Dinner Party

Yesterday after bookstudy and service (this is a pic of Marla and Claudine as Matt and I followed them through the Saturday market by the Hall on the search for the right street), we went into Amsterdam again to further acquaint ourselves with the city, and get an early dinner. We tried to get some discount tickets to a show, at a place called "Last Minute Tickets" but by the time we'd arrived, they'd sold out of Carmina Burana, so we went next door to Dan's Irish pub instead. After watching part of a Man U. vs. Stoke match, we moved on to the next place called a Hole in the Wall for a pint and a Rugby match between Ireland and New Zealand....it did not go well for Ireland, but it was entertaining to watch and it kept us in the warm while a patch of rain blew by. We ducked into H&M to get some warmer hats and gloves, and had to stay for a bit because the H&M's here don't only supply the latest clothing trends at a bargain, they do it with a live DJ spinning.

Matt had a craving for Italian for dinner, so we found a street lined up one side and down the other with every conceivable type of restaurant, and sure enough, found a really good Italian place. Our waiters even sang. Mostly to each other, but that was a show in itself. As we strolled back towards the tram line, Matt sighted the place pictured here. A Scottish whiskey bar serving up 1,000 different bottles. We tasted an Irish sampler, and just when we were ready to head for the door, 5 Scottish guys walked in, cornered us, and proceeded to compete with each other about whose favorite whiskey reigns supreme. They were very chatty, so we ended up having a later night than planned for, but that's the nature of the beast.

This evening, after meeting and service (here in Amstelveen for once, with the Pender's), we had a dinner invitation by a sister (Tina, from Texas) who owns a B&B in Amsterdam. She invited a few other American's from the North English congregation, some of their friends, and a visiting couple from the UK, and served up a 3 course meal that could have been in any 5 star restaurant. It was a very nice night out, weather -wise, so we tried to pile 13 of us into her boat to take a mini canal tour, but the boat had just been serviced, and something wasn't going right. So after a lot of touristy snap shots of all of us cramming aboard, and trying to set out, we returned to the house for dessert, and called it a night. If nothing else, I got to take a lovely night shot of the oldest surviving Windmill de Gooyer (whatever that is) in the city proper, built in 1726, and relocated to this position in 1814. It now houses a brewery (the Brouwerij 't IJ), and sits right across from Tina's back yard, perfectly set for a picture from the struggling boat. Pender's were kind enough to pick us up and return us home, but again, it's later than we planned. Matt is already turned in, since he has to be up early for work tomorrow. I, on the other hand, have only to wait for the apartment owner to appear with more pillows, sheets, curtains for the guest room, silverware, and tall glasses. And towels. All the things that mysteriously went missing when the last tenant departed.

Maybe I'll take the bicycle for a trial spin after she goes...