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Being basically a wizened old traveller I managed to make my way to the airport (lets pretend I didnt have to ask about 5 people to find the right train) to collect my sister. Standing at the arrivals gate and seeing Alice for the first time since November was pretty awesome!
Despite being the equivalent of about midnight when she arrived we walked around the city and went to the Freedom Day celebrations. We saw the queen (who looks suprisingly like the queen of england, maybe thats just a queenly look - the curled greyish hair and fancy hat kinda look). Despite not being able to understand any of the speeches it was still cool to see the royal procession and the flowers in memory of all the people who died in the wars and to hear the singing.
Since Alice has been here we have managed to stay on the bus until the last stop (eg missing our stop and not noticing), miss our train this morning and take multiple 'detours' around the city centre... but considering that the street names are so crazy and our Dutch is, well almost fluent AND that we come from the giant 'city' of Kerikeri, I think we are doing pretty well!
We went to see Anne Frank's house which was definately worth going to despite the long queue. It was amazing that the hidden part was so big but stay concealed for so long. The house had extracts from her diary throughout the building and it was amazing to read such positive writing when her life must have been so tough, not being allowed to go outside and living in such fear of being discovered.
The temperature of Amsterdam is definately a shock after Africa. Seeing as I thought Nairobi was cold due to the altitude even with my newly aquired warmer clothes is officially freezing.Â
The countryside of The Netherlands is gorgeous - all the windmills and attractive architecture, cycle lanes, horses and rivers! Very tempting for a cycling trip... might have some cycling stories to add soon (probably ones of cycling about 2 kilometres before having to hobble around in exhaustion!). But for now I am going to make the most of Alice's company and hearing about her crazy adventures in the first kiwi voice I've heard since I left home (sorry Mum but you still have a smidgen of the Queen's english).
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