We set off early in the morning by bus to Totness were we got off one stop too soon and had to walk a bit to get to the station, it did say Station stop B. I guess we wanted stop A. Onto the train and a smooth trip until just outside Slough when we were told due to a collision between a train and a person we would be delayed for an indefinite time. Awful for some poor family, but also delaying our arrival at the airport. The train limped slowly into Slough and stopped allowing those who wanted to walk onto the platform. Announcements then started telling people about other lines that were running and were to catch buses - not looking good for us. We found we could return to Reading and catch a slower train to Gatwick. After an age we arrived at Gatwick in time to grab boarding passes and board. It is now late afternoon and no food!! Arrival at Amsterdam and not knowing where our hotel was we caught a taxi. The driver was a lovely person from Afghanistan. Our hotel is amazing it is a series of the local houses on top of one another as the outside 70 houses. The lovely receptionist told us not to book in as the kitchen was closing and to book in later, we were starving by this time so did as directed.

At dinner we met two lovely people Caroline and Brad, they had had their suitcase taken from the hotel luggage area by mistake by another guest. The suitcase was traced to Brussels and had been returned while we were all eating much to Brad and Caroline’s relief. The hotel had been very magnanimous, giving them money to buy replacement clothes and free food and drink all day. They bought us a drink and that was free too (we did not realise or would have drunk more). The suitcase was only missing for the day, so they did quite well out of it. When we got our dinner bill we were also not charged for a couple of drinks, but the waiter said not to worry it was their fault.

The following day we bumped into Brad and Caroline at breakfast and had another long chat We wandered around our immediate vicinity which was a very modern area of shops and restaurants. There is also one of the oldest houses in Holland; where Czar Peter the Great stayed in 1697, when studying boat building. Many other famous people have also visited - other Czars and even Napoleon and empress Elisabeth of Austria. It was a funny little house all funny angles due to the foundations collapsing in the wet soil.

A short walk to the train and we were off to the City Center about 12 mins on the train. What else could we do in a city of canals but take a cruise. It was a lovely sunny day and we had a great time looking at Amsterdam from the canals. Many of the houses are at a lean due to collapsed foundations and the Dutch call these dancing houses. We also saw the merchants houses in the expensive district. We went in search of Rembrandt’s house which had been pointed out on the cruise, we found the general area but not the house. That night we had Mediterranean food it was great, as were the free drinks and baklava, we got when I said “thank “ in Turkish and we got talking to the owner. I think this chatting to people is pretty good!!