I think it may have been a good thing that my first post from this trip was deleted. Possibly a sign that it should be forgotten! I will go with that! It was a tough start, but once I checked into the hotel in Chicago, all got better, and I'm sure it wasn't just the 1/2 of margarita I was given as my complimentary check in drink! A relaxing night and day in Chicago seemed to be what I needed to get off on a different start. The rest was good for my knee and it is much better now, thank goodness!
I'm sitting at my little desk in my room in Lisse. You may wonder what in the world I'm doing here...by the time I reached my hotel this afternoon I was wondering the same thing! However, the purpose of my visit is clear; tomorrow I will be visiting the world famous Keukenhof Gardens, home of approximately 7 million tulips!
After a 2 hour nap my future looked brighter. And it seems I am here at a great time. I did miss the celebration of the Queen’