really sore feet

 Hi folks,
Staying here till thursday and then get our mast down and try and execute the mass of canals and get the right one, ahhh.Went over on the ferry to day. To get a tablet so we could get the inland waterways charts app.

 Got seriously lost. Amsterdam is a maze of tiny streets linked to gether some going in straight lines and others around corners . Most of them lead to a square of some sort. . But trying to look for computershops , avoid bicycles and mopeds and keep track of what street we are on was downright impossible.

 This wee thing is a right cutie.And the man inside ,[ though how such a tall man could fit inside is beyond me] thought it was great i liked it.
There is an absolute need here for these wee wagons and there are many about. We were on the hunt for food at this point.
Mark is gluten and dairy free and we have been struggling to get him stuff he can eat on the go. So up to now it has been chips .
I do not know and maybe some one could enlighten me as to why a bloody can of fanta costs 2 euro 50. Is there a sugar tax. Its bloody ridiculous. Beer is cheaper and its jampacked with sugar..
And could somebody please post me a pair of size 6 and a half preferably less hairy feet. I appear to have worn mine out. Mark needs a new set of knees after his long walk .I can barter . i have a surplus of phlegm and snot thanks to this lovely head cold that has left me deaf in one ear and ack ack in the other.

 This is the bulldog cafe, and it is abit scary looking but the artwork is great . Says it is the first coffee house and with the type of clientelle it has , i shall not be argueing with them

                    SAY CHEESE
Maybe this is why i find it hard to get milk. i love cheese but i think it would take me a while  to get through all this.
I do like Amsterdam, the people are really friendly and helpful. Always on a purpose , cheerful [ our harbour master was singing this morning because it was supposed to rain and it wasn't]
I can see there is a homeless people problem though just at the edges. I couldn't tell because of this cold i have lost my sense of smell but Mark says the small streets reek of cannabis.But it has no more problems than any other city of its size. And i felt safe walking and found people approachable for directions. And we asked many many people. But it was the guy at the vodaphone shop that told us where the computer place was and we found it after we asked a young waiter how to get back to central station and because i listened properly unlike a  certain partner we got there too.
What is it with men and directions , they ask and as soon as the person starts explaining they seem to zone out only hearing bits, now and then  and then blame the guy or girl who gave the directions for getting them wrong.BUT ITS THEM. not listening, you can't not listen not with directions .Thats how you end up in a totally wrong bit. Now before men out there start yelling , i know its not all of you. My almost son in law is great with directions remembering even the most complicated ones and seems to have an in built compass in him.. I don't think in the many times we have trolled through the streets of Glasgow he has ever got us lost. I am telling you the man is brilliant. Just wish i coulld have him with us .
So if you are in Amsterdam and get abit lost , don't perservere you will just get even more lost. JUST ASK.
We have been here three days now and really haven't seen much of the city but we have met many people and if only our feet would hold out we could see alot more.. We still havent figured out our route through the netherlands . We could go east and then south to Belgium or head through Rotterdam and south in to Bruge. Or we could keep the mast up head down through Rotterdam and back out to sea . And sail past Belgium to Dunkirk. That would save us a bit of money in harbour fees, I would like to see Belgium but they aren't being very nice to us British sailors just now , so it wouldn't really matter if we missed it out.
Decisions , decisions. The trouble with keeping our mast up is we would have to wait for bridges to be lifted and go in convoy at every bridge. time consuming but we are thinking about it and taking onboard advice given. .


One last thing Saw the windows people were talking about , didn't go looking but found them on our trek of the lost. Went down a street and wondered why all theses ladies were not wearing very much in a window with red lightswaved at one and she waved back and then went duhh ahhh. Honestly thought they were making up a window display..Sometimes it can be hard to keep the niave country girl at bay and tucked away and at least make it appear that i am worldy wise hip and happening
I most certainly failed today. I was pleased to see the girls were all shapes and sizes and colours . No skinny unachievable models in them.
i have not found and am not looking for the happy cakes .
Some people have assumed that is what we came for ,We have never been in to  it. And wanted to meet the Dutch and have and loveing them.