This is a story about our last part of our vacation trip to the US. I suppose this is the part that goes FROM the US. We flew KLM which means a layover at Amsterdams airport. I was unable to sleep at all on the plane ride over the Atlantic, which is really bad for jetlag! Some day I will blog about my tips for avoiding the worst jetlag, but not now. We arrive in Amsterdam around 7 am only to find out that our flight to Stockholm won´t leave until 2pm!
7 hours at the airport is a drag so we decided to get us som Euro (the currency they use in Holland) and find a way to go downtown Amsterdam. Even though I think Amsterdam´s airport is one of the nicest I have been to.
This is a town we have never been to so why not check it out. The train ride round-trip from the airport costed 12 euro for the two of us. Not bad considering we get to see a totally new town in a totally new country.
Our experience in Amsterdam was double edged. The canals and the artitecture were all so beautiful. The bakery had wonderful sandwiches and sweetbread. The coffee is to die for! Tourist shops were everywhere with little souvenirs and flowers. We walked by the flower market and looked with awe how the Dutch park their cars inches from the canal edge without any markers or protective railings. The cable cars were charming (watch out though Sam was almost run over!).
On the other hand it was raining a lot. We learned quickly that we were NOT looking for coffee houses but bakeries to have our coffee and it was pretty dirty in different ways. The maps of the town costed several euros and we were approached by homeless people several times. They were very helpful and functioned like tourist information guides and then asked for some change. So instead of buying the costly map of Amsterdam, which we would only use once we bought targeted information for some change and we got a friendlier smile than from the tourist information store.
We headed back to the airport and caught our flight to Stockholm. Sam was stopped by a customs officer in the gate as we exited the plane. They wanted to know if he had been to Amsterdam. I suppose he was unshaved and was very tired from jetlag. They let him go when they found out he was an American and had just flown in from the US.
So would we ever return to Amsterdam? I don´t think so, but I sure would like to see other parts of Netherlands. I have a feeling it is not all like Amsterdam!!??
Irish said,
July 29, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Glad you had time to check out Amsterdam. Did you take all of the photos? Looks like a really pretty city. The two of you look good!
Maxima said,
July 31, 2007 at 7:56 am
ahhhhh I see a trip in our future of the four of us wandering the streets of Amsterdam
With your very own Dutchman for a guide….it is way different. Once you stand in front of Nightwatch by Rembrandt (in the Rijksmuseum) and it takes your breath away, you fall in love with Amsterdam. Blips has a way of avoiding the ’seedy’ side of Amsterdam.
And yes, the rest of the Netherlands is quite different and so lovely.
It is such an exciting thought that sometime in the next 25-30 years, Blips and I will get see Sweden through your eyes. And you two will get to know the real Netherlands.
euwwww…I bet those coffee shop walls looked like tobacco drool
Mir said,
July 31, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I would love to go with the two of you and give Amsterdam another try. Maybe we never really gave it the chance it deserves. I love second chances!