Today, i was very lazy and did nothing more than spend several hours outside in the sun listening to my iPod while walking, then back to the hotel to recharge iPod battery, write postcards (meant to do this the first week i arrived here so that the postcards would arrive home before i do! lol), exchanged correspondence mails with family members and do some other writing (ain't laptops & Wifi great?!!).
Began my lazy day by visiting Wilhelmina Park and spent a couple of hours strolling the park and sitting on park benches enjoying the warm sun, watching the aquatic birdlife on the pond, listening to music and just spacing out with my thoughts about life, dreams, goals, and other stuff.
Wilhelmina Park is very pretty with a variety of tall trees, large grassy areas, walking/biking paths, a large pond and interesting art sculptures sprinkled throughout. there is a pretty building with thatched roof that i think must be a restaurant, but it was closed so i couldn't check it out.
The activity in the park was relaxed, mostly couples and families with small children... walking leisurely, rollerblading, children with baskets collecting the chestnuts fallen from the old trees (i picked up a few, too... i like the smooth feel of them in my hand, yeah, i'm wierd. lol), a couple guys practicing karate moves... just enough people out enjoying the sunshine to give a bit of energy to the park. even saw a guy preparing to pack up his tent which made me wonder if he had made overnight camp there... reminded me of the time, years ago, when i jumped a wall and pitched tent overnight on a football field in Sligo, Ireland [got out of there at daybreak so as to avoid being noticed by the police, lol].
Some time midday, after enjoying the park, i walked up the Nachengaalstraat and window-shopped the closed shops getting ideas of gifts to take home to my family and friends. i was struck by how quiet and lacking of activity was the main thoroughfare. it was so still, it was like a ghost town. only a few of the ever-present bicyclists and a few buses, but no traffic and no other pedestrians. quite the opposite of the previous afternoon/evening when Utrecht was filled with people moving about. it was kind of eerie, yet peacefully calming, to hear church bells tolling giving sound to the quiet streets and amplifying the feeling that i had the town to myself.
As i entered the old town centre, i began to see others wandering about or sitting in the sun having coffee. i walked aimlessly and continued to window-shop stopping occasionally for a cappuccino.
After a couple hours of drifting around town centre, i had an early dinner of mixed green salad with tomato and cucumber drizzled with a bit of creamy garlic dressing and topped with salmon, a piece of very good bread and a glass of Heineken. the salad was quite tasty, but very large and i couldn't finish it all.
Then, i walked leisurely back to the hotel.. taking a new route. hehehee, after spending a few days walking around Utrecht, i'm getting a better sense of the streets and neighborhoods.... i'm finding that i'm getting lost less frequently. Yay! :)
Back at the hotel, i sipped another beer as i wrote the postcards and mails, read a bit, watched an old American western on BBC TV and then fell asleep.
A very laid-back, relaxed day.... sometimes, it's nice to just kick back when on holiday :)
oh, yeah.... can't decide which of these cars is the coolest :)
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