As I mentioned previously, this year has been turbulent. So I decided to go to Amsterdam for a renewal of sorts. Talk about good decisions. Visiting Amsterdam was like waking from a coma. Parts of me long held dormant by the Middle East came roaring back to life. I immediately fell in love with the city. Where Doha was attrition, Amsterdam was easy. No calling a driver and waiting around to go out, no getting stuck in endless traffic, no restrictions on food and drink. I started off doing museums but once i got on a bike there was no staying indoors. I rode my rented bike and got lost, found, lost and found again. I did this almost everyday, and it was pure bliss. My old friend R came out at the tail end of the trip and we had a blast, mostly walking around and visiting the cafés and bars and parks. We saw the red-light district with its famous women in the windows – when the curtains are drawn I guess the ladies are at work. Otherwise they’re tapping on windows and trying to make eye contact and entice people passing by.

I had to add a week in the UK onto my travels due to work visa requirements with the UAE. Unfortunately I injured my foot on my second day here. I got really bad blisters because I wore out my sneakers in Amsterdam and did not bother to replace them. Those sneakers are gone now. I saw the doc today who told me I’d have to keep my walking to a minimum for at least a week and I’d also have to avoid exercise for another two weeks on top of that. Lesson learned. I’ll be back in Canada in a few days. First to Newfoundland to see my mothers side of the family for the first time in about two decades. Now that is a sentence that makes me feel old!