Kari and I met around 1:00 with the hope of going to a sauna, Sauna Deco. We took a nice walk along the Herengracht, but, alas, as today is a Dutch holiday it was closed. We decided to go to Centraal Station and simply see where the next train to a nearby town was headed. We bought tickets for 7,50 euro and hopped the train to Purmerend. We arrived and, as we walked from the station toward the center of town, we saw people walking in the same direction and then, we heard music! Score! We had happened upon something like a small festival in the square. Well, yes, sort of...!
Imagine our surprise when we got closer and saw an area of about 20 yards square where a small border about a foot high had been installed and sand dumped within. Picture a very large sandbox. Then, picture two horses and people taking rides across, around a 50 gallon drum and back. There were a couple of vendors with tack, belts, etc. and lots of people in cowboy hats, boots, black clothing, silver paraphernalia, etc. There was another “booth” with dream catchers and other Native American items. There was even a “moon walk” kind of thing with inflated saguaros on the sides! We couldn’t believe it. We had come to the Netherlands… and found Texas!
On the other side of the square was a raised platform and, hold on to your hat, a multi-talented guy was playing, not at the same time, a variety of instruments – flute, guitar, and a few I don’t recall – to recorded music while… dozens of people were line dancing!!!! I am NOT kidding. Men, women, some very old, one with a cast on her arm, some in “costume,” some holding children. But, they were all line dancing and they knew the dances! One of the songs I recall was Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was so strange! But, they were having a blast!
We wandered around the otherwise quiet town and then, discovering that the restaurants, though open for drinks, weren’t serving dinner for another hour, headed back to Amsterdam. I made my third trip to the Ristorante Pizzeria La Traviata near the Rembrandtplein and we each had a great pizza followed by some of the best tiramisu I’ve ever had in my life! Yes, it’s great fun to eat one’s way through Europe…!
Tomorrow we have to leave to hotel at 7:30 to take the tram and two trains to Den Haag/The Hague! for our appointment at the International Criminal Court. So, I’d best make it an early night. Here are a couple of snapshots -
Riding in the center of Purmerend.
Line dancing in the center of Purmerend.Good night!
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