AAAHHHHH...AMSTERDAM

After our time In Portugal, we arrived back on Ecstasea on the night of full moon. We were happy and content to watch Mother Moon rise as we sat on the foredeck in the port of Almerimar. And once again we were leaving Esea to fly to Amsterdam in just a few days. The Captain had been to Amsterdam before and had promised to take me back someday. And when we found out that one of our spiritual teachers was having a retreat there---well, it was a perfect opportunity!

So the first three days of our Amsterdam trip was spent with Rupert Spira in retreat. If you are interested you can watch this short Youtube video of his on the True Goal of Life:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTh56DJ2_LQ


The retreat was a little out of the city so afterwards we moved to a hotel right in the heart of Amsterdam. And this luxurious hotel room looked just like a room in the Palace of Versailles with it's red and purple covered walls and decor. Complete with a balcony overlooking the canals below. And wow, did we really enjoy this wonderful room as it was so warm and inviting since the weather in Amsterdam was cold and rainy. Now after record breaking heat waves all summer, this was quite a shock to our systems and we snuggled into this comfy bed with much enthusiasm. Now I know that I took some wonderful photos of this room, but can't find them anywhere...it must mean that it is really meant to live in the wonderful world of my memories and imagination. And it does!


Amsterdam is so lively, vibrant and alive. We found it very upscale, not only in it's liberal mind-set, but in it's culture and architecture. We were able to walk everywhere, thankfully, as we didn't dare rent a bike as the Dutch are crazy, crazy bike enthusiasts. Just to cross a bike path by foot was treacherous as you had to dodge not only bicycles, but motor scooters, motorcycles, and even electric wheelchairs.

First stop was the central Train Station where everything seemed to emanate from.

The homes right on the canal waterways...

The Canals were awesomely laid out and engineered, and everywhere! On a rainy afternoon we took a canal cruise and just enjoyed feeling lost on the water, taking in the sights.


Known for their French fries and even though it has been a VERY long time since we had them, we just had to play native (or tourist) and indulge ourselves...
And yes, that is a pile of french fries with little boy spigots dispensing various toppings (usually some form of mayonnaise)...

Somewhere along this summer season we fell in love with Irish coffees and had them everywhere we went, sampling and comparing along the way.
Since we are such admitted wimps when it come to rain and cold, what could be better than another hot Irish coffee to warm our innards?

Richard outside our Irish pub after warming up...

And of course, every city has a famous square. This one is named Dam Square...

 And of course, every square has pigeons...

The Diamond Factory building was impressive...

Along the canal in the Tulip District...

And YES, we did go to the Red Light District. We feel that Amsterdam has established a good working system for the world's oldest profession, as the women are in control.
And here is the Condom Store which had quite a crowd around it...

Something for everyone---Close up and personal...

Then the famous Coffee Shops where you can enjoy your favorite cannabis in it's many forms...

Night view along the canal...

We didn't get to see the Ann Frank Museum as tickets sell out months in advance, but a highlight was the Van Gogh Museum, where we spent one whole afternoon...

Bikes along the canal...

Canal house boats...

Complete with bamboo growing on the roof...

We found great food in Amsterdam---anywhere from fine French cuisine to good Mexican food. And we even got adventurous and tried Hachee, the famous dutch stew, and also pea soup.

Now most of you know that my Captain is not shy...but even this surprised me!!! As I walked ahead and he called my name---this is what I saw--Oh My...

Yes, Amsterdam was very good to us in spite of the cold rainy weather. It proved to be all that i had anticipated and more.
And now it is time to go back home to Ecstasea and put her to bed for her long winter nap in Spain. And we are ready to rejoin our warm desert home in Tucson.
It has been an unusual summer for us. Not bad, just different and we are thankful for all of the new opportunities to explore in an open, flexible manner. Living for 12 summers on the ocean, we have certainly learned the value of flexibility and going with the flow. It's much easier to sail downwind than struggle going anywhere upwind against Mother nature.

Thank you Ecstasea, thank you Captain and first mate, thank you Yemaya Mother Ocean and Vayu mighty wind, thank you smooth seas, and even stormy ones. And with our deep appreciation we continue to say "Yes" to it all!

Finally... Portugal

With just a few days of a good weather window, we made haste for the mainland of Spain. We had a peaceful overnight passage with a gorgeous sunset...

Since we were earlier to the port where Ecstasea would winter, we had time to spare before heading back to the States. And since the weather never let us sail to Portugal this summer, we decided to go anyway---finally! So we rented a car and decided to see Portugal from land.
The first day we drove to the Atlantic coast in Spain to Cadiz. Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe and was founded by the Phoenicians 3000 years ago. Being a port city made it also valuable for trade.
We only spent 2 nights there so decided to forgo some of the sightseeing tourist attractions and just enjoyed an overview of the city.
The old walls of Cadiz...

