DAY 6
Friday MAY 6 2005
Good Morning! I stated the day at 8am by going downstairs for my morning breakfast. I have mentioned the stairs yet? I can sum it up in 7 words: steep, steep, steep, and lots, lots, lots. This picture does not even do it justice. Also this is just a picture of one flight of stairs, there are more.
Back to breakfast. Staying at a B&B is unique because every morning I go down to breakfast with different people. Today it was with two couples from America who had been to Alaska previously by cruise ship and they also had went to Istanbul. Needless to say we had a lot to talk about. They really set my mind at ease about cycling in Turkey. Good company, good conversation, and laughter. What a way to start a day.
After breakfast I took my bike and racks to the cycle repair shop that the hosts at the B&B recommended. I must have picked a good one as they were so busy. There were about ten people behind me when I left. Unfortunately, I won't be able to pick up my bike till 5pm tomorrow. Jeez, typical me, I was expecting instant service.
It is just as well really, the wind is so atrocious today. Street signs were even blowing over. I managed to still get several hours walking in, though. While out walking through the square I saw two weddings, must be the day for it.
Sure it's sunny, but oh the wind!
The groom and bride.
The get away car.
Quite frankly, I am rather miserable today. I have just been too cold. The promise of heat in my B&B room came, but at a negligible amount. The hosts say it is too costly to heat the B&B because of taxes. So my water radiator only turns on when someone is showering (must be the hot water) or in the deepest part of the night.
I am adjusting, but part of the problem is that I have been wearing the same clothes since I left Anchorage, plus two other shirts underneath the sweater I wore. They are now salt/sweat saturated. My other option is to put on a short sleeve cycle jersey which is paper thin. The plain fact of the matter is I need to buy a coat. Right now! This is not due to an oversight on my part when I packed originally. I simply didn't pack a coat thinking I wouldn't need one. What a bad decision. Especially given my large size. I spent the morning canvassing Haarlem for a jacket. I first went to the second hand stores. What a crock. Nothing, absolutely nothing my size here. Large people in Holland are apparently a minority. So I graduated to retail stores. One store I went into had a very helpful sales clerk who helped me define what I was looking for. Something warm but not to warm for when I bike ride so that I won't get over heated. She had some really good merchandise. Unfortunately none of the jackets would zip over my belly. Embarrassing but true. All I can say is that I am doing all I can to affect the situation. I am up to five hours a day exercising in some manner. Better than at home where I am a soda guzzling couch potato. This is one of many reasons for my trip.
Typical Haarlem Clothes.
So I left and went to another store I saw earlier that morning. A Healy Henson store. The sales clerk found me two jackets that would fit. The first one was water proof, but I could see that it was in no way breathable, even though she said it was. On the second jacket the sales clerk said that it was Fleece, waterproof, and breathable. I knew she was lying as she was talking I could see how her eyes were shifting. I took the second one anyway. It is not Fleece or waterproof or windproof, but it fit more comfortably than any other jacket I have owned, and beggars can't be choosers, you know. I said earlier that it was a bad decision not to bring a coat, it is also an expensive decision, a $150 Euros later, I am warm. For that price you think it would be at least Fleece. I found out later that day it was NOT. For a 150 Euros I wish I could have found something better, in this case, size does matter. :-(
So my morning was shot what with the bike, the internet cafe, and canvassing for a jacket. I went to an Italian place for a nice piping hot plate of spaghetti and watched out the window as the wind blew the pedestrians about. After that it was off to a shower, a true change of clothes, and a nap. I spoke with Marjet the other Host at our B&B about doing a load of laundry for me tomorrow. She will do it for E8.50.
The one good thing about today was that I listened to Louis Armstrong on my laptop during my shower. A big thank you goes out to Jeff for putting all these umpteen hours of music on my laptop for my listening pleasure. :-)
After all that it was off to dinner at Hotel Caruso. A nice hot calzone. This is becoming my favorite dinner destination.
My view on the way to dinner.
Least favorite moment of the Day: Buying a jacket that wasn't worth the price I paid for it. Size matters. Necessity matters.
Favorite moment of the Day: Hotel Caruso, dinner, because the ambience is great! A nice dark wood interior, surrounded by candle light, and a person playing the piano live every night. Good hot Italian food. How utterly relaxing.