Two Chips from Amsterdam
Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall
Apologies for pun.
An email & an invitation from cousin LE. A weekend in Amsterdam to see her favourite classical pianist, Grigory Sokolov. He's going to be playing music by Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin & Rachmaninov. There would be encores. And then some.
LE picked the hotel & I was on the case with finding somewhere for us to eat pre-concert.
The Hotel de Hallen - quirky & lovely, built in an old tramshed. (NB, there's a fully functioning swing in the lobby)
Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall
Then Zaza’s Restaurant - great food which changes according to what's in the markets (fantastic service & accommodating when they knew we were on the clock)
To work off our early supper, a beautiful sunshine stroll to get to one of the most iconic concert halls in Europe - Het Concertgebouw
We check the tickets which we discover include a drink. One, we presumed. No. In fact your ticket gets you not only pre-concert drinks but interval ones, too. We didn't know this at the start of the night. We arrive in this magnificent building & head to the bar:
Me: "What do you want to drink?"
LE: "A coffee please, I’ll have wine later."
Me: “One red wine & a coffee please – do we use the ticket now to get the free drinks?”
Bartender: “Yes, but your tickets are valid for free wine or beer all evening madam.”
LE: “Scrap the coffee, I’ll have a white wine please.”
Got chatting to a local couple who, once they knew we were British, had one topic on their minds - Brexit. LE & me should have been diplomats.
Concert.
Top performance but, too many encores, 7,8,9, I lost count. As a wise person once reflected: "Always leave them wanting more."
It was a restful & relaxed Sunday through this most walkable & friendly of cities.
Mayonnaise & chips enjoyed
Unpasteurised Edam bought
Aperol Spritzers drained
New shoes considered
Rejected
And then
Ice Cream
Two scoops
AMM
