Urban jungle

It happens every time: after some days far away from tarmac, high or low buildings, means of transportation, crowds and noises of the city, I inevitably feel the need of plunging back and head first into it all! This could well mean that I am forever unsatisfied, but I would rather think that what people like me need is a bit of balance: a bit of this, a bit of that. A bit of beach life (well, make it an awful lot, truth needs to be told), a bit of metallic railway smell in the morning. Simple.

After a tropical holiday during which urban silence was the everyday companion - think of bird talking, waves heaving, sand and coral whispering, fish bubbling - I was bound to be driven into Amsterdam again, in search for its eclectic crowd, bike bells and tramway brakes; all in all, it is still related to tropical life as it all seems to be just another type of jungle:

These pics were taken in the Albert Cuyp area where the omonymous market offers great fish stalls, ideal if you want to buy a nice white fish for an explosion of sea and summer tastes and smells in your plate. I am not going to go any further into the cuisine subject here, since there will be a post coming, a savory one, as you may imagine. Back to the lively city streets and atmosphere, it was pretty hectic on Saturday, as if the whole city had heard the call of the uban jungle: bikes everywhere, both rolling and parked, people of all walks of life, colors, sizes, goods of all types on display - from the inevitable flowers to freshly squeezed juices - and languages from all over the world, comforted by the presence of the usual mass consumption signs, recognizable from one border to the other.