It was a wonderful city to use our new bikes to get around on. We biked all along the perimeter of the city and the long sandy beaches of the Atlantic. There is a picturesque famous beach called La Caleta.
The James Bond movie, Die another Day, used this beach for the scene with Halle Berry walking out of the sea. It has 2 castles on either end of the beach and it truly is lovely.

La Caleta with the Castle San Sebastian in the distance...

The white building was staged as a bar where Bond was drinking a mojito (not a martini) as he enjoyed the view (not of the ocean but what was emerging from it--Halle Berry of course)...

Just needed to pass on a little peace while we enjoyed this beach...

We found Cadiz quaint and charming and we could still get tapas. But we realized that we really must say "hello" to the Atlantic in a more intimate way. So we took a bottle of wine to the beach across from our hotel and enjoyed the sunset. And yes, we did dip our toes into the big blue Atlantic ocean!

Then we drove into Portugal along the coast to Lagos. The region is called the Algarve and is truly beautiful. Lagos is a port city and we have known sailors who have wintered here and really enjoyed it.
The old Moorish walls surrounding the old town...

And the Captain biking around the ancient walled city...

The Port of Lagos was important as a harbor where many expeditions for exploration left from.
And instrumental in the early days of the Portuguese Empire was a man called Henry the Navigator (1394-1460).
He was responsible for the early development of European maritime trade with other continents. He sponsored voyages down the coast of Africa which returned with numerous African slaves and goods.
The Captain pointing the way for Henry the Navigator...

This is the Slave Market Museum which chronicles the history of Henry"s bringing slaves into Lagos and the Algarve area in the 15th Century. The first black African slaves from the western coast of Africa arrived in 1444. It was closed when we were there so we didn't get to go inside...which may have been best for us anyway...

The center of old town was very Moorish with many colorful buildings covered with ceramic tiles such as this one with the green ceramic...

The old city was especially charming at night...

We were out a few days from full moon but she looks pretty full here...

There was much music on every corner in the evenings--talented minstrels worthy of our donations and statues of art scattered here and there. And this voluptuous woman just lying there begged for some company in her Goddessness...

On our way out of town the next day, we drove along the coast to some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere! The Ponta da Piedade is a series of weathered cliffs that form the southern headland of Lagos. The Atlantic ocean has chiseled stone arches, grottos and sea caves. And these are considered the best natural feature of the Algarve area. We looked down at this magnificent area and were a little sad that we were not sailing around them instead...

Then we continued driving on north to Lisbon.
When we were in Barcelona, there was a massive taxi strike against Uber which really crippled the city. Fortunately, we found our way well along the bus and metro transit systems instead. Well, when we arrived in Lisbon, there was another mass taxi strike against Uber. There were hundreds of taxis lining the streets, not moving-- just sitting honking their horns. Sooo, we bought tickets for the Hop On Hop Off red bus tour and got around pretty well. It's just that they were having a major heat wave so we were melting at a fast rate continuously. And... we made the best of it anyway.

Taxi's ling the streets bringing the city to a halt...

First let us say that the Portuguese people are among the nicest, friendliest, and helpful people we have ever met. They are lovely!
And where as Lisbon is interesting, we found it shabby chic. Actually a lot more Shabby than Chic-- and we were surprised at how dirty the city was. But the history was fascinating and interesting.
We went to the Maritime Museum and ran into Henry the Navigator once again. We learned even more about his influence in heralding Portugal as a forerunner in naval exploration...

This is a photo of the Torre de Belem. This is a 16th century tower on the river Tagus. This Tower serves as a monument to the Age of Discovery on both land and sea...

There is a bridge over the Tagus river that is often compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It is a suspension bridge and quite impressive. Notice the large statue of Christ with his outstretched arms over Lisbon...

We took the red bus up to the highest and oldest part of the city called the Alfama. This part of the city survived the 1775 earthquake. Of course, it had the usual narrow streets and alleyways that you can just wander and get lost in. We went up to see the11th Century Moorish castle of  St George, but the lines were crazy long to get in, and it was just too hot.
While there we were entranced by this free spirit playing this cymbal instrument. Once again we realized the huge contribution that these artists make in our lives everywhere we go, and we are more than happy to contribute to their continuing talent...

Anxious to get back down and out of the heat, we hired a Tut-Tut to take us back to our hotel. It was a wild ride but great fun...

We went another night up to the part of town called the Bairro Alta where the nightlife is well renowned. Many, many restaurants, pubs, and bars with lively music. And this is where we also experienced the famous melancholy Portuguese music called Fado.
We felt that we had a very good overview of Lisbon, although with just a few days there we realized we missed a lot too.
We left with a feeling of gratitude that we did actually make it to Portugal, even if we didn't sail there.
We felt complete and ready to drive on back to Ecstasea once again.
Thank you Algarve, Lagos, and Lisbon...
And a very special thanks to all of the friendly, warm Portuguese people!