Here I am...

OK, so last night Dave says, “When are you going to write in your blog again – everyone is waiting.”  Well, Tuesday I didn’t do much exciting and thought, hmmm, does everyone want me to tell them how I scrubbed the toilets, swept and mopped up floors?  Oh yes, and it took me all day to do two very small loads of wash, just because the machines here take much longer than in the states.  So how’s that for excitement?  I was kind of sticking around the apartment because I thought the plumber was coming to fix our second shower which only has cold or hot water and nothing in between.  Later after Dave got back from work meetings, I did walk down to the grocery and figured out the ingredients for homemade spaghetti.  So that is what we had for dinner and it came out very nicely.  And the Parmesan Reggiano here, I know it’s the same as we have in the states, but it tastes so much better here!  Oh and by the way, the plumber never came today!

Wednesday Dave had a meeting in the center of Amsterdam and asked if I wanted to go with him and shop while he was busy in his meetings.  I said sure and got ready to go.  Right before Dave needed to leave he received a phone call from his friend’s girlfriend asking if I would like to go to the street market with her and so my plans changed.  Susana came by the apartment and we walked to the Albert Cuyp Market that I told you about previously.  So very nice and comes from Spain.  She does not speak Dutch either and her English is good but we had to repeat ourselves or explain things a few times.  Boy, do I wish I spoke Spanish now!  We had a great time getting to know each other while we purchased fresh fish, nuts and veggies.  She explained to me that her boyfriend said they were having company for dinner but she was not a “skilled cook.”  She had a recipe for fish that she was going to try so she was getting ingredients for the dinner party.  However, she said that she could make a very good Spanish Omelet!  We got home late in the afternoon and soon Dave was home too.  He had a very small lunch and so was ready for dinner whenever I got it made.  We had baked red bass with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, onion and some of that delicious parmesan sprinkled on top.  Along with the fish we had some yummy creamed potatoes I purchased at the deli below us and steamed broccoli.  For dessert, Belgian chocolate cookies that one of Dave’s new employees gave to him!  Yes, we are eating well but I am walking everywhere I go so I am hoping the pounds don’t show up on me!  Oh, the plumber came today and I didn’t check it before he left but when Dave got home he checked it and lo and behold it still isn’t working correctly!

Today, we both had somewhere to go and so we were up and around earlier than we have been.  It is so dark here in the morning and this week has not been sunny and is a little chilly so that makes it a little difficult to get moving.  About 9:20 headed out walking to the American Women’s Club Newcomers Coffee.  Well, I was the newest!  There was one other woman that had only been here for 3 weeks but she had been to Amsterdam several times before moving here so knew more about the city.  The rest of the women have been here anywhere from 3 months to 2 years so I felt very “green!”  The other thing I realized is that I have never lived in a big city and have always had a car at my disposal so I have never had to use public transportation, i.e. trams, buses, subways.  But they gave me lots of shopping information that I am going to have read and look at maps to figure out how to get to the stores or markets.  They also said to email anytime with questions.  One of the women there was from Guadalajara and only speaks Spanish and English so again I was wishing I spoke some Spanish.  But she loves to shop and does not live far from me so said anytime I want to email her she will help me find whatever I’m looking for.  She moved here about a year ago and said after she arrived she just got on each of the trams and rode them as far as they went out from the Central Station so then she knew where each tram went.  Very creative way to figure out the tram system!  We’ll see if I decide to do something like that.  I have to say our street is so comfortable with everything we need for daily life that I could just stay put.  But that is not what I am here for so I will continue to do some exploring.  The club has several outings planned to help newcomers so I will be taking advantage of those outings.  After I walked home I was a little hungry since I only had a cappuccino at the Coffee so I decided to eat a little delicacy I purchased yesterday.  When Susana and I were walking home from the market we decided to go into a small Brazilian café.  In the counter there was a quiche that I just had to try.  Today, I warmed it in the oven – it was made with eggs, zucchini, chopped nuts, raisins and goat cheese in a puff pastry crust.  Absolutely scrumptious.

Tonight, Dave has to pick someone up from the Central Station so we will be heading down there shortly.

Hugs to all!