What does one doe on a first day in Amsterdam.......visit a swamp! Of Course

We arrived in Amsterdam dead on time after an uneventful couple of flights. The extra leg room was very beneficial and we each enjoyed some sleep on the trip. Also as we were not together on the long leg, as our leg room seats were not together, we both enjoyed chatting to completely different people for a while on the plane. None the less we were quite tired when we were picked up at Schiphol by Linda and Guus.

We had a first day like you might expect. We refreshed at had a second breakfast at Almere with Linda and Guus and then went off to do some base comestible shopping and of course the mandatory SIM card. The Almere shopping area is much like any newish shopping area almost anywhere in the world.  Still it was nice to be out walking in the dutch sunshine.

We had some lunch and headed out to visit Tante Willie, Marjan's aunt, Linda's mother. She was quite bright and still managed some English even though it is years since she used it. It was early afternoon and our eyelids were drooping, but we are determined to last out the day even if it ends early.......even by our low standards of early.

It was too early to go back to base so knowing us well Linda and Guus took us to a swamp..... Oostvaardersplassen is a man made nature reserve that is wholly contained within reclaimed land (a polder). The birds loved the polder and it became a Ramsar wetland (swamp with birds). It is being 'rewilded'. In an effort to keep the place swampy they have introduced konic horses, Heck cattle and red deer to eat any remnants of the willow trees that were farmed here for many years. Too early to tell if it is a success, still they are giving it a go........It was amazingly peaceful in the centre of such a populated locale............and we spotted several species of interesting birds, herons, egrets, ducks, geese, ducks etc..as well as lots of the horses,and a long way behind we thought we could see some deer.........lovely



















We are current back at base listening to Carole King work her way through Tapestry and some folk are cooking lasagna whilst I type this.


We will probably get into town tomorrow.......after a sleep.......in a bed.......