Friday

 Two days in a row of sleeping to the alarm. Pffft on jet lag! 

No hotel buffet at this hotel, which encourages us to explore. Besides, I picked up a yogurt in the grocery store by the train station last night.

Train to Amsterdam Central again, then grocery shopping to prepare for our canal tour. The canal tour was nice. Not too cold, we were protected from the wind. The website encouraged us to bring food and drink. T& I brought sandwiches, water, and jenever. The boat guys provided cups and gluhwein. Those Boat Guys. I recommend them. Small boat, only 6 people on ours, it felt very personal.

Captain Marc recommended Winkel for apple pie. As it had started to snow by the time we walked in, they also served hot rum chocolate and gluhwein. Tasty! I would have called it more apple cake than pie, but it was good and came with a large dollap of sweet cream.

The snow came down more seriously as we escaped Winkel (our seats were taken before I finished standing up). We spent several more hours searching out comic shops to no avail. Yes, there were shops, but they either had no comics, or the comics were all US imports. 

We managed to mostly avoid rush hour on the trains by stopping in a restaurant for drinks, chocolate cake (T), pumpkin soup (me). Both were delicious, though T turned up his nose at even tasting my soup.

You have to really want it

 Bathrooms in pubs and restaurants in Amsterdam require that you first pass a test of agility, then of intelligence.

Most toilets are downstairs. And they are not ordinary stairs, oh no! These are circular stairs with each step so tiny your shoe is only half on solid ground with every careful footfall. I use both hands on every possible hold. I'm clumsy, not stupid.

Then the toilets are clean with plenty of toilet paper. Which pretty much defines a good toilet in my view. The challenge is the sink. I have learned the hard way: never soap my hands before turning on the water. CAN I turn on the water? Motion detector? Push? Pull? Hidden lever under the sink? A pedal on the floor? Gaaaah! 

Can I actually make it back up those damn stairs with soapy hands?!