A Weekend of Anything Goes

Last Friday, I woke up and found myself having a special treat -- breakfast in bed! It has been quite some time since hubby gave me such treat. What a good way to start the weekend. It was a very busy and tiring weekend but nevertheless I had loads of fun with hubby and some friends. Somehow the activities we had set and lined up did not fall through but instead we ended up having such a crazy schedule. As usual, anything goes so we found ourselves in Haarlem, Ijmuiden, Amsterdam, s’Hertogenbosch and back to Amsterdam again, and yes with all our friends in tow. Upon the suggestion of our friend M who lives in Haarlem, we went to Minato, a Japanese restaurant in Ijmuiden for dinner on Friday. Who would ever think of having a decent Japanese restaurant in Ijmuiden? It is difficult enough for me to look for a Japanese restaurants where I live, often times this would be mixed up with Chinese or Indonesian dishes. I had such a feast in Minato and perhaps had my dose of sushi for the next six months. Our friends visiting from Manila prefered staying with us over the weekend rather than hanging on in Amsterdam because they would rather chill out at home after a gruelling 10 day business trip. It was a perfect weekend for good food, good wine, incessant merriment, and endless chatters. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ THE "NOT SO" SECRET GARDEN No doubt the city of Amsterdam can be very busy as it is the natural destination for tourists. Passing along the Kalverstraat especially during the weekend can be pretty much chaotic with the crowds all converging to hit the shops. It is a pleasant surprise therefore that just off the Kalverstraat you will find Begijnhof, a row of tiny houses with a very well maintained courtyard, which used to be a convent dating back from the early 14th century. The Beguines were a Catholic order of married widows or unmarried women who cared for the elderly. Within Begijnhof you will find a relatively modest Gothic Church, now converted to a Presbyterian Church. Spending a little bit of time in Begijnhof is a nice respite from the noise and the maddening crowd. It is very quiet here. Once you step out of this secret garden, you know that you are back in crazy Amsterdam. The courtyard with the tiny houses so typical of Amsterdam Spinsters caring for the elderly Gothic Church Amsterdam at dusk...then the party begins