Taking Grandpa and a Duck round Amsterdam

Duck seems to be on his head! Tabac shop

Duck on the Royal Barge, Maritime Museum

We, a pair of meditating Grandparents are in Amsterdam on a four day break from our daily life. We do just manage to meditate before we head off into this wonderful  city.   We have come on a British Airways deal to an hotel which we chose from a menu of hotels  Our hotel is called Hotel Seven One Seven and it is at No 717 Prinzengraaht, right on a canal.  This is in an old Amsterdam house and our room is on the top floor up 60 steps of stair (plus about 10 to get to the front door).  Our room is lovely with a great big brass bed, a bathroom with windows looking out over the rooftops and on a table beside the bath is a child's rubber duck. There is a message beside which says that we should take the duck with us, photograph it in different places and then, if our photos are deemed to be the BEST, we will win a prize of a weekend free back in the same hotel.  So, off we go!  I have the duck in my rucksack. 

The duck joins singing at the Noordemarkets

The duck makes it to the foot of King Neptune

Grandpa, who looks as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth rises to the challenge and is complicit in placing the duck in places where he/she/the non-binary  duck can be photographed to best show off the skill of the photographer.  Here are some of the results!  

First off, the tabac shop where he is sat on a box of cigars and the man with a face so Dutch you could dress him in the 17th Century clothing and have him painted by Rembrandt and he would be hanging in the Rijksmuseum alongside other citizens.  Then, we go to the Maritime Museum and left alone in the splendid boathouse with the Royal Barge, Grandpa whizzes round the railings and places the duck on the golden ornamentation and then on King Neptune's foot.  Next stop the Noordemarket where the street singer above lets us put the rather surprised duck in front of him while he sings "let me go home".  

Next off, the market and he nestles amongst the branches of fruit looking rather surprised!  We are running out of charge on our cameras and out of energy in our feet so we decide to take the advice of Deuntje Teuntje and head for home or at least head back on the tram to our top floor room up the 60 or so stairs for a bath, a slightly slumberous meditation before heading out again.  We are so proud of ourselves for taking all this photographs and are sure we MUST WIN THE PRIZE however, when we read the conditions again, it says that duck has to be more than 717 kilometres from home for the photographs to qualify!  Never mind ducky, we'll take you back with us and you will find yourself in some most interesting places because we are so keen to come back here

One surprised duck among the fruits is perhaps disappointed not to be eligible for the prize!