Day 1 - Sept. 14-15, 2011 - Travel Day!

 

At long last we are beginning our trip to the Netherlands! 

At Kennedy airport, we finally experienced the new body scanners in security.  Whoever was watching the scan must have liked (or disliked) Dave, as he was subjected to a pat down as well. 

Waiting for our flight we were across from a young Asian man along with an elderly man who was wearing a very large, sparkly cross. The younger man was very solicitous of the older man, getting him a drink from the nearby stand, etc. When the wheelchair arrived for the older man, the younger man asked David to help him lift the old gentleman into it.  I helped steady and maneuver the chair.  Then we found out that the younger man wasn’t actually with the old man at all, he was just helping, like we were.  Wow!

As we got on our Lufthansa plane I was impressed at the apparent size and comfort of the seats.  My delight was short lived as I was looking at a very large first class section, where our seats were NOT.  Moving back to economy we found our seats – aisle and middle (yes, I got middle) and the seat in front of me leaned back into my lap.  Turns out it was broken, which was a blessing in disguise as the guy sitting there had to move over one. 

Our flight left JFK at about 10:40 PM, an hour later than scheduled.  These seats were so jam packed together you really couldn’t move.  I was pretty tired so I hoped I’d be able to sleep a bit.  I did sleep on and off for the whole flight.  Other than the uncomfortable seating, the rest of the flight was pretty good.  They served drinks and crackers; an unexpected dinner (although late – around 11:30).  Beer was free, and David took advantage!  After dinner, they came around with another cart of drinks, including alcohol, which I think was free!  Then they came around offering red or white wine to everyone.  Then a coffee/tea service, followed by a choice of Bailey’s or brandy!  I opted for Bailey’s hoping for some sleep – also I love Bailey’s!  Eventually the airplane was darkened and everyone got pretty quiet.  I was woken once by the person on my right screaming in pain as the person in front of her slammed the back of the seat into my neighbor’s leg.  

They woke us with breakfast, and I began chatting with my seatmate.  She was heading for Greece where she has a second home on an island.  It turns out she’s a writer, and co-wrote a best-selling  book with Miep Gies, the woman who helped shelter Anne Frank and family!  She was telling me all about Miep, who had become a close friend!  This book “Anne Frank Remembered” is on sale at the Anne Frank House, which we’ll be visiting in Amsterdam, along with another book she wrote about Anne Frank.  We chatted for the rest of the trip about her books (which were mostly about the Holocaust), our parents, and other trips we’ve both taken.  I told her about this blog, and I plan to send her the link to it! 

The Frankfurt airport, where we had a layover, is enormous!  For some reason, they individually searched both of our carryon bags.  Then we walked down several lengthy corridors to our gate, which, as always, is next to last! 

This flight was much less full, so we were able to change seats to a row of our own.  I slept thru almost the whole flight (except for the snack).

As we touched down in Amsterdam, I surprisingly felt very emotional and got a bit teary.  All the research about my Dutch relatives kind of hit me.  I kept thinking how much my father would have liked to have known about this trip and wondering what my grandfather, born and raised in Holland, would have thought about all of this.

We took a train from the airport to Central Station in Amsterdam and our hotel was just a few blocks from there.  We had a reservation at The Convent Hotel – yes, formerly a convent!  It was pretty nice and the staff was helpful.  Our room was comfortable but small, as European hotel rooms tend to be.  We had a lovely view of a brick wall, but at least it was quiet!

Our view!

This was the tile on our shower wall!

The train and tram systems here run somewhat on the honor system.  You buy a ticket, but no one collects it!  As for the tram, you get on and swipe a metro card kind of thing.  But we didn’t know that and didn’t have one, so we rode the tram for free yesterday – sorry Amsterdam!   Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit any of the big museums before they would close, so we went to the Heineken Experience brewery tour which was fun but overpriced.   Luckily we had bought these “Holland passes” which allow for free entry to various places, and that was one of them.  Then we came back to our hotel for a much needed shower! 

We ate dinner at an authentic Dutch restaurant.  The food was pretty good too! On the street where the restaurant was, there was a line of horse drawn carriages just sitting and blocking the entire street.  Everyone was taking pictures of them, so I asked one of the drivers what was going on. He said some important people were traveling in them and stopped for a drink. Important people?  I asked if they were famous and he said they were.  Thinking "movie star" I asked if they were people I would have heard of in the US and he again answered yes.   Who?  The US Ambassador!  Well I don’t know who that is, actually, and it seemed kind of strange because the US Ambassador would live here full time and probably not be so interesting.  Perhaps I misunderstood.

I was falling asleep over dinner so I was happy to be back at the hotel to sleep!  Unfortunately, I don’t sleep so well under the best of circumstances so I woke up after a couple of hours and I wrote this in the dark at 2 AM while David slept.