Saturday in Amsterdam

We slept in this morning or as Norm's cousin, Kees says, we slept out. Either way we didn't get up early. Grabbed a bagel on the way to the Noord Market. What fun looking at all the different items.

 

 

 

We managed to buy a couple of things at the market.

 Next off to meet up with Duncan. He lives in a studio suite built in 1723 and right beside a canal.

 

 

Duncan letting us in. He gets to watch the world go by from his first floor windows, second floor for those of us in Canada. 

Father and son heading to see the Botanical gardens, Hortus Botanious, started in 1638 and to see a 300 year old potted plant.

 

 But first lunch at the Borrl Kitchen. Delicious! Tea....

 

Then food.... Duncan's

 Norman's.....

 And mine...

 Even the flowers looked good.

 Walking through the gardens we saw trees and plants from all over the world, coffee trees, palms, tropical plants, butterflies and a 300+ years old palm tree, the world's oldest potted plant. Maybe not, Kew Gardens claims this too but they might off a few years????

 Just as we went in to see the cactuses and succulents, the rain came pouring down. Really good timing.

 Wondering through the gardens you can see amazing natural patterns. Yellow Bunny thought she liked the palm tree fronds best.

 

 Looking up and down 

 Turtles

 And the butterflies

 

 What fun.

But what Norm had been waiting for.....the oldest potted plant.

 That's a cone from the palm on the right, huge! 

It was a good walk about with nature away from the tourists. 

 Back to our cottage in the woods after a stop for ice cream and then bye to Duncan till tomorrow.