50 shades of grey (and green)

This was the view from the cabin window first thing this morning as we approached the Dutch coast.  I had to borrow Anniemay’s camera as I’d left mine in the car.  I’m not going to hear the end of this.

We’re woken at 6.30am local time (5.30 as far as I’m concerned) by a reggae whistle playing the intro to ‘don’t worry, be happy’.  The Dutch clearly have a sense of humour.

We make our way to the ‘Barista Bar’  for a coffee and croissant breakfast.  Anniemay has taken to drinking coffee since she discovered that racing cyclists drink the stuff to give themselves a competitive edge.  But she’s not really an aficionado, preferring weak brown hot water.  She asks me to get her “a small black coffee”  while she bags a table.  

I bring the coffees and croissants back to the table and she takes a first unsuspecting mouthful.  Her eyes pop out on stalks and her hair stands on end.  It’s not ‘weak brown hot water’ that’s for sure.  Dark with a thick crema on top, you can probably stand a spoon up in it.  She gamely finishes it and then becomes extremely chatty and exuberant.  Hyper.  

We drive off the ferry and make our way to passport control.  I open the window to give our passports to the Dutch official.  Anniemay leans across and shrieks “he won’t recognise me - I’ve got my contact lenses in.  Ha ha ha (recurring)”.  She says it again, explaining that it’s a joke. 

Under normal circumstances it would be funny.  It’s a good joke.  But trying to get into another country is a serious business, requiring an absence of humour.  The official either does not hear or diplomatically ignores it and we are able to continue our journey, Anniemay sniggering happily at her own joke for a good few miles.

We arrive at our hotel (same one as last year) in the early afternoon.  Having checked in and unloaded the car, we take a walk in the black forest behind the hotel.  Not The Black Forest; wrong part of Germany.  But it’s dark enoug  (see extra).  And now she wants cake.