Off to Sea again

The following post is all about two old duffers on a jolly to Amsterdam and Antwerp. There are lots of photos and some ramblings and it is probably of no interest to anyone but the two jollyites and even I'm bored. Feel free to ignore and get on with your basketweaving or whatever Matron has given you to do today.

Shipping out of Tilbury  Thursday eve tide and cruising down the Thames Estuary.

QE2 Bridge from Tilbury

The Cranes salute as we pass

We have ferries at the bottom of our garden

some old drunk from a previous cruise

Bye Bye England

We are headed for Amsterdam again to ply our trade, touting for business wherever we find it and then on to Antwerp to do the same. MS Magellan is in good form and chugging nicely as we enter the channel. The refiurbished saloon, named the Sinatra Bar, is a comfortable retreat from the ardours of the sea

Buoyancy Ady

Women and children last

The Boat Drill takes longer than expected and I begin to regret my earlier visit to the Sinatra Bar as pressure mounts.

Embarcation was smooth enough and I risked a small bottle of emergency whisky in my washbag which is agin the rules and therefor to be attempted. On arriving at our cabin we were told that the toilet wasn't working but the ship's plumber was going through the motions but more importantly I noticed that the case containg aforesaid contraband was missing We figured that I would soon be on the naughty step outside the Pursar's Office required to explain my actions and await a public flogging with the cat. I've always fancied myself as Fletcher Christian and had my speech prepared along the lines of "I ask you Cap'n Bly would you be so base as to deny an old salt his shot of Morrisons 16 quid finest malt extract whisky at the same time as depriving him of the use of a working thunderbox? Have you no humanity Sir?" I would then take my punishment like the big girl's blouse I am, mutiny with the whole crew longing to return to their native Russia, Phillipines, Serbia, Poland and Walthamstow and set sail for Tahiti. As luck would have it the cat was off its milk , the case with whisky turned up and they had the bog fixed in 20 minutes.

So it was a pre-dinner drink, a fine meal a post dinner drink and off to kip. I didn't wake till we were moored in Amsterdam 

Ady queues for some drugs, freely available in Amsterdam...and got a map

Our time there was spent at the Van Gogh Museum, a stroll round the Flower Market, lunch, a stroll along the canals (or rather, next to) and a tuc tuc ride back to the Centraal Station.

Ady gets the Expresso in at the strangely named Rembrandt Van Gogh
("want a drink?   No I've got one ear")

I had pre-booked for the Van Gogh which was smart because the queue went on for miles. Beforehand though after a walk we had coffee in the adjacent park bathed in sunshine.

The Van Gogh Gallery was wonderful; obviously the paintings are superb but the whole ambience of the building helped as did the very fine audio guide. I tried to explain that the works were even more amazing after he lost his ear as he was blind from then on. "I didn't know he was blind as well" said Ady. " Oh yes I explained cos his hat kept falling over over his eyes."

Ady is navigator using his map acquired when he queued for drugs earlier

After Van Gogh we walked to the Flower Market.

Time for lunch

followed by a snooze in the sun....Ady has commandeered my hat

and in the middle of the Flower Market....Santa Claus. Why not?

only 203 days till Christmas

After a walk after lunch we hopped in a tuc tuc. "Hopped" is probably not the right world for two gents of our stature climbing into a small compartment to be hauled half way across Amsterdam by some poor sod on a bike. Boy! Was this guy fit and whilst Amsterdam is fairly flat and the bike was very low geared he earned his fare. Very enjoyable. Here's some random shots taken whilst hanging onto the rail like grim death.

A tuc tuc's elbow-one of many joints to be found in Amsterdam

Get out the tuc tucking way!

Amsterdam Library

Don't get caught in the tram lines!

Centraaaaaal Station

I think they've bent my tuc tuc

You can just see MS Magellan poking her nose out behind the terminal

The sea reflected in the rooflight of the Sinatra Bar

Back on board 4.30 sailing at 5

I went up top up front as we left Amsterdam and looking aft (as opposed to looking daft at which I excel) I spied this brave member of the crew on the outside of the ship's buttyboat doing some deck maintenance. Now I know he had a safety rope attached and I aint the best when it comes to heights but this is effectively eight floors up and we're heading out to sea!

Bye bye Amsterdam

Morning and we are in Antwerp having coffee on the back deck

Out to play

Ady hits the antiques stall

The Town Hall

With a wonderful display of flowers marking the forthcoming Tour de France which starts here in July

 

Then off to the Market passing the Old Arsenal

Bloomin Gooners get everywhere

Antwerp Market sells everything in the food line but especially Olives!

and flowers

and more olives

What the hell is a eurodoggy?

Cheers Big Ears

A very fine market where you can try every conceivable type of olive for free. So I did. Yum yum.
Afterwards we walked back to the cathedral.

The Cathedral of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp was started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been 'completed'. In Gothic style, its architects were Jan and Pieter Appelmans. It contains a number of significant works by the Baroquepainter Peter Paul Rubens, as well as paintings by artists such as Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Marten de Vos.

Where there are numerous beautiful triptychs  three of which are by Rubens, a native of Antwerp

Whilst we explored the cathedral this visiting choir just appeared on the altar, sang one hymn, beautifully, and went.

After which we decided a beer was in order and found a charming geraniumed bar for a couple of the traditionally weak lager famed throughout Belgium

v

Time for lunch in the shadow of the cathedral. Moules et frites and a glass of Viognier. What a life!

and watched the passers poodling by.

Ady wanted some tobacco for his bro and chose this rather seedy looking shop where he was beckoned upstairs by the owner sitting in the first floor window. When I saw the name of the premises I feared for his virtue but he returned satisfied.

Then we heard the music! Loud jazzy oompahing music leading a procession of what seemed to be very tall men but turned out to be men on penny farthing bicycles. We followed the oompah back to the town hall where it transpires the Moustache Club of Antwerp were having a gathering.
If you want to know more:-
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=nl&u=http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorrenclub_Antwerpen&usg=ALkJrhiR1j0FXJxPYarZqW4H59gkQzt6uw

Some very fine bikes and some very fine moustaches

Then it's all into the Town Hall for a party.

Plus a very active Mannequin Pis

On the way back to the boat we had a farewell to Antwerp beer where I saw this commendable sign

Time to cruise for Tilbury.

The last night is formal dress so Ady looked very smart and I wore my pink chiffon number

Goodnight Ady

The morning brought an early start for which we were not prepared due to our drinks having been tampered with the night before. Good news and bad news.....the loo packed up on the last morning and we each got 50 quid off our bar bill as compensation. Marvellous.