Viewing page 88 of 199

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

2.

even more numerous than in Stockholm or Copenhagen, in fact this is the general way they look on a map of Amsterdam: going about [[image]] ! and about like a spider web; and the canal boats slip along busily all the time loaded with all sorts of stuff. The homes along the canals have a big hook in their eaves on which to pull stuff that is heavy from the canal up to their upper stories. And everywhere, even more than in Stockholm & Copenhagen, flowers bedeck the windows & every other little corner where they can stick them, - bright marigolds, red geraniums, petunias, marigold. We walked down to the American Express where we made reservations for taking the boat Friday night for England, and Sid for taking the plane Friday forenoon for London. Then we took a boat ride on the canal. The boats are long ones with many comfortable seats for tourists, and go around & around the city and the guide explains (in Dutch) all the sights, the oldest house, the narrowest street, the churches - etc. And we gazed about trying to understand, and saw the tall gabled houses with their many decorations, caught glimpses of long vistas down other canals as we slipped along. The boat took us about the harbor too, and it was full of ships from everywhere, - Java, Australia, Africa, Cape Town America - West Indies, all loading & unloading. Holland is a great shipper. After our boat ride we walked about the neighborhood. One canal is devoted to flowers alone, here, and the barges were loaded with potted plants, all in the brightest bloom. There were so many kinds I had never seen before. I wished I could take some of the begonias and pots of blue & white bluebells home to you ... but I can't. Then we shopped about for our supper - new made bread, cheese, tomatoes, a bar of chocolate - the best in the world here, and some green apples that were pretty tart but good. We ate them in our room and were in bed by 8 p.m.