Black Tie Do

My husband Gordon(dark hair) with his ancient pride of Scotland tartan kilt. Love the colours in this kilt.
We were invited to a 50th Birthday for Vic Peterkin of Peterkin Homes, my husband is the joiner contractor for the company.
A black tie do, lots of kilts on that night more kilts than penguin suits.
I do love a man in a kilt. Gordon really suits it.

A glass of champagne on arrival, then the pipe band started up what a lovely sound. Makes you proud to be Scottish.
We then sat down at our designated table, served an absolutely superb delicious meal. Iam a vegetarian, well catered for.
Had a delicious Vegetable wellington, served with green lentils, wish I could go to the bother of making food like this myself.
Being the only veggie in our house it is too much faff.

Plenty wine at the table, we were quite tipsy time the end of the night.
Husband was drunk, he suffered on the way home.

Mixing, Champagne,wine, Lager,Vodka & Coke not a good combination.

We didn't get home till 3am, the night passed so quickly, had a really good time.

No decent photos of me, dark & blurred.

Part 4 - Amsterdam

No photos from day 4, batteries ran out.

Checked out of our room had breakfast, the restaurant overlooks the canals what a beautiful view.

Only used the restaurant the last day for breakfast pretty pricey.E22 per person. Caught a tram to the Flower Market, stocking up on tulip bulbs.

Who could not be inspired to have garden as beautiful as Keukenhof.

I don't their planting techniques.

We purchased 120 blue tulip bulbs they are an azure blue, stunning never seen ones like this before.

Yellow parrot tulips 100 to complement , yellow double tulips 100, blue parrot tulips 40, pink double tulips 60, alabaster(white) tulips60, lily tulips mixed 200,parrot tulips mixed 100, 200 Irises mixed, bearded irises & yellow ranunculas. A lot of work planting them but hope they display they give will be worth it.

4 days is not really long enough in Holland so much to do & explore would have liked another 2 days at least.

Will just have to go back next year, can't wait.

Amsterdam Part 3

Day 3

Woke up to a absolute stunner of a morning again, it was beautiful.

Today we were off to Keukenhof Bulb Gardens, really looking forward to going there.

We were planning on hiring bikes at Leiden station, cycling to Keukenhof.

Took the number 5 tram from our hotel to Amsterstam Zuid train station.

Hi Speed train to Schiphol airport, changed platforms & got a train to Leiden station.

Purchased our tickets for Keukenhof & the bus to get there.
The woman in the information said would take an hour cycling, time we cycled for an hour we wouldn't manage to walk around the place.

Knowing us we would get lost.

Seen loads of bulb fields en route to Keukenhof,Lisse, also signs for Noordwijkerhout where Scrap-a-ganza 2008 is taking place next month.

Arrived at Keukenhof wow, when you entered loads of beautiful tulips, a photographers heaven.

We went walked passed a few gardens then there was a lane down by the canal we seen bulbfields it was absolutely stunning. Seen the farmer out dead heading his tulips.

It was so lovely & peaceful along here.
I really liked the topiary garden it was beautiful, I have a similar garden out my back with box hedging, need to replace a few as they died off. Just need Gordon to trim them into a square shape, like in the photo.

There is 7 million bulbs all planted by hand they get dug up & replanted the following year.

Rotating the bulbs around, the gardens are immaculate weed free.

They dead head as soon as the flower wilts so all the goodness goes back into the bulb instead of putting all the energy to seed.

I was really inspired coming here, they way they plant their bulbs in swathes of colours truly magnificent.

Took home a suitcase of bulbs 1000+, who could not be inspired to have their garden as nice as these.

On the way out Gordon tried a dutch crouquetten he liked it.

We stayed until 6.30 pm walked miles that day, blisters on my feet.

It was really peaceful at this time a lot of people had left by then, but we still didn't come across the blue tulip, wanted to see what it looked like in bloom.

Bought plenty blue tulip bulbs,hopefully I can recreate the stunning gardens we seen.

The Canal view is from our patio bedroom window.

Amsterdam Part 2

Day 2 We went to look for another suitcase only took 1, wanted to buy a few different things.

Just wanted a cheapy tried C&A not one.

Found a lovely shoe shop Mansfield, Gordon bought a pair of boots I bought shoes.

We went looking for the Pancake Bakery, Elaine recommended to go there.
It was near Anne Franks house, but we passed it walked on too far had to turn back.

It was a really really hot day, time we found it we were really starving, had no breakfast so ended up being brunch, a few people waiting to be seated a good sign it was popular.

We ordered Gordon had a bacon & banana pancake, I had cheese &tomato.

It was the most delicious pancake we had tasted, cripsy edges which we loved.

