Our flight was to leave on Friday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. We picked up Bill and his friend, Jo, and hurried to the airport. Wouldn't you know it...just as boarding time approached, they announced that something was wrong with the airplane, and parts were being flown in from Atlanta. We hunted up an airport bar, had some dinner and a margarita, and not long after we returned to the gate, we boarded the plane for Amsterdam.
Joey and I barely slept a wink during the night-long plane ride. We arrived in Amsterdam the next morning. Unfortunately, our luggage did not. The airline information desk said Bill's & Jo's luggage had been sent to Florence. They didn't know where ours was, but said they'd find it and send it on to Florence.
Saturday - Amsterdam
We went to our hotel, spashed some water on our faces, and caught a taxi into the old part of Amsterdam. The taxi let us out near Dam Square. We had some coffee in a little corner cafe, then Bill & Jo set off in one direction, and Joey & I set off in another.
Amsterdam is a beautiful city, full of old buildings and beautiful little canals. We strolled around for a bit, checking out specific landmarks such as the Anne Frank House, then we wandered aimlessly for a while.
Soon, we found ourselves in the "red light" district, where women, clad in underwear that the parson would not approve of, sat in shop windows advertising their wares. They reminded us of animals in zoos.We strolled around a little more, then, looking for a place to rest our aching feet, we hunted up a coffee shop where we could relax. After that, we were uncommonly hungry, and wanted to try some local food. Joel had a dish called "hutspot" - mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and onions, with meatballs and gravy on the side. I had a "pancake" with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese. Later in the evening, we met Bill & Jo, and the four of us caught a train back to the airport, then a shuttle back to the hotel.
---------------
No comments:
Post a Comment