Amsterdam Day 1

Here we are again on a short city break.  This time in Amsterdam for 4 nights.  Our Airbnb apartment is on Leliegracht , an attractive street near the centre.  The apartment is at the back of the building and has its own garden, which is a great plus as the sun is shining.

We arrived before the lady who was letting us in, so we had lunch in a vegan restaurant two doors away and fell into conversation with an American couple who complained how hard it is to be vegan in the states - and gluten free! We commiserated - half heartedly!

Then our host came and showed us round the apartment.  First job after unpacking was to head for the supermarket for basic breakfast supplies and a wander round the neighbourhood.  We also bought a new map and a bottle of wine, another basic supply!

sitting room

Garden 

Sitting room

In the evening we ate on our way to the Concertgebouw at a steak restaurant called Venus and Adonis, served by two delightful staff.  We had to run the gauntlet of policemen and mounted police preparing for a huge turnout to celebrate the winners of the Dutch football tournament.  The open space outside the concert hall was filled with toilets and pissoirs. Never seen so many!

The concert was a recital by a trio with a mixed programme some parts of which was more enjoyable than others.   We had excellent seats in the front row of the balcony. 

We took the tram home and had some difficulty in paying for the tickets and knowing where to get off. The vegan Americans were also on the tram!

I had a bad night as I was too cold and had to resort to putting the light on to find a blanket and fiddle with the heating.