A big city welcome - 'The Bill' style!

The weather in London was fantastic for our first week. This was not helpful when we were starting to think about job hunting, to the point where a quick trip to Amsterdam was on the cards. So next thing you know I was at an internet cafe not far from where we live searching for flights while Miranda was at home. The internet cafe, which is also a DVD store, is on a main street and has people walk in and out fairly frequently. About 5 minutes before my time was up, I heard the shop assistant say to the other shop assistant that someone had just come and taken all the money. I thought I had heard wrong because I hadn't heard anything or saw anybody and nor did the other 9 people on the computers (bearing in mind a robber would have had to walk past us to get to the counter which was only about 5-10 metres away from the computers). Anyway, what had happened was a guy had come into the shop, walked up to the counter, pointed a gun at the shop assistant, told her to be quiet and to give her all the money out of the till. He then quietly took the money and walked out of the shop. Pretty freaky!! Within about 5 minutes there were policeman everywhere and the shop was cordoned off ... just like on 'The Bill'. The policeman took the details from all of us that were on the computers but unfortunately none of us were any help. It is amazing how you can get such tunnel vision when you are sitting in front the computer.

It makes you think, would have have happened if one of us had noticed him. I think it was lucky none of us did. I'm not sure if the guy was caught.

So that was my big city welcome!

Amsterdam

A week or so after we landed in London we decided to take a cheap-ish mid-week flight to Amsterdam for 6 days to catch up with friends and re-visit some of our favourite places. Kindly, our old friend Peter said we could stay with him in his very central apartment.

Carl enjoying his dutch breakfast at Peter's gorgeous apartment.

Some of the old Heren 3 Volleyball team:
(left) -Sikko, Carl, Danny & Edzard. (right) - Yvo (also ex Heren 3) & Miriam out to dinner with us in Amsterdam.

Peter and Carl

We visited the Rijks Museum, ate all our favourite dutch snackfood - Krokets, bitterballen, stroopwafels and cheese, wandered around the canals and soaked up the atmosphere.



We met up with Scholes, Em and baby Jayden, and also had dinner with Carls old work mate from Wellington, Dave and his wife Lizzie, and saw Mandy again too!

On the Sunday we went to Scheveningen Beach close to The Hague with Peter and his friends. The European Beach Volleyball tour was on and we managed to watched the Mens & Womens finals. The mens final had two olympic indoor volleyball gold medalist playing so the level was exellent (and no, Carl's volleyball services we not required). Peter's friend, who we caught a ride to the beach with, his brother was in the final and they won which made it even better!! It was a great match.

Here's the 'Nestea girls' who were the entertainment between sets! It would have been rude to the sponsors if we hadn't paid attention!

On our last day we fitted in a (half) day trip to Delft - a quaint touristy town which boasts Delft pottery, climbed the old church tower for a great view and sat in the square eating pancakes, watching people go by.






Thanks Pete for your hospitality and .....we'll be back.