Team Towelie used a staged deployment for the assault on Amsterdam with Top Chef and C-Dubs getting to the airport early to secure top notch seating at the bar while Braveheart wrapped the final briefing at C Farms. You can imagine our surprise when we passed security only to discover there was no bar in the terminal!!!! Showing the lighting quick reflexes learned from years at the dojo C-Dubs immediately headed to duty free and contemplated the acquisition of a liter of Patron for some preflight cocktails. Plans were derailed when the clerk informed us it illegal to drink in the airport (boy are the standards different in the US vs. Amsterdam). Stone sober we waited for boarding before ingesting the knock out drops for the overnight flight.Our arrival over Dutch soil was announced by the pilot and several frantic passengers in desperate need of airsickness bags. Despite the smooth flight it was fast turning into a pukefest and the infants in the row behind us exploded in it's diaper about the same time. Nothing quite like the smell of a steamer combined with last nights dinner greeting your senses right out of a deep slumber. First stop after clearing customs was the last of the coffee shops as we know them before for a round of double espressos before grabbing the cab to Hotel Nes. Right after checking in there was a rush up the stairs for an all out assault on Mt Kohler with a quick double deuce before setting out on the town.
Upon hitting the streets our attention was immediately caught by all of the tall Dutch women, lots of them, in short skirts wearing boots and riding bikes in boots!!!!
Having the experience of countless missions to Amsterdam, Braveheart (aka the Mayor of Amsterdam), immediately took control and directed to the local open market to check out some of the goods of the citybefore steering the jet lagged team to what was to become our favorite place of refuge from the cold wet dutch weather - De Dampkring - where unlimited rounds of double espressos were served up by our favorite hostess, Nikki.
Fully caffeinated and viewing life with a different perspective we headed out onto the streets to see what kind of trouble we could get into. Not even 2 blocks from De Dampkring and it was more boots and women on bikes, hundreds of them. Next we hit Droog, the local design center, where we picked up these awesome leg straps to keep the pants clean when cycling to the office.
Then it was across the street to the toy store where this little critter, the canal rat, had all of us double over in laughter. It got so bad that we had to leave the store, sort ourselves out before heading into the chocolate shop to take care of our hunger.
It is amazing what an appetite you can work up before 10 in the morning when you are touring the city, hitting the bike shops and local fairs. And along with the appetite one always needs to stay hydrated which is why we revived our tired bodies with another round of espressos before heading over to the Engelbewaar where we were able to secure the beer of choice - Palms and remind the Mayor or Stewart that we were having a beer and he wasn't.
Well all of this excitement before noon and all of the strong Belgian beer in the afternoon was taking it's toll so we headed back to the hotel, with a quick stop at De Dampkring for a mint tea before taking an afternoon siesta where the Mayor of Amsterdam assumed the position of choice - horizontal.
With a couple of hours of rest we immediately headed back to the Dampkring for a late afternoon pick me up before heading off to Pata Negra for dinner. It turns out this place not only had amazing food but was also the secret meeting place of tall, long legged Dutch beauties in the mandatory uniform of short black skirts, black stockings and leather boots with a minimum 3" heel. I was beginning to think I had died and gone to heaven.Back out on the streets we hit several bars on our way back home and managed to get lost, that is until we looked up and saw that we had stumbled, literally, onto De Dampkring. Not wanting to impolite we stopped in for a goodnight mint tea, gave our best to Nikki and then headed to the land of slumber, saving our energy for tomorrow's time trial.
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