Most disconcerting thing, at least initially: the smell of marijuana wafting around the streets from the “coffee shops”. You get used to it quite quickly though.
Most dangerous thing: the trams on the “wrong” side of the road. I keep looking left for oncoming traffic, when I should be looking right. We have had a couple of near-misses.
Most favourite thing: the number of bicycles around this city. I imagine it would be a lot more polluted and congested here if everyone drove cars! Some cyclists are a bit feral though; perhaps they get a bit fed up with the number of tourists mistaking the bike lanes for footpaths.
Most pleasing thing: the numbers of dogs out and about with their humans. This was the same in Paris, too - although I think I noticed that many people had small dogs in Paris. People in Amsterdam have dogs of various sizes. There are quite a few cats too, very fluffy and fat well-fed cats.
Most weird thing: in the red light district, the sex workers standing in their windows waiting for business. Walking past, you don’t want to gawp but you don’t want to treat the women like they’re just “wares” to be ignored completely because you’re not interested in a “transaction”…
We are now in Amsterdam after a looong day on the train yesterday. Our hotel is luxurious, with a soft, super comfy king sized bed - and a large bath.
I had hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) on a sesame bagel for breakfast, and took great pleasure in buying stamps at the post office, conducting the entire transaction in Dutch.
It’s rather cloudy here today, and not particularly warm. There doesn’t seem to be a single Internet cafe in Amsterdam - we are using the hotel lobby freebies. I’m getting hungry, might be time for some frites met mayonnaise…
REM.
Oh. My. God.
I am a confirmed fanboi. Definitely.
The venue, the Theatre de Verdure, was great. Open air and yet cosy. Michael Stipe looked well (not as skinny as he was last time), as did Peter Buck (not as chubby as he was last time), and Mike Mills (looked the same).
Play List (from my super wobbly notes taken in concert):
- Begin the begin
- Living well is the best revenge
- Harborcoat
- What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
- Seven Chinese brothers
- Man-sized wreath
- Ignoreland “This is a song we wrote way back in 1924. It’s about the 1979 hostage crisis which led to the presidency of Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior”
- Walk unafraid
- Disturbance at the Heron House
- Drive
- Hollow man (Michael Stipe’s new favourite song, apparently)
- Great beyond
- Houston
- Electrolyte
- The one I love
- Imitation of life
- Nightswimming (Stipe stood with back to audience, leaning against a piano, played by Mike Mills)
- Let me in
- Pretty persuasion
- Bad day
- Horse to water
- I’m gonna DJ
- Supernatural superserious (encore)
- Losing my religion (encore)
- Fall on me (encore)
- Man on the moon(encore)
It was a great show. Michael Stipe was very comfortable, and flirted a bit with the audience. This was the first time REM have performed in Nice - it was Stipe’s idea, apparently. The support act was a French band, Le Deal (sp?). They were alright but I think everyone was waiting for REM.
Because we forgot to pack the cord for the camera I can’t upload any pictures; I suppose it will wait until we get back.
A very pleasant warm evening, only slightly marred by the fact that many in the audience were smoking.
As for Nice, we only spent a night and a few hours there. It was very pleasantly warm. M swam in the Mediterranean while I sat on the pebbly beach. Greatest thing about having been to France: I have now lost my fear of the French language!