We were going to hire bikes & cycle from Leiden station around the bulb fields but time was marching on,decided to go on the canal boat, it was too hot, you could almost fall asleep with the gentle swaying of the boat.

The best bit was going out onto the north sea canal, we were in shipping lanes.

It was quite choppy, passed central station & a floating chinese house style restaurant, the smell coming from it was making my mouth water.

When we got off it was really sunny still, decided to go for a drink at one of the pavement bars.

Then off for tea at restaurant de jaren, the food was really good.

Goron had fillet steak with componata, & rosemary roast potatoes.

I had aubergine, courgettte & vegetable lasagne it was delicious with a salad from the salad bar, it was a bistro type restaurant. There was seat overlooking the canal outside but it was too cold, out of the sun. Had quite a few drinks here they were really good used fresh orange juice in the vodka & orange, If I had had anymore would have had to slide down the stairs, they seem to use only 100% proof vodka in Amsterdam.

Took the tram back to our hotel & changed to go to the bar, had more drinks.

Amsterdam part 1

What a faff about blogger is, why cant they just put the photos in the order you have uploaded.

Day 1,Went to down to the tram, course we just jumped any old tram thinking it would take us to Dam Square nope, we had to get off 2 stops later to get on another tram, just as well this one had a conductor on for the tourist idiots.

Made it into Dam Square, it was absolutely mobbed with people.

We seen Madame Tussauds decided to go there since not much of a q.

Kept all my ticket stubs for my scrapbook pages.

Some of the wax works were like the person , but some I thought who the hell is that?Had to go up & read who it was especially Robbie Williams they maybe got the mouth right but the rest no,no.

However Bob Marley was a dead ringer also George Clooney was really good.

Gordon posed with Kylie.

There was a huge circular window up high looking over Dam Square stunning, unfortunately the photos did not come out so well.

We then went for a vodka at the next bar we came to & eek the prices E14 for a round of drinks.

Went for tea, it was really really busy I had a pizza which was so so, Gordon had Fillet Steak & pepper sauce & trimmings.

Everyone sits outside in Amsterdam there was not a cloud in the sky which made the evening really cold, in fact I was really cold.

Went off to another bar this one was even dearer just off Dam square I had a Pina Colada E11 Gordon had Vodka & Coke E9 a total of 20 euros, the euro rate is lousy compared to last year, making it much dearer to holiday in europe.

Had another round of drinks then we ventured off into the red light district.It is funny you can tell you are there by bollards with wee red lights on when we walked up.

Loads of bars with magic mushrooms,hash, power drinks (they call it)chocolate brownies etc,we never tried it we are too square.

We came to an side street which was really busy walked up it, low & behold,there was heaps of wee rooms with red strip lights above the door.

Some of the curtains were closed so obviously some action going on there.

Would have liked to wait to see what type of person came out, but we didn't.

You are not allowed to take any photos in the red light district,so did not get my camera out not even to photo the bollards with the wee red lights.

I was alarmed to see 2 adults taking a young child up there, not really an area suitable for young eyes.

There were all shapes & sizes but didn't see any of the 80 year olds.

Our feet were sore headed back to the bar at Dam square again for another 2 drinks then headed off to the tram back to our hotel, where we had a couple more drinks.

Amsterdam Long Weekend 2008

Amsterdam 2008
What can I say it was fabulous, beautiful architecture, lovely canals.

We arrived at our hotel our room was not quite ready.We waited in the bar terrace.
Wow stunning views of the canals such a peaceful setting glad I had booked here.

Very romantic setting.
We only waited a few minutes then concierge came with our room key.

We were overwhelmed with the view from our room. A canal view was not expecting this. Had booked an executive patio room hoping for a decent sized bed. We had a 6ft bed it was so comfy, flat screen tv.
Business table mini bar,tea & coffee making facilities(we never used)
The window was full length, a fabulous view to wake up to.

We are off to Amsterdam for the May bank holiday weekend just the 2 of us.

Our first time away on our own in 19 years,cannot wait.

Going to celebrate our 40th ,we are both winter birthdays.

Decided to wait until the spring when the tulips will be in full bloom & hopefully warmer weather.

Looking forward to Keukenhof gardens, taking loads of photos for inspiration for my garden.

Just hope it is dry. I can imagine all the colours & passing the tulip fields on the way.

I have been to the Netherlands 3 times on scrapbooking events at Scrap-a-Ganzas but never been to Amsterdam, just passed through the airport been to Egmond aan Zee & Eindhoven.

It is a beautiful place the land is so flat, we see so many bikes cyling along paths, they must be such a fit & healthy lot.

Will have to have nosey at the red light district, my friend said there was an 80 year old in one window.

Also a canal boat around the city. The diamond factory should be interesting too.

There is plenty tours to do, just need to decide which one.

We are only away for 4 days so it will be jam packed.