Woke to some rain this morning. It soon eased off and was done by the time we headed out. We caught a hop-on / hop-off bus which gives a good view of the parts of the city you probably wouldn't otherwise do. I think we could have achieved the same via tram, only losing the commentary and perhaps not seeing all that we did from this form of drive-by tourism. We would have missed the best line - "Amsterdam is a city built on piles." First stop was at Anne Frank Ho...

We had a much more pleasant second leg. Both slept well - Bruce probably got 6 hours; I would have had 4 or so. Our section of the cabin was well behaved and it wasn't until we landed that I realized there was a baby in the centre rows. Very well behaved. Must be good parents. We made good time through customs and immigration to a taxi that got us to the apartment in The Pijp (pronounced pipe). It is a nice place although it's on the 4th floor and places in Amst...

We have arrived safely in KL on the first leg of our journey. Interesting how science can come to one's attention on an 8 hour flight. For your education, I can advise that chick peas bounce but white wine does not. Oops. Mercifully no spillage on me; perhaps I should focus on sporting accuracy over scientific research. Bruce relaxed in the comfort of his new noise reducing headphones. This means he missed out on the screaming match between two toddlers, which o...

The countdown may have begun some time ago and as we head into the sub-3 week phase it's time to start preparing for Europe. There's the usual "what to take / do I need to buy anything" issues. The house and garden have to be readied for Hanadi and Michael (although some of the jungle out back will remain in its overgrown state). There's also catching up with friends and family to celebrate birthdays and keep up with their busy lives. There's also the apparent ne...