Our bags are packed, and we have booked our flight. Someone should have told the Dutch air transport workers not to strike.
Well, that was a long day of firsts. The sun was last seen two hours after we left Hedrick's bus ramp, on the fastest charter bus to Portland. Being too excited to sleep on the plane, multiple movies and the northern lights over Canada were instead watched by many. Uh oh, is that another sunrise? Landing safe and sound in the Netherlands, we added a bonus country to our trip. The unintended layover in the city of Amsterdam lasted long enough to take a guided bus tour, a walking tour, and a canal tour before laying our tired heads to bed in a hotel tucked into the coastal sand dunes where the half-buried concrete hulks of WWII Nazi bunkers still peeked out of the dune grass. It was whirlwind and jet lagged first day, but hopefully these photos give a taste of how spectacular this surprise ended up being.
There were old windmills and new wind turbines. There were old bridges over 17th century canals and new bridges to man-made islands. There were old churches surrounded by ancient businesses. Huge wooden clogs, daylilies and tulips about to bloom, cobblestone squares surrounded by huge brick buildings and thousands of bicycles. In a city where bikes rule, the cyclists wore no helmets and generally had little patience for pedestrian safety. We are learning to keep our heads on a swivel while following a leader.
There were immaculate residential buildings slightly leaning from soggy wooden foundations. House boats parked next to Teslas. It seemed like everyone we met was incredibly friendly, courteous and spoke excellent English. There were uber-modern buildings built around and above 18th century factories and warehouses. The juxtaposition of the works of long-dead master masons beside ergonomic high-end design left us feeling appreciative of Dutch history and inspired by the potential of human ingenuity. We are thankful for our brief glimpse of Amsterdam. Our group has gone with the flow and has been appreciative of the unexpected. While we are now minutes from boarding our flight to Rome, ready for our next adventure, many of us are most certainly hoping to return to the Netherlands...on purpose next time!
Well, that was a long day of firsts. The sun was last seen two hours after we left Hedrick's bus ramp, on the fastest charter bus to Portland. Being too excited to sleep on the plane, multiple movies and the northern lights over Canada were instead watched by many. Uh oh, is that another sunrise? Landing safe and sound in the Netherlands, we added a bonus country to our trip. The unintended layover in the city of Amsterdam lasted long enough to take a guided bus tour, a walking tour, and a canal tour before laying our tired heads to bed in a hotel tucked into the coastal sand dunes where the half-buried concrete hulks of WWII Nazi bunkers still peeked out of the dune grass. It was whirlwind and jet lagged first day, but hopefully these photos give a taste of how spectacular this surprise ended up being.
There were old windmills and new wind turbines. There were old bridges over 17th century canals and new bridges to man-made islands. There were old churches surrounded by ancient businesses. Huge wooden clogs, daylilies and tulips about to bloom, cobblestone squares surrounded by huge brick buildings and thousands of bicycles. In a city where bikes rule, the cyclists wore no helmets and generally had little patience for pedestrian safety. We are learning to keep our heads on a swivel while following a leader.
There were immaculate residential buildings slightly leaning from soggy wooden foundations. House boats parked next to Teslas. It seemed like everyone we met was incredibly friendly, courteous and spoke excellent English. There were uber-modern buildings built around and above 18th century factories and warehouses. The juxtaposition of the works of long-dead master masons beside ergonomic high-end design left us feeling appreciative of Dutch history and inspired by the potential of human ingenuity. We are thankful for our brief glimpse of Amsterdam. Our group has gone with the flow and has been appreciative of the unexpected. While we are now minutes from boarding our flight to Rome, ready for our next adventure, many of us are most certainly hoping to return to the Netherlands...on purpose next time!