Pano from the deck of the Amsterdam replica (it’s a replica since the real one sank on her maiden voyage).
I’m guessing there’s a translation problem here, or at the very least a reference I’m not getting.
UPDATED THE NEXT DAY
It’s a reference I didn’t know, to the tale most commonly known as Donkeyskin, which is of course an example of the Aarne-Thompson 510B subtype.
Deliverance
How do you get your futon up to the fourth floor? Many of the old buildings are equipped with over hanging hooks or pulleys, and we’ve seen people throw a rope around and hoist furniture, but it’s easier if you have a ladder lift truck.
Walking on water
As the providential sunrays clearly show, it is possible for regular citizens to walk on water if they have led a good life.
To the right of the frame, there’s a big repaving project going on. So, how do you detour the pedestrians? Answer: build a floating walkway in the canal.
Hey lady, gimme ur phone I gotta call in this invasion.
Tropenmuseum
This morning, we visited the Tropenmuseum, which showcases scholarly ethnography… or the history of colonialism.
The exhibits were very interesting, and beautifully presented… it would have been easy to spend days and days learning about all the samenesses and differences of people around the world and across time.
The world’s first monument to gay people, a triangle of pink granite. Which manages to encapsulate our collective guilt over the Holocaust and the general problems of homophobia all in a single compact space. It’s a wonderful monument to have, but I’ll admit to some guilt fatigue as we visit… An admission I feel guilty making.
Houseboat entryway
Cats
One thing the guidebooks didn’t tell me to expect was the cats. Every restaurant and lots of other places seem to have a resident cat. These are not mangy scary feral cats, these are uniformly big, well fed, and supremely contented.They are all willing to be petted, but they are also willing to just sleep.
Outside central station
Despite the cloudy weather and the indifference of the crowd, this girl gave an energetic and entertaining performance. On the one hand, I was very happy to watch her because she really just got up and started doing tricks on her hoop, avoiding the endless build up that so many street performers seem to do… They can spend half an hour attracting the crowd, and then give a three minute show. On the other hand, I was sad, because as a result of her focus on her art rather than her showmanship, she only earned a couple of euros for what looked like some pretty hard work.
Brattleboro Adventure – the Auckland Edition 