In my quest to retrace some Dave’s best travel memories, I couldn’t forget Amsterdam. He had just finished his stint with the Air Force and decided to re-route his travel home to include Amsterdam. And what could be more fun than sharing it with his brother? So, Rob and Dave both met up in Amsterdam and had the time of their lives.
Of course, I couldn’t visit everywhere they visited, especially in Amsterdam, but I could retrace some of their “Rated G” journeys, such as visiting the Van Gogh museum, and just wandering around Amsterdam.
I smiled as I passed The Bulldog Coffee Shop. If you know anything about Amsterdam, coffee shops are not known for their coffee.
I recall them telling me that after patronizing The Bulldog, they decided to sit on a park bench outside the shop to wait until they could check into their hotel. (Keep in mind they had both traveled that day and were exhausted.) So they immediately nodded off for what they thought had been a few minutes, but had actually been a few hours. Needless to say, they were amazed when they awoke to see all of their belongings were right by their sides. You have to realize that this is a very active area; street performers, vendors all around and yet all was well. Gotta be careful with those Coffee Shops.
My hotel happened to be just down the street from The Bulldog and, I must say, it was quite popular with the young folks. Actually, I went to their souvenir shop to buy Rob a coffee mug (for real coffee) and the clientele must have thought their grandma was spying on them. The loud banter and laughter suddenly became subdued until I walked out.
Although I didn’t sprinkle Dave’s ashes in Amsterdam, I “remembered” him every place I visited. It was special for me to walk in some of the same places where Rob and Dave had enjoyed such a great brotherly experience. I smiled at the memories they shared with me and cringed at the thought of the ones I didn’t know!
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