SAN LUIS OBISPO TO DALLAS TO BOSTON TO AMSTERDAM

Greetings from The Netherlands!
Have you ever been on a flight headed to the same airport as Air Force One? We were due to land in Dallas (DFW) at 6pm but around 4pm our plane slowed way down and started circling and circling and circling. The captain announced we were on hold until Air Force One landed (5:45, we later found out). When we finally landed (6:35), we could see AF1 on the far tarmac surrounded by floodlights and police cars, “under tight security.” We thought we would miss our connection to Boston, but luckily all of DFW was on hold and our flight didn’t leave until 8pm. (Biden was attending two private fundraisers in North Texas.) An interesting way to start our latest adventure!

We got a good sleep after getting to our hotel at 2am. It was very chilly so we chose to “chill” in our nice warm Marriott Copley Place hotel room and then had a very fun dinner with younger daughter Laurie and 3 of her 5 kidlets who drove in from Tolland, CT—about an hour southwest. We look forward to seeing them again when we return home through Boston in late May—we’re all going to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game and also do part of the Freedom Trail.

We flew through JFK on Jet Blue to Amsterdam where it was also very chilly (plus windy and rainy), but that didn’t stop us from touring. The first day we went to Keukenhof Botanical Gardens, one of the largest gardens in Europe covering 32 hectares (about 79 acres), where we saw thousands of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, crocus and even a large pavilion of orchids. We’ve never seen so many varieties & colors. It was stunning!

After another day of rest (we’ve gotten really good at pacing ourselves), we took an evening canal cruise that was delightful. Then we totally enjoyed an all-day tour to The Hague, Delft and Rotterdam. As we entered The Hague, the median strips were filled with very tall, white flagpoles, with flags for each of the 193 members of the United Nations. We drove past many embassies and especially enjoyed visiting the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice. On nearby benches the word “peace” is cut into the stone in every language and there is a beautiful World Peace eternal flame (below). It was all very moving and inspirational.

           

We also loved going through the Royal Delft factory and seeing how their pottery is made. The most expensive pieces are hand painted. Less expensive versions use transfer patterns that are fired on, and all the designs are quite remarkable. Delft also makes amazing architectural tiles, and there was also an exhibit of Picasso creations. I had no idea he was into ceramics.

           

This tour also included a harbor cruise in Rotterdam. The harbor is 19 miles from the North Sea accessed through the “New Waterway.” It is the third largest port in the world (after Shanghai and Singapore), big enough and deep enough for the largest ships. It is about 25 miles long, 6 miles wide and 500 feet deep. Over 30,000 ocean-going ships and 130,000 smaller vessels visit each year. Most of the larger vessels are on very large mooring buoys rather than at a dock (below). All but 2 buildings in Rotterdam were destroyed by the Nazis in WWII (and occupied by the Nazis from 1940-1945 until the Canadian army liberated it—who knew?!), so there are mostly newer buildings.

We traveled with a lot of nice people from all over the world. Fortunately almost everyone speaks English. We especially enjoyed a mother and 2 sons originally from Cuba who now live in Austria (son Melvin is pictured above, who is studying hotel management), as well as a couple from South Africa. AND, it was nice to get back “home” to the Hotel Jakarta.

We’ve enjoyed staying at Hotel Jakarta, an architectural masterpiece honoring the historical maritime connection between Amsterdam and Indonesia. It is on Java Island, overlooking a large canal (which we saw from our room, where, from 1910 to 1970, large ocean liners transported goods and passengers to the Dutch East Indies. The hotel itself features Indonesian food (including lime leaf ice cream—yum!), subtropical gardens and is the “greenest hotel in the Netherlands,” constructed primarily of renewable and reusable resources such as wood and bamboo. It also has many clever and sustainable energy-saving features. Even the clothing worn by the Hotel Jakarta staff is recycled every three years and made into chairs used in the lobby (below)! AND, it was very easy to talk about “the elephant in the room,” one of many driftwood pieces on the property. Hotel Jakarta was a convenient, peaceful and friendly place to stay.

We took it easy again on our last day before boarding our cruise ship, but did take a Hop On/Hop Off bus around Amsterdam so we could learn more about its history. We visited the Gannon Diamond headquarters and had hoped to see the Van Gogh Museum, only to discover it was sold out. We’re spoiled in the USA where we can usually walk into any museum any time. Oh well!

Amsterdam is a vibrant city with an arts scene that has flourished since the Middle Ages. It is bursting with flowers, carved by canals, and everywhere we look there are bicycles, so we’ve had to stay very alert while walking about! Our first taxi driver said there are 22 million people in The Netherlands and 24 million bicycles! In Amsterdam there are almost 1 million people and 2 million bicycles, as nearly everyone owns two or more (they ride their older bikes into the city). Our favorites were the bicycles with small carriages on the front, often carrying young children.

There are also over 1500 bridges so the local boats are designed to be able to cruise under them.
We were surprised by the number of houseboats permanently tied up along the canals—2500 of them, many over 80’ long. They were first allowed because of a housing shortage, but no more permits will be granted.

We also learned there are 167 nationalities living in Amsterdam and there is great respect for each other. 44% are Muslim and are currently fasting during Ramadan, meaning they cannot eat between sunup and sundown. From another taxi driver, we learned that Ramadan is not only about fasting “to cleanse the body and the mind” and to be in better health, but it is also a time to dine and bond with family and to give to and pray for those who do not have enough food.

We’ve enjoyed our Netherlands experience a lot. It is very flat so no wonder there are a bajillion bicycles! And, by the way, is Holland the same as The Netherlands? The answer is, “No!” North Holland and South Holland are two of twelve provinces of the Netherlands, officially called the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Most of the areas we visited were in the two Holland provinces.

Once we board our “long boat” (463 feet!), we’ll have one more day in Holland, and then spend 2 weeks cruising down the Rhine, the Main and the Danube Rivers to Budapest (from March 28 through April 11). We’ve heard a lot of good things about Viking Cruises and we’re really excited about being on the water again and seeing a different part of the world. We’ve scheduled an excursion almost every day so there will be lots of mini-adventures along the way that we look forward to sharing with you. We paid extra for some, but most are included in our cruise tickets. Away we go!

Thanks for cruising along with us! It’s nice to know you are “there!”