PROMPT: Let loose to roam in Amsterdam....okay... You know I could really get used to this train-trekking. I'm not driving. I don't have to find my keys and hold onto them. There's no parallel parking, or honking drivers, or congestion. I love sitting back, and soaking up the stunning scenery. Gabbing and googling, you know, ogling, this is the life. Wow, I'd like to meet this Sebastian and shake his hand. His hotel is so chic and comfortable. Ummm, I could see yellow bicycles for rent. Although their colour was bright and cheery, plus the universal colour for caution, I opted to bypass them today. Amsterdammers didn't need to be spooked or worried. No one would need to dive in a canal to avoid me. No pedal-power on the promenades. Sure, I was a bit unsteady, and at times I staggered. What are those lyrics? "I love the night life, I like to boogie?" I must still be dizzy. I aimed for a sedate stroll, no skipping. I must pace myself for another go round tonight. As I ventured forth, I noticed the tourism posters: I amsterdam. Yes, I am at the moment. I wandered to Vondelpark, where I stopped to smell the roses; not all of the seventy plus varieties, but enough. They were gorgeous. Yes, I spied a rainbow of tulips, too. Here in this spacious greenbelt, I discovered a whimsical tea house, The Blauwe Theehuis. I kinda figured out that 'blauwe' meant blue. I climbed to the upper terrace of this octagonal oasis where I sipped tea and steeped myself in my favourite pasttime, people watching. Next, I meandered to the Jordaan district in search of the Lapismarkt. Wow, the many colourful fabrics encompassed every shade of the rainbow. The vintage clothing stalls were fun to browse in. Sigh, if only my knapsack could magically expand, yet not be heavy. I did indulge my quirky side. I couldn't resist buying several pairs of Jackie Kennedy Onassis style sunglasses, dark -lensed and over-sized. I knew some cool cats who would flaunt them. Another watercraft tour? Tonight the gang reconnected for a float around The Ring Canal. Apondia whispered in my ear that in 2013, this canal, Grachtengordel, celebrated its 400th birthday. I was impressed. That is a lot of water under the bridge. I salute the ingenuity of the Dutch citizenry. Finally, night had fallen and it was time to explore and prowl the clubs. Wait is it pub crawl, and club hop? Whatever it is, we expected to dance the night away. There were so many choice choices... At each venue, the bass boomed and thumped. The air pulsed and vibrated. We were elbowed and hip-checked by a crush of humanity. Each floor jumped. At Air Amsterdam, the walls shimmied and shook with a state-of-the-art light show. This is where I pulled the big sunglasses out of my bag, and dared SB Musing NaNoKit wieseblaize 💙 Carly-wrimo 2024 Lyn's a Witchy Woman and Sally to flaunt them, you know, go all Vogue on me. I started belting out a Canadian classic, 'I Wear My Sunglasses at Night'. C'mon sing it with me! "So I can, so I can watch you weave then breathe your story lines." Look at us gettin' down with the beat.....how low can you go?? Next we stumbled, or maybe we tumbled to a beach bar, the Roest. Off came our footwear. We stomped and stepped in the sand. We checked out the Bitter Zoet, Bittersweet, and the BlinQ; interesting names, but we felt right at home when we walked into Cafe Bubbels. This was THE fun party place. Be still my beating heart...the DJ featured 80s music, as if... Had we wandered into a time warp? Never mind flash mobs, you haven't lived until you've jerked like a zombie with thousands of twitching bodies to 'Thriller'. Sorry SB Musing ! Hey, you had me convinced you were fleeing one of the zombies. I think you muttered something like, " I hope one of your legs falls off." We all laughed because the next classic was Van Halen's 'Jump'. Oh, we busted moves or something with 'Super Freak'. Yeah, possibly 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' got a wee bit raunchy, but then again there was a waiter involved. Our party anthem became 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now'. Damn, I didn't have a Bic to flick for the power house ballads like Prince's 'When Doves Cry', or U2's 'With Or Without You'. Of course, I lip-synched every song, but I wasn't the only one. There was mumbling. I think my sleech was spurred. Remember 'Buffalo Stance'? Good times, good times!! Did we weave through the silent shadowy streets singing 'Time After Time'? Or was that me apologizing to the other dancers for stepping on toes? |