‘You know, that sounds like an offer too good to refuse right now. I’d love to check out the market. I’ll just need to get changed.’
‘Sure, take your time. Just give us a knock when you’re ready,’ says Abe.
I hurry to get changed, popping on a polo neck jumper to ensure I don’t have any further weird thoughts of Abe unbuttoning anything. Then I rush over to their houseboat. It’s good to have a closer look at the barge. Like mine, it’s not as modern as some of the others around here but you can see by the shiny, fresh red paint that it has been lovingly restored to look as good as new. There is a gorgeous seating area outside with upcycled pallets that have been painted white and made into sofas and a matching table. As a bouncy egg chair swings in the breeze, I can just imagine Abe, Beatrix and Ted enjoying sitting out there.
Ted happily greets me when Abe opens the door. He is already wearing his red bandana, ready for his shopping trip.
‘You look cute,’ I say.
‘Oh, thanks. I’m glad you like my new coat,’ says Abe.
‘Oh, no. I meant Ted… Oh…’ I blush so badly that my face turns the colour of Ted’s bandana.
‘Just teasing you. Sorry, Beatrix always says I have a silly sense of humour.’
‘Oh, ha. Um, yeah. Anyway, where is Beatrix?’
‘She’ll meet us there. She had to go and grab something first. I’m afraid it’s just me and Ted for now. Is that okay? I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Um, no. It’s okay. Very okay.’Very okay?
As we walk along the canal in the direction of the flea market, Abe points out shops and places I must visit around here. He shows me a great place to buy chocolate, which is much appreciated, and there are a couple of bars he recommends.
‘So, do you like markets?’ he asks.
‘Oh, yes, I love them. Although the good thing is that when you live on a houseboat you don’t have the space to get too carried away.’ I should probably stay away from them completely since I am recovering from a shopping problem, but I don’t admit that to Abe.
‘That’s true. We can’t accumulate too much. It’s a shame because there are so many markets around here. You can find almost anything. I love buying vintage books and clothes,’ says Abe.
‘Ah, I thought you had good style.’
‘Do I? Thank you.’
As I gaze at Abe in the shaggy full-length coat he’s wearing, he suddenly grabs my arm.
‘Hey, careful.’ It is only then that I spot the bicycle whizzing past me.
‘Wow, you saved me. Thank you.’
‘It’s okay. You have to be careful of bikes around here. Remember two things… Always use kneepads when working on the houseboat floors, and look out for bikes. Those are my two tips. You have to look after your knees and, well, nobody wants to be run over by a bicycle.’
‘Now that definitely sounds like good advice.’
‘I’ll try to think about what else you’ll need to learn to survive life on a houseboat in Amsterdam.’ Abe laughs, which is infectious, and I grin from ear to ear as we walk along until we finally reachWestergasfabriek, which sells everything you can imagine. Stallholders stand around selling Spanish ham, organic food and drinks, crafts and paintings, and there are even vintage stalls selling gorgeous fake fur coats. I suspect this is where Abe bought his long coat.
‘Oh wow, I love this place already,’ I say.
‘It’s great, isn’t it?’
The smell of spicy salami wafts over as we walk past a food stall. I remember that I still haven’t done a proper supermarket shop since I arrived here as I have been so preoccupied with getting the barge comfortable enough to stay in. So, I pick up some cold meats to take home with me. They smell spicy and delicious. Then we make our way towards some of the crafts and I admire some pretty handmade crocheted teddies. It gives me the idea that I could maybe have a stall here selling my felted animals one day.
We wander around the stalls until we bump into Beatrix, who waves as she spots us. Then the three of us stroll around the market with the sound of traders vying for attention and the smell of onions sizzling on food stalls.
‘Hey, I have to show you my favourite stall,’ says Beatrix, pulling us all in another direction. She leads us to a stall selling home-made wines, where the owner allows us to sample some.
‘This is delicious,’ I say. It is made of elderflower and nothing like the wine you buy from the supermarket.
‘There are no sulphites, so you don’t get a bad head with it,’ says Beatrix.
