Classical Accordion in Florence

Sitting down for lunch at Piazza del Duomo in Florence, Italy, we heard this amazing classical accordion player...

Playing Tourists in Amsterdam

If you have to chose between Amsterdam and Atlanta for a stopover en route to Italy, is there a question? Packing in 2 days of non-stop sightseeing from sunrise to sunset, we were like two kids in one of the hippest cities in the world. 

Playing the part very well of two tourists, we hopped on a canal cruise which showed us the city by waterway. Tall, skinny (and oftentimes leaning) buildings lined the canals and gave us a glimpse of the life and history of Amsterdam. Sometimes being a tourist is an o.k. way to go if you can ignore the corny tour guide's antics (though well intentioned and well informed).

The mode of transportation was bicycles...everywhere. My favorite? Not only men in business suits on bicycles, but women in skirts and spike heels (sans helmet of course...who wants hat hair?). Bikes were equipped with special attachments to the front where 1-2 children would be wheeled off to school.

Getting around by streetcar, we made stops all over the city, experiencing the outdoor markets, the Red Light District (yes, a tourist stop indeed), the cafes (no, they did not serve coffee, but rather a pungent smelling type of cigarette...hmmm), and of course, the nightlife which made it the hippest place to be.

Tourist stop #2 was the Kuekenhoff Gardens, an hour bus ride outside of Amsterdam where acres and acres of tulips were in full bloom, complete with indoor pavilions of tulips and daffodils and an outdoor park that easily graced 5 acres. My favorite was the ribbon candy effect of the fields of cultivated tulips in the distance, with color as intense as thick paint.

Remember the song "Tiptoe through the Tulips"? See below...

Photo by Robert Stelson

Well friends, it's not that I don't love you. As part of my long awaited and recent trip to Italy, I wanted to unplug and totally immerse myself in this culture and the sensual experience of travel. As a celebration of my 60th birthday, I checked off some major items on my Bucket List. Ones I almost gave up on, ones that were tucked away in the back of the closet of my mind. Coming to the realization that this not only was possible, but absolutely necessary, Robert and I researched, planned and packed for a 3 week trip that covered Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, a week in Tuscany, and Rome. Through piles of books, maps, handwritten notes and volumes of tips from friends, we compiled our dream trip. 

No cell phone, no voicemail, no Facebook. Sketchbook, canvases and paints and camera. And something new...my iPad. Through sporadic Internet access, it was the one way we could stay in touch with family, with daily photos (and the most fun, videos!) that gave them a sense of seeing other cultures in a new way.

A side note. Finding a good travel partner is such a blessing. To travel with someone who has the same priorities as you (ours were food, art/photography and wine) makes the pleasure of it all even greater. Robert and I were wanting to explore every day...finding it hard to sleep, not wanting to waste a minute of unknown territory. Simpatico.