I’m not sure I ever went to sleep on the plane. I tossed and turned quite a bit. At one point I managed to get my legs propped up on my tray but I was told to not do that. The lights came on about 90 minutes before we were to land. I was shocked to see that we were estimated to arrive 30 minutes early. This got me a little excited with the hopes that we would not miss the morning bus tour of our trip.
“Breakfast” was served. Mom had 5 pieces of pineapple, 5 grapes, and 2 GF chocolate chip cookies. Linda and I had a peach yogurt and a croissant with jelly. Not much as far as a breakfast goes.
Sitting and waiting for the landing I got a ding on my phone as we approached the gate. The text said that “2 pieces of our luggage would arrive on a later flight to Amsterdam and we need to come to the Baggage Service area upon our arrival.” As we left the plane, an older short female airport attendant who looked more like someone’s grandma, was there with a wheelchair for Mom. We were taken up the ramp to a waiting electric airline transport cart. She asked Mom to get on and looked at us with a crazy expression when I asked to get on with her. We were left to sit as the woman went to collect the other two passengers that also needed wheelchair assistance but you could tell she wasn’t happy with me being there as it did not leave enough room for the others. Of course when the attendant came back with the next person, she was also accompanied by the woman’s husband. Another attendant was snagged to push the third person in the wheelchair. Mom was asked to get back in the first wheelchair still sitting beside the cart. I asked again about where to go for the Baggage Service desk and she said in her very foreign accent, “I will show you. Come, come.” I was then instructed how to push this wheelchair and off we went. I leaned over to Mom and whispered, “Does this mean I get a tip?” Mom replied, “I’ll buy you lunch.”
She did get us to the front of the security check line which was great. I found out from Linda later that her line said she was going to have a 10 – 15 minute wait. With that done, it was off to claim our bags with me still pushing the wheelchair. The other woman asked to stop at the bathroom so Mom and I took off to find the Baggage Service Desk which was nowhere in sight. I looked up to see the little attendant with the other woman catch up to us. She didn’t even know where this Baggage Service desk was. We stopped in a KLM office to ask for directions then she again reiterated the “I will show you. Come, come.” Following her into baggage claim she parked us beside the conveyor belt and left. I looked up to see the desk we needed and about that time a bag came down that looked like mine. I grabbed only to find it wasn’t. After putting the suitcase back, I made it to the counter and spoke with a nice young lady. She looked up our claim ticket numbers and said the bags had just come off the plane and would be appearing within ten minutes. As I walked back to Mom, I saw Linda a few feet down waiting for her bag. Walking over to her, I saw Mom’s suitcase hit the conveyor belt. I grabbed it and took to where the wheelchair was parked. I then went back to Linda and my bag made an appearance. After several minutes Linda’s bag appeared. We took them back down to Mom and put all on a cart. Mom decided to abandon the wheelchair at this point since we hadn’t seen the airport attendant in quite some time. We walked through the arrival gate, connected with our driver and headed to his van. As we were walking away, the woman attendant who had been helping us came running over asking why we did not wait for her. She did appear a little irritated.
“Breakfast” was served. Mom had 5 pieces of pineapple, 5 grapes, and 2 GF chocolate chip cookies. Linda and I had a peach yogurt and a croissant with jelly. Not much as far as a breakfast goes.
Sitting and waiting for the landing I got a ding on my phone as we approached the gate. The text said that “2 pieces of our luggage would arrive on a later flight to Amsterdam and we need to come to the Baggage Service area upon our arrival.” As we left the plane, an older short female airport attendant who looked more like someone’s grandma, was there with a wheelchair for Mom. We were taken up the ramp to a waiting electric airline transport cart. She asked Mom to get on and looked at us with a crazy expression when I asked to get on with her. We were left to sit as the woman went to collect the other two passengers that also needed wheelchair assistance but you could tell she wasn’t happy with me being there as it did not leave enough room for the others. Of course when the attendant came back with the next person, she was also accompanied by the woman’s husband. Another attendant was snagged to push the third person in the wheelchair. Mom was asked to get back in the first wheelchair still sitting beside the cart. I asked again about where to go for the Baggage Service desk and she said in her very foreign accent, “I will show you. Come, come.” I was then instructed how to push this wheelchair and off we went. I leaned over to Mom and whispered, “Does this mean I get a tip?” Mom replied, “I’ll buy you lunch.”
She did get us to the front of the security check line which was great. I found out from Linda later that her line said she was going to have a 10 – 15 minute wait. With that done, it was off to claim our bags with me still pushing the wheelchair. The other woman asked to stop at the bathroom so Mom and I took off to find the Baggage Service Desk which was nowhere in sight. I looked up to see the little attendant with the other woman catch up to us. She didn’t even know where this Baggage Service desk was. We stopped in a KLM office to ask for directions then she again reiterated the “I will show you. Come, come.” Following her into baggage claim she parked us beside the conveyor belt and left. I looked up to see the desk we needed and about that time a bag came down that looked like mine. I grabbed only to find it wasn’t. After putting the suitcase back, I made it to the counter and spoke with a nice young lady. She looked up our claim ticket numbers and said the bags had just come off the plane and would be appearing within ten minutes. As I walked back to Mom, I saw Linda a few feet down waiting for her bag. Walking over to her, I saw Mom’s suitcase hit the conveyor belt. I grabbed it and took to where the wheelchair was parked. I then went back to Linda and my bag made an appearance. After several minutes Linda’s bag appeared. We took them back down to Mom and put all on a cart. Mom decided to abandon the wheelchair at this point since we hadn’t seen the airport attendant in quite some time. We walked through the arrival gate, connected with our driver and headed to his van. As we were walking away, the woman attendant who had been helping us came running over asking why we did not wait for her. She did appear a little irritated.
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It was about 8:15 at this point and it appeared that we would make it to the hotel in time for the bus tour around the city of Amsterdam. The van pulled into the Bilderberg Garden hotel and we were warmly greeted by our tour director, Maarten Buijus. He told us not to worry about the luggage. It would be taken to our rooms while we were on the tour. Mom and I ran to get a little more breakfast. Linda went in search of items she wanted to take on the tour.
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The tour around Amsterdam took about an hour. Many places were pointed out and our guide, Idris, told us a little of Amsterdam’s history along with some funny stories.
One of the things the Dutch are known for are their windmills. The bus stopped so we could see one close-up. Across the street was a pond and on the other side of that was a field with cows and a tall pole. On top of the pole was a nesting stork with babies. This is not a sight I would think one would see in the middle of a very large city.
Some other things we learned on the bus tour.
One of the things the Dutch are known for are their windmills. The bus stopped so we could see one close-up. Across the street was a pond and on the other side of that was a field with cows and a tall pole. On top of the pole was a nesting stork with babies. This is not a sight I would think one would see in the middle of a very large city.
Some other things we learned on the bus tour.
- The name Amsterdam is derived from the city’s origins: it grew around a dam in the river Amstel.
- Amsterdam has three main canals; the Emperor's Canal, Prince's Canal, and the Gentleman’s Canal.
- The city is known as the Venice of the North.
- There are over 48 miles of canals in all.
- Amsterdam is made up of 90 Islands.
- There are over 847,000 bicycles in Amsterdam and they rule the road.
- 12 to 15 thousands of bikes are lifted out of the canals each year. These are usually blown in by the wind although some people do throw them in.
- One car a week disappears in the water.
The bus tour ended beside by one of the canals where we all climbed aboard a boat for a canal tour. Here is some of the things we saw and learned.
- All along the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings and churches that were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch Golden Age.
- Before dams were built around the canals the tides would rise and fall causing buildings to become unsettled thus creating the “Dancing Buildings”
- Some of the bridges were so low that if you stood up through the roof of the boat it would hit you in the head. (One woman on our trip had to be asked not to stand on the seat doing this.)
- A’DAM Lookout Observation Tower: “’Over the Edge’ is Europe’s highest swing on our sky deck. Daredevils and thrill seekers will swing 100 meters above the ground, back and forth over the edge of the tower with Amsterdam below their feet. Enjoy the unrivaled view over our capital city, while the adrenaline flows through your body.”
- House boat museum.
- Many houses along the canals were built as a parallelogram and not as a rectangle.
- Booms protruded from the roof of each house. This is used to hoist items up to pull them inside through the windows. Most doors and hallways are too small for moving large items.
- The skinniest door and the skinniest house in Amsterdam.
- The Pagoda Restaurant. When this was built it was suppose to hold 500 people. At the opening 500 people attended and the restaurant began to sink. Now only 450 are allowed in the restaurant.
It was around 2:30 p.m. when we arrived at the Anne Frank House Museum and found a large crowd of people waiting in a long line to enter the building. Only the people with 2:30 reservations were being allowed in at that time. Our reservation was for 3:30 p.m. The young man from the staff working the door suggested that we find a nearby restaurant and come back at 3:25. We did try to find one but since it was pouring down rain at this time all the restaurants in the area were full. Just after 3:00 p.m., we lined ourselves up against a wall in the courtyard facing the entrance. An older gentleman staff member approached us. I think he could tell just by looking at our faces just how tired and bedraggled we felt. We told him our story, (canceled plans, rebooked flights, no sleep, just arriving in Amsterdam in the morning, and not being able to find anywhere to get out of the rain) and that we just wanted a place to sit while we waited for our appointed time slot. This very kindly man escorted us through a side door and let us sit inside. I am not sure what he said to the young woman staff member that was working the entrance gate, but she also let us enter the museum early. Inside the museum we wound our way through each room reading all the information available and listening to the audio tour. I was amazed to learn how the Frank family hid and survived for two years. It was a very moving experience. We then sat and rested in the Museum Café and had a little nosh.
We returned to the hotel via the public trolley and what an experience that was. You enter the trolley, walk half way through to a cashier’s desk and purchase a card. Ours was good for twenty-four hours. You then tap the ticket against the sensor. It scans you on. You also have to scan it when you exit the trolley. We had a six block walk back to the hotel.
Following a short rest, we headed back the way we had come to an authentic Italian restaurant. Each one of us ordered a dish that you wouldn’t find in any Italian restaurant in the United States. It was around 9:30 when we arrived back at the hotel and I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
We returned to the hotel via the public trolley and what an experience that was. You enter the trolley, walk half way through to a cashier’s desk and purchase a card. Ours was good for twenty-four hours. You then tap the ticket against the sensor. It scans you on. You also have to scan it when you exit the trolley. We had a six block walk back to the hotel.
Following a short rest, we headed back the way we had come to an authentic Italian restaurant. Each one of us ordered a dish that you wouldn’t find in any Italian restaurant in the United States. It was around 9:30 when we arrived back at the hotel and I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.