Amsterdam Revisited: Taylor Swift Concert

June 21st

The concert started at 18:30 or so, but Taylor Swift didn't go on until later.  We did not arrive in time for the opening acts, but did arrive before Taylor Swift started.  Everyone got an LED wristband when they came into the venue.

The LED wristbands would light up with certain colors during the concert.  I have tried to label the photos for which song they go to, but I'm not 100% certain they are correct.  Also, I took these photos with Heather's camera, which has AMAZING zoom.

Welcome to New York

New Romantics

Blank Space

I Knew You were Trouble

I Wish You Would

How You Get the Girl

I Know Places

All You Had To Do Was Stay

You Are in Love

Clean

Love Story

Style

Bad Blood

 We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Enchanted/Wildest Dreams

Out of the Woods

Shake It Off

I had a really good time and am so glad I decided to go on this trip.   

The next day we just go up and headed out towards the airport.  It was not exciting.

This concludes our adventures in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Revisited: Day 2

June 21st

This morning we went a-wandering.

This is the Royal Palace with a Beach Volleyball court set up in front of it.  For reasons.

Look at all the food options!  

Italy doesn't believe in eating food from other cultures.

Canal!

More Canal.

Church thingie?

Look!  I was on the trip!

We were waiting for Merel and Madeleine's family who were going to take us boating on the canal.  Rebecca, her husband Jason, and her daughter Amelia, lived next door to Merel and Madeleine's parents in Italy.  They became good friends and now she has people to hang out with in Amsterdam.  This was also good for me because it meant I had a couch to sleep on for the weekend.

Apparently the "canal bicycles" or paddle boats are notoriously hard to steer.  

These poor people got stuck under the bridge for a bit.

Hey, there's our ride!  (The red and black boat.)

Rebecca's daughter, Ameila, was very excited and then unsure about the macaroons.

Super modern house boat.

Tice(?), our driver.  Also Madeleine's boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, or something.
  

It rained on and off during our cruise.  A few times we hid under bridges to stay dry.

Flower market!

Neat shutters.  Also flower market.

We jumped off the boat and headed back to Merel's apartment to get ready for the concert.  Or the other girls did.  Being a weekend trip I only brought half a backpack worth of clothing and was going to wear what I was already wearing.

This concludes our adventures for now.

Amsterdam Revisited: Day 1

June 20th

About three days ago (while in Turkey), I got a message from my cousin-in-law Heather.  She wanted to know if I wanted to go with her to Amsterdam to see a Taylor Swift concert over the weekend.  Her sister's friend had an extra ticket.  I responded that I wouldn't be back to Naples until late on Friday night, so it probably wouldn't work out.  She wasn't leaving until Saturday afternoon (the concert is Sunday) and would return Monday.  

What the hell.  I'm in.  Here we go!

It was Heather, her sister Mindy,  Mindy's friend Rebecca, Rebecca's friends Merel and Madeleine, and me.  Girls weekend!  WOOOOOOOO!

Madeleine and her other friend Charlotte picked Heather and me up from the airport and took us to a tram.  We rode the tram and then we were acquired by Merel, Mindy, and Rebecca.   After dropping off our stuff and hanging out for a bit, we headed out to dinner.

Pretty little garden.

A wild pack of Luigis!  And one Mario.

They were selling shots to help Mario (a groom-to-be) raise money for....something.  

I didn't quite catch that bit.  Anyway, we bought a bunch of shots.

Mindy and Heather being silly because it rained a little bit.

Graffiti!

Art or ....something!

Bicycles and pretty flowers.

A canal!

An ad for Amsterdam.

We had dinner at a Thai restaurant where we drank lots of wine.  

Mindy next to what looks like a prototype SmartCar.

We then wandered off to a bar where someone had the idea to do goldschlager like shots.  Much more merriment was had, and then we went back to Merel's apartment to sleep.

This concludes our adventure for today.

Marmaris Turkey: Day 4

June 19th

Today we left Turkey.  

We went through four airports and six security checks.  

Turkey really likes their security checks.  

To get into the Dalaman airport your bagged gets scanned and you go through a metal detector (#1).  You then go through the regular security check (#2).

Leaving Dalaman:

We had a layover in Istanbul.  

We had to go through baggage claim to customs, then back through security (#3).  

To get to our gate's waiting area we had to present our boarding passes and passports and have our bags check again (#4).

Leaving Istanbul:

We had another layover in Frankfurt, Germany (the Navy booked these tickets for Dan, I just matched mine to his).  Again we had to go out through baggage claim and customs (#5).  The we went through security again (#6).

We got home around midnight.

This concludes our adventures to Marmaris, Turkey.

PS.  Today is my birthday.  Happy Birthday to me!

Marmaris Turkey: Day 3

June 18th

Today we got up and went on a diving tour.  I didn't take my camera because I didn't want anything to happen to it.

Here is the only decent photo I got with my phone:

Also they took  some photos of us underwater.  I do not find myself photogenic in the best of times, let alone while wearing scuba gear.  Also, I was having a really hard time understanding what the photographer wanted me to do.  Anyway, here's Dan and here's us with some fish.

The dives were those touristy ones where you don't have to be certified or anything.  They only take you down about ten feet and you're only down for twenty minutes.  Most of the time is spent hanging out on the boat.  I think it was kind of a waste for Dan, who has been diving since he was 16 or so.  It was good for me though, because I only got dive certified a few years ago, and haven't been since.

We got back from the dive in the early evening.  

We showered and changed and wandered off around Marmaris again.

You can't get a real watch here, but you can be sure that the watch you get is fake.

We walked in the opposite direction of the main drag area and discovered the fancy pants part of Marmaris.

Every restaurant on the boardwalk looked more or less like this.  

They all served a little bit of everything.   They were mediocre at best.

Fishing off the beach.  As you can see, this is also before all the lights get turned on for the nightlife.

We had Lira to burn, so of course we got more Turkish Delight.  This gentleman spoke no English, but his friend did.  Apparently I was very funny.  The friend would laugh at something I said,  translate it, and then this guy would laugh.  *Shrugs*

We spent our last evening at the bar/restaurant/club next to our hotel.  

I don't remember what this drink is that Dan got, but it came with a sparkler.

The bar/restaurant/club had a free show upstairs.  We downed our drinks and moved upstairs to see what the show was.  It turned out to be a drag show called "The Minnie Diamond Show."   

It was very entertaining and I had a good time.  Dan even got Minnie Diamond and the crowd to sing happy birthday to me (tomorrow is my birthday).   

I tried to take some photos with my phone, but they did not turn out.

And I got a free drink.  So score on that.

This concludes our adventures for today.