One Sketch 221) Amsterdam Metro Rokin Station

If Metro railways are that which you seek
Give Amsterdam a miss
It's very bleak

Yes, sorry to be so dismissive, but the Amsterdam Metro underground stations in the centre of Amsterdam just struck me as bleak and sterile. Not my favourite Metro, I'm sorry to say. Made this from a photograph while waiting in Schiphol airport this morning for my flight to be called. I was there very early before my flight, since I had a nightmare last night of waking up too late. Couldn't get back to sleep after that.

Wednesday 31st October - One Sketch 220) Canal Bridge - Amsterdam

This took an hour to sketch
Before I rose
And while I sat and sketched
My fingers froze.

So much of the centre of Amsterdam looks like this. It's all achingly pretty, and I'd love to have sketched more of it. However, my hands were so cold by the time I stopped doing thi, my fingers were shaking.

Tuesday 30th October - One Sketch 219) Amstertram

Canals, bridges, trams
And all those bikes
Amsterdam, Amsterdam
What's not to like?

Yes, amongst all of its other myriad charms, Amsterdam - which has for many a year been one of the top two cities on my bucket list to visit - amongst all of its other charms, Amsterdam is just a great tram city. Bliss.

Monday 29th October - One Sketch 218 - Cardiff Airport

Looking through the window
Watching planes
Which will carry other people's dreams
Not Mine.

Yes, I haven't posted for a few days since I've been paying a short sightseeing visit to Amsterdam. This sketch I made while waiting for my light to be called in Cardiff Airport.

One Sketch 217) #inktober2018 prompt - Gift (Sunday 28th)

Personally, I think it's ace
Seeing it before twas put in place
Given  with such kindness and such grace
More, much more than just a pretty face

Yesterday, when I made this sketch, was a very busy day. I knew I was going to be driving for between 5 and 6 hours, since I was travelling to Birmingham and back for a national quiz competition. Luckily this idea presented itself. I found a wonderful photograph on the net of this, the face of the Statue of Liberty, just unpacked after it had been delivered from France, but before assembly. I'm sure that you know that the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift to the people of the USA from France.

One sketch 216) #inktober2018 prompt 27 - Thunder -

The thunderbird
Is a funny fowl
It flies from street to street
It breathes in air
And spits out fumes
Which do smell none too sweet.

Sorry, nothing else occurred in the way of verse. Ford Thunderbird, one of those iconic American car which began with the Chevy Corvette, and culminated in the Ford Mustang.

One Sketch 215) #inktober2018 prompt 26 - stretch

Mighty symbol
of power and pride
A nod to the cathedrals
of Europe
A physical stretch
And a leap of the imagination

I've told you before that I love bridges. Just looking at the Brooklyn Bridge - which spans the East River and not, as the unitiated think, the Hudson - is enough to inspire awe. How much more, then, when you know the story of its construction. A truly monumental undertaking, right up there in iconic status with the Statue of Liberty and the Epire State Building.