Wednesday

Well we went back to the same place again today, the scene of the crime.  Not that we were thinking of seeing the perpetrator, unless he was a complete moron and would try the same place twice.  But in that area there are so many potential paintings.  I have a feeling we could spend a week just in that small part of Amsterdam. 

Rick set up painting some flowers out in front of a houseboat; within minutes he had met the owner and was invited to have some wine.  I went farther along and did a view out into the Amstel River, the sunlight was glistening off the water with every boat that passed by.  I put my easel by the waters edge next to a parking slot, so periodically I was asked by a driver if they could back his or her car into the space without bothering me.  I just had to move off to the side while they did their best at parallel parking.  As long as they pulled up in the parking stale I had enough room.  I was doing my best the keep in the shade provided from a large tree.   Out in the direct sunlight I would have been roasting alive. 

 

A few hours later the light changed as the sun came around, so I called it quits and decided to find Rick to do lunch. We make sandwiches every morning and take them with.  As we ate I noticed another scene just down from where Rick was working.  Some hotel had flowers hanging down from every window with a large red awning by the entranceway.  The light was illuminating the façade and flowers.  We set up for the afternoon painting right there on the sidewalk.  

One thing I find curious is that people will automatically consider us as locals and come up with maps in hand asking for directions.  Including a Brit who announced he was looking for the Red Light District, not for himself, but for a buddy of his………right ! 

It’s my birthday today, so Mike said he wanted to take me out to dinner tonight.  That should be fun, just as long as it isn’t one of these coffee shops.  The so-called coffee shops in Amsterdam, don’t really deal in coffee, they are more the Starbuck’s for marijuana and hash in basically any form you could imagine.  They are all legal here as long as they sell you small amounts.  They have one down the street and every morning we see a few ripped tourists hanging out front in a catatonic daze.  None of the locals do it; it’s manly something for the tourists. 

Richard Boyer