...eventually approaching the Grote Markt...

...with its statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster, the purported inventor of a printing press in Haarlem, at the same time and independently of the more widely acclaimed Gutenberg - and the St Bavo Church in the background...

It was still pretty early and there were quite a few vehicles around encroaching on our views...

From the square we undertook an initial walk around the environs...

...before returning...

...and, to combat the cold, taking refuge in Anne & Max for hot drinks...

Back out into the square...

...and into the now open Tourist Office for some info and pointers - including a 90 minute self-guided walking tour...

Preceded by a short film on the history of the city, we ventured forth on the tour...

Our map pointed out various sights to look out for...

Off we went...

The old bakery...

The old chemist...

...and then, a lovely knitwear shop, where Anne availed herself of a lovely new jersey...

The pentagon...

...and on towards the Nieuwe Kerk...

Then, the Korte Houtstraat, with its green-fingered residents...

Across the main shopping street, with a quick pop into a record shop...

...no purchases...

...and into Cornelissteeg...

...and the Klein Heiligland...

...behind the Frans Hals Museum...

..,to the canal...

...and into Groot Heiligland...

...to the front of the Frans Hals museum...

We did not go in here...

Past alms houses for elderly men... 

Onwards...

Following instructions...

Up the Gedempte Oude Gracht - formerly a canal...

...to the oldest department store in the town...

Then back towards the canal, while looking back...

Then, noting the fine buildings on its banks, The Waag (Weigh House)...

..and the Tayler Museum...

To the Gravestenenbrug...

...and over...

...to find this small elephant, all that's left of a once large local brewery...

A look back on the town from the other side of the bridge...

...and, back over, we started the walk back, still following the prescribed route...

Past the Bakenesserkerk...

...to the Begijnebrug with its lovely views...

...past the Waalse Kerk, the oldest in Haarlem...

Through the Begijnhof...

...to the Goudsmidspleintje...

...slowly reapproaching the Grote Markt...

...and the statue of the duelling knights...

A very enjoyable tour...

Now, it was time to make our way back to the station...

...and, of course, as we did so, the skies finally cleared and the sun came out - too late for all of the pics above!

On to the train home just before 2 - we had to return by a certain time re a deal on the train tickets...

A bus home from Centraal...

...for some heat, hot chocolate and Stroopwaffeln...

..and looking over the trip purchases - I regretted not having picked up something in Haarlem - I use CD purchases as souvenirs, don't you know...

Early evening, we were back off out, having scanned the area for potential drinks spots...

Back along the way we'd gone last Sunday morning when trying to find the 22 bus for the first time...

Over the canal again and down the street where the bus stop was...

A heron on each second lamp post - weird...

Into the Bar Joost on Molukkenstraat - we wished we'd found this last Saturday - we would would probably have come here most evenings...

Good times...

..with a few Gulpeners as we watched the locals enjoy their evening...

Eventually, back out into the cold...

...and along Javastraat, fittingly, the first street we explored on arriving last Saturday...

We repeated our best falafels in the world order back at Lecheria...

...before walking home...

...for some TV - handball and murder mystery, the latter via BBC NL...

January almost over...

Holiday all over bar the trip home tomorrow...

Highlight of the Day: Haarlem/Bar Joost/Falafels...

Today's New Music: