Day 5: A hot day off!

Today was our first day off since we got to Amsterdam.  We all slept in and made breakfast at the apartment.  At noon, we hopped on our bikes and headed across town. B took us to see a few of his favorite places, including a restaurant that hasn't changed is decor in hundreds of years, Amsterdam's hottest rock venue, and the cafe that Amsterdam's filmmaking community hangs out in.  It was HOT.  88 in the shade.  We were on bikes, riding on sunny streets.  Gross.  Grossssssss.

B's tour ended us at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam's Modern Art Museum.  We had a great time poking through it.  The older stuff on the ground floor was a little staid for my taste, but I loved the humor and the grand metaphors of the upstairs.

This ibex is wearing other ibexes.

It took me the entire time in the museum to dry off from the sweaty ride!  After the museum, we hopped back on our bike and rode through Vondelpark. We stopped to listen to a Cuban band playing in the local shell. 

We then stopped for a snack of water and tiny pancakes at one of the park cafes.

We hopped back on our bikes to head to dinner.  Along the way, K asked for some photos of her on a bike.  This one turned out really well!

For dinner, we ended up at a pancake house.  There aren't a lot of true dutch specialities, but one of them is pancakes topped with stuff!  We got a bunch and shared them all.  Here's a paprika/mushroom/onion one and and apple/bacon one.  

After that, L and I split off from B and K to wander the city at sundown and take photos.  We had a nice conversation and ended the evening meeting up with B & K at Cafe Basquiat for water and g&t's.  

We are all soaked.  It's absolutely miserable outside.  I'm so glad the weather is supposed to cool down tomorrow.