At the Concertgebouw

…where every ticket comes with a free drink. For this morning’s 11:00 a.m. concert, the choice was between orange juice and water, but I expect wine will be added in when I go back tonight for Simon Rattle and the London Symphony. (Later: it was indeed — red, white, or rosé.)

The first extra shows the actual auditorium, a really wonderful place to hear music. (The second extra, added just before the evening concert, is taken from my seat BEHIND the stage; I’ll be able to watch Simon Rattle’s face while he conducts!)

The Covid rules in Amsterdam are a bit unusual. Masks are only mandatory on public transport, and everywhere else —indoors and out — people are almost entirely maskless. In order to go inside a restaurant or concert hall, you have to show your Corona pass (or non-EU equivalent), but no vaccination is required for museums. Go figure.