Irish west coast is looking good for the weekend.
I hope you all find some waves.
One thing I forgot from yesterdays post.
I have come to the conclusion that Holland is so great because everyone there is LIVR.
Learned, Impartial and Very Relaxed.
(Robbed from a line in Hitchhikers)
Well we’re back it was great. Really really ridiculouly cool place full of really really ridiculously good looking people.
Honestly it’s like the whole country is a modelling agency.
I think the bikes have something to do with it.
Maybe the parents put the saddles of the bikes up high which forces all of the kids to grow really tall.
That doesn’t explain the flowing blond hair and chiseled jaw-lines that all Amsterdammers seem to have, male and female.
If you haven’t been yet, go there.
But rent a bike.
The city isn’t that big, but walk across it a few times and you feel it.
Everyone cycles and there are cycle paths everywhere, just remember this when trying to cross roads, there can possibly be 6 lanes of traffic, bikes, cars, trams, trams, cars, bikes. Can be fairly freaky when you’re not used to it, and they come from the wrong direction as well.
It’s amazing how people remember where there bike is. This was just a small bunch.
The whole city is so pretty, sure there are boring parts and sleazy/cheesy parts
but on the whole you get a feeling of chilled out-ness.
I guess when you get to see this every night it might help to relax you.
I stupidly forgot the strap for my camera so I actually left it back at the hotel most of the time.
Also makes you an easier target for pimps looking for a new camera and muggers/pickpockets.
Taking photos of the ladies in the windows is absolutely a huge no-no and apparently if a pimp sees a big old camera on your shoulder he’ll assume that’s what you’re there to do and take it off of you.
But the whole city isn’t one big Red Light District. There’s amazing architecture all over the place combined with great lighting as well.
Hotel near Rembrandtplein
The same hotel but from the back, we sat here the first and drank beers and marvelled at the whole place
This was the view down the other end of the canal.
And at the end of another canal.
Funny contrast between gaudy tourist street and random dark alley,
Apologies about the slanty buildings. Amsterdam looks like it was drawn by kids, every second building leans a different direction, so it can be quite hard to frame shots properly.
If the building is leaning forward onto the street, that’s on purpose so you can hoist furniture up to the top floors more easily, but if the lean to the side it’s because they are sinking.
On our last night we sat out on the decking of restaurant and just watched people/boats/bikes go by.
Chilling out in a cafe across from the zoo.
We had a walk around the RLD last night, was certainly eye opening.
A little bit intense, lots of boisterous/creepy men. And a lot of kids, I mean under 15, which is strange.
Anyway, this is an awsome place, they’ve even got free web access in the cafe. Going to the Photography Museum and then the Dutch Resistance Museum later on.
Will absolutely be coming back here.
Going to Amsterdam for a few days with my lady friend tomorrow.
Can’t wait, loads of museums, particularly looking forward to the Photography, Film and Science musuems.
Windmills?
In a city?
Madness.
Excited.
Yay.
Here’s a filthy slab to tide you over until next week.
Me and Ollie watched this for half an hour or so, possibly rideable on some of them, but ridiculously dry on most.
Just finished reading Tim Wintons Breath
It’s a really good read, the end winds down a bit strangely but the majority of the book is really good stuff.
A good bit of it is about surfing but I think it might appeal to a larger audience.
My friends are great, never a second thought about paddling out at some never surfed before bombie to put there lives on the line so I can get some shots.
Ruben O’Brien going hard, I know it’s a little out of focus but I like the feel of the shot anyway.
Well maybe they really went out because they wanted to have fun.
Never, never, never walk away from a good wave.
I made this mistake yesterday.
A spot near Lahinch was absolutely firing. As good as it gets.
And I left to go look for hollower waves.
Stupid stupid stupid.
Of course we didn’t find any hollower waves and by the time we got back the wind had picked up, gone on chore and the swell had dropped off.
Bugger.
Got a wave myself though which is nice.
Then found a crazie bombie that Damo, Ruben and John Devon surfed.
Shots to come tomorrow
I have a car.
An amazing car.
His name is Lance.
He is a 1.3 Mitsubishi Lancer GLX.
I didn’t take off the R it was like this when I got it, so the name was obvious.
We’ve done a lot together, driven around France in two weeks, and silly trips like Cork to Lahinch to Bundoran and back to Lahinch in one day, and he has taken a lot of beatings for me.
Most weekends I’ll be tearing down some country dirt track trying to scope out new waves and no matter what kind of bumps and rocks I make him go over he carries on like the true hero he is.
Who needs stupid SUV’s, Lance is King.
Some people do have a go at me because Lance seems to be in a perpetual state of uncleanliness, but I saw he’s going to get dirty again so why bother, he still drives doesn’t he? Fair enough the inside usually does resemble a beach that has just had some crazy party happen on it, but again, he still gets me places.
Recently I came across a “sign” I was stopped at Petrol station and came across this car wash encouraging me to clean Lance.
But being a devout sceptic I dually ignored it.
Unfortunately our fascist government feels the need to test Lance’s road-worthiness.
Pah, who are they to judge what Lance can and can’t do.
One of these silly tests involves the tracking of the car, who cares if he doesn’t always go in straight line?
That’s why there’s a steering wheel!
Apparently I have 21 days to fix this problem and go back to them.
