We booked the Ibis hotel in Scheveningen, just because the seaside is nicer than down town The Hague. But when we got there, it turned out the internet was really terrible there, and unfortunately Phizz had been with bad or no internet for over a week and it was becoming a problem, since the internet is essential for him to do his work. The room was quite nice for an Ibis, very big, and quite comfortable. Phizz had been up since 4 am driving from Geneva via Paris and Elsendorp to Scheveningen, so we didn't stay up and chat for long when we got there around 11 pm.
The next morning I ate breakfast while Phizz got a few extra minutes sleep, and then we went off to the embassy to organise the visa. When we got to the embassy, however, we were told they no longer did visas there and that there now is a new visa application centre in the middle of the city next to the station. So we made our way there (lucky we took the car instead of the two red Vespas that were for rent at the hotel and I was keen to ride) and hoped the process would not be too painful and/or long. Thankfully it was not and we were told we could pick it up the next day after eleven. That was lucky because today is a public holiday in Holland and very few things are actually open, but the embassy amazingly was. When we got back to the hotel Phizz said he really needed to do some work, but the internet was so slow, and I needed some food, so we decided to go back to Amsterdam after lunch and come back the next day because Phizz just really needed to work with fast internet. I had to show Phizz the lovely Kurhaus hotel which has graced Scheveningen since 1885, with it magnificent dining hall and lovely fresco paintings all over the domed ceiling. And since it has a lovely terrace on the boulevard with sea views, we decided lunch was to be had right there. The weather was glorious and it was a lovely lunch, in a lovely setting and the Kurhaus worked its charm on us and the Ibis with its terrible internet (and horrible car park that was impossible to enter or exit with a very heavy full car) or driving back to Amsterdam and then back again the next day just seemed like bad options. So Phizz booked a room at the Kurhaus, which happened to have superfast internet. And lovely, lovely rooms with lovely, lovely views and a balcony overlooking the sea.
So we went and got our stuff from the Ibis, and moved to the fabulous Kurhaus. Phizz needed some serious work time (on the balcony, so he was still outside) so I changed into a skirt and went out to buy some sunglasses, sunscreen and a magazine and sat on that lovely terrace all afternoon. It was glorious. When it got to six, Phizz came down and joined me for a drink, after which we decided we might as well dine in that beautiful dining room. I have to say it was one of the nicest meals I have had in ages, not only because besides the delicious food, but I was also dining with one of the funniest men I know and I had to keep my giggles down most of the meal as we were in such a fancy place. Phiroze had not only me seriously amused, but also the waitstaff. I don't think I have ever blushed so much in a nice restaurant because after Phizz asked the waiter if it was okay to tuck his napkin into his shirt, which is it was, he then asked if he could take his pants off too. The waiter laughed and said that was fine, but I told him he could not. He also tried to convinced the waitress to let him try to pull the table cloth from under a fully set table without disturbing the things on top of it, like they do in the movies. She told him he could try it the next day, as it was her day off. They were lovely people there, and I think they much appreciated this funny dude with his napkin tucked into his shirt asking inappropriate questions. I did. Times spent with Phizz are fun times and I feel so lucky to get this much time with him.
After dinner we went for a nice long walk along the boulevard and the pier, and I ate a kaneelstok (cinnamen stick) which is a traditional Dutch lollie, but was too cinnamonny for Phizz. We found and rolled a marble along the pier, saw a seriously grumpy giraffe bouncy castle and enjoyed the usual Phizz-Florence banter. It was an altogether wonderful night. When we got back we watched a movie from his iPad on the room's tv and then spent another few hours talking. It was early this morning when we went to sleep and it was a wonderful comfortable sleep in a fabulously luxuriously large bed.
When I woke up I had an hour before breakfast would stop being served and if last night's dinner was anything to go by, the breakfast would be worth getting up for. So I did. And it seriously was worth getting up for, it was so extensive that even after three rounds I had only sampled maybe a third of the foods on offer. Phizz had stayed in the room citing he was still full from dinner, but once I got down there I texted him that he shouldn't miss it so he joined me around my second round of breakfast. The atmosphere was lovely and the dining hall so pleasant. Check-out unfortunately was very slow as it was busy due to the public holiday. But then the speed with which we achieved our goal at the chinese visa application centre was incredible. And before we knew it, we were back in Amsterdam, where we had lunch with Phiroze's lovely friend and landlady Kirsty who normally lives in the US where she flies helicopters, but who happened to be in town.
After Kirsty had whizzed off on her motorbike we returned the rental car, then Phizz took me to see my first movie in 3D, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, which was really entertaining. Now we're home at Phizz's safe and sound, tired and happy from a few exciting days. Tomorrow I'm taking the train to my good friend Renée in Utrecht for a good catch-up and to give her a celebratory hug for her graduating from university. Should be fun!
G'nite.
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