It really really makes a difference having a mother's touch around the place, and we saw that this morning! As I got sidetracked telling a completely unrelated fictitious story yesterday, I guess I should probably recap! Last night Mum flew into Amsterdam. With Daniel due to go home today, our trip with Dad was wrapping up and Mum had flown over to have a month travelling with Dad together. Daniel and I were exhausted yesterday, so instead of going to greet Mum at the airport, we came directly to our apartment and fell asleep early, and were completely out of it by the time she got in so didn't get to greet her till this morning. Yep, that's what happened. 100%. Sure! So as I was saying, I knew immediately that Mum had arrived when this morning I was greeted with a cup of tea and some warm Dutch treats in bed for breakfast! Why didn't we bring her from the start? Seriously though, after a month away it was really nice to see Mum again and give her a hug! She was doing well, and was super excited for her holiday! Dad was like a boy with his first love, with a massive smile on his face and proudly taking Mum's hand on our walk to breakfast. Cute. We had breakfast at a café by a canal and continued catching up with Mum. Everybody back home was good, and so was Maggie. I wonder how she'll be now though, with Mum ('Nanny') gone. I bet she's sitting on Mum's bed, gazing out the window, waiting for Nanny to return: 'She was gone last night, but Nanny will be back to me tonight, she never goes two nights away from me'! After breakfast we decided to head into Amsterdam for a bit. Again, love having Mum here - she paid for breakfast. Take note Dad! Daniel and I went back via the apartment, so I could get my train ticket to book my onward journey to Munich on Sunday, before we both met Mum and Dad out the front of Amsterdam Centraal. I successfully reserved my seat for the train, and then we all got to doing some sightseeing with Mum. Dad wanted to take Mum and show her the Red Light District. I actually think (know) that he just wanted to go there himself and was using the 'let's show Mum' as an excuse to go! 'Onya Dad! It all looked pretty familiar to Daniel and I, but that must've been from when we wandered it a few weeks ago, because we never went there last night. We didn't. By late morning we had stopped for a drink break at a little café, and discussed our plans for this afternoon. Mum and Dad were going to go out and see Wim and Humphrey (not B. Bear) to reacquaint Mum and to collect my backpack, which Daniel was taking home tonight. I was going to spend time with Daniel on his last day in Amsterdam, the last day of his holiday, helping him shop for some souvenirs. And for me to (possibly) get a tattoo. So a few years ago, Daniel and a few of his Dutch-heritages mates decided to get a windmill tattooed on their left **** cheek as a light-hearted way (perhaps even a taking the **** way) of showing their heritage. At the time, I was indifferent to tattoos, and while I thought it hilarious, I never really entertained that option. But it had always stuck in my mind, and I knew if I was ever going to get a tattoo, that would be it. It really just seemed to be a question of when. Similar to Frank's thoughts in yesterday's story, I guess I felt that 'when in Rome...' feeling and declared that yes, I want that windmill tattoo, and Amsterdam, now, was the time and place to do it! We did a little bit of shopping, namely to buy vagina shaped lollipops (oh Amsterdam), before parting ways with Mum and Dad and heading back to a tattoo place we found earlier, Hanky Panky Tattoos! With cautious trepidation (and Daniel going in first!), we went downstairs to the counter and discussed what I wanted! Good news (I think); they could schedule me in that afternoon. Gulp. With a couple of hours to kill, we found a pizza place to have some lunch. It also had wifi so I could seek support from my friends about my tattoo! I was nervous. Looking back, lunch was a silly idea. I reckon I had one slice of pizza, then forced down more just so I didn't look rude not having much. But I felt sick! We walked around killing time, while I willed myself on and tried to talk myself up! When the time came, we went back to the tattoo shop and they got the designs ready. Daniel decided to get one too, a Liverpool bird on his foot - it's probably the only Liverpool thing they couldn't sell him in their shop! He went in first. Meanwhile, I was almost literally ******** myself, which is a bad thing all the time, and would've been even worse (s***tier?) right now considering this tattoo was going on my ****! Too soon Daniel's tattoo was complete, and it was my turn! I'd reassured myself for the last two hours that with all that flesh on my ****, it would be the least painful place to go. Then the tattooist told me that with lots of nerve endings, it will be a painful place. **** **** ****!!! As I was getting ready, Daniel was taking snaps of my **** to send to people. I told him to send them to some of my friends too, but he got a name wrong so somebody, somewhere in the world got to see my **** for 10 seconds. I'm sure it was the best 10 seconds of their life. Finally it was time. My **** had been rubbed clean, the stencil put on, I was laying on the bench, and the tattooist was staring it in the face. Enjoy. I gripped the bench legs so hard my hands turned white. In reality, it wasn't as bad as I thought, and exactly the feeling I was told to expect by my friends - like a really deep scratch! And after just 20 minutes or so, it was done! With my **** wrapped in plastic I was outta there, no longer a tattoo virgin! Surprisingly, once it was done it didn't hurt one bit. But I expected it to, so I was walking around with an expectant limp, steering clear of anything that might brush past it, and tried not to sit on my left butt cheek! Daniel and I found a chemist to get some bepanthen cream, and as the afternoon was getting on, we decided to head back to the apartment so Daniel could start his packing. As it was for the final time for him, we walked the canals back out to the apartment, so my **** really wasn't that bad! Mum and Dad still weren't back when we arrived, so we relaxed for a little while until they returned. Even though they knew that's where I was going, they couldn't believe I'd actually gone through with getting a tattoo! But they loved it, as did I! If only I could actually see it. Eventually, with Mum stressing out, Daniel had to get himself ready. He had a shower and packed his bag, and too soon I was saying bye to him. I decided not to go out to the airport, I really didn't need to and was tired, so said my goodbyes to him at the apartment. I was really going to miss him, but I was so glad we had this time together, we had so much fun and it's something we'll look back on so happily forever, and I knew too that he was ready to go home. With my free time, I had a bit of a snooze and made some calls to friends back home. When it got later and I still hadn't heard from Mum and Dad, I figured they'd gone for dinner somewhere, so I went and got myself a kebab. Between doing that and getting back to the apartment, they arrived home, and hadn't eaten, so I abandoned my kebab and we went out for a meal, which was nice! Much nicer than the kebab! With dinner done and the night getting late, we returned to the apartment and went to bed. Safe flight Daniel. And no funny business parents. Please. I'll be gone in two days and you'll have a whole month together.