2014 - OCEAN PRINCESS - AMSTERDAM

THE FIRST SEGMENT OF MY CRUISE CAME TO AN END IN DOVER ....

JUST ABOUT EVERYONE I HAD MET GOT OFF & A WHOLE NEW BUNCH CAME ON BOARD. WHILE ALL THAT WAS GOING ON, I TOOK A BUS TO ST, MARGARET'S AT CLIFF. IT'S ABOUT TIME SOME OF THE ROADSIDE HEDGES WERE GIVEN A TRIM, AS EVEN ON AN OPEN TOP BUS IT WAS HARD TO GET ANY VIEWS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE OVER THE TOP OR THROUGH THEM.

I REMEMBERED THERE WAS A PUB AT ST. MARGARETS BUT IN MY HEAD I HAD IT AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFF. IT IS NOT, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM. A LONG WAY DOWN & THE BUS DOES NOT GO DOWN THERE. GOING DOWN WAS NOT TOO BAD & IT IS A VERY PLEASANT SPOT AT THE SIDE OF THE SEA WITH A FINE VIEW OF FRANCE OFF IN THE DISTANCE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN FRANCE SO CLEARLY FROM ENGLAND.

A NICE FISH & CHIPS LUNCH IN THE PUB WAS FOLLOWED BY WALKING BACK UP THE HILL & IT WAS ALMOST BEYOND ME.

I HAD DINNER ON DECK WITH SEAN, THE SHIPS ENTERTAINER WHO IS AN ILLUSIONIST AS WE LEFT DOVER, WITH THE WHITE CLIFFS ON OUR LEFT. AFTER A WHILE I NOTICED THAT THE WHITE CLIFFS WERE ON OUR RIGHT & WE BOTH PONDERED THIS. HAD WE SWITCHED DIRECTIONS? WAS IT AN ILLUSION?
NO - FRANCE ALSO HAD WHITE CLIFFS - WHO KNEW?

I TALKED TO AT LEAST THREE OF THE SHIPS ENTERTAINERS, ALL OF WHOM WERE VERY APPROACHABLE. A NICE ASPECT OF THIS SHIP.

I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A SEAT FOR DINNER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRIOR SEGMENT, BUT NEVER USED IT AT ALL. PREFERRING THE BUFFET OUT ON DECK OR INSIDE IF IT WAS TOO COOL OR WINDY. THIS SEGMENT WILL BE THE SAME.

WE ARRIVED IN AMSTERDAM THE NEXT MORNING ....

A TINY WINDMILL .....

& LOTS OF BIKES. AMSTERDAM IS A DANGEROUS PLACE IF YOU DON'T KEEP A CAREFUL EYE OUT FOR CYCLISTS...

I HEAD TO THE STATION WHERE I BUY A REGIONAL BUS PASS. THIS COULD GET ME JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN HOLLAND BUT I AM HEADING TO EDAM - OF CHEESE FAME ... THE IDEA BEING TO EAT SOME EDAM CHEESE - IN EDAM..

EDAM IS A VERY PRETTY LITTLE TOWN & IT HAS CANALS TOO

AND A HELLO TO YOU TOO ..... HOLLAND WERE PLAYING THIS EVENING IN THE WORLD CUP & THE DUTCH ARE INTO IT A LOT. KIDS DRESSED IN HOLLAND'S STRIP. BUNTING DECORATING STREET AFTER STREET..

AROUND ABOUT HERE I WENT INTO A STORE FOR SOME EDAM BUT SHE WOULD ONLY SELL ME A LARGE BALL & I ONLY WANTED A TASTER. I SETTLED FOR A COUPLE OF HUNDRED GRAMS OF SOME OTHER LOCAL CHEESE. SO WHILE I DID NOT EAT EDAM CHEESE IN EDAM, I DID EAT CHEESE IN EDAM...

I ALSO HAD A FRUIT COVERED CAKE - - MMMmmmm..

EDAM CHEESE IS YELLOW HERE .... NOT RED!

I HAVE NOW TAKEN ANOTHER BUS TO VOLENDAM ... JUST ALONG THE COAST ... THERE IS A HIGH SEA WALL HERE COVERED WITH RESTAURANTS, BARS AND SHOPS ... SELLING CHEESE

WITH JUST A SMALL BIT OF A BEACH

THEN IT WAS A BUS BACK TO AMSTERDAM & THE SHIP. NEVER DID GET INTO AMSTERDAM REALLY. NO RED LIGHT DISTRICT OR LEGAL SMOKING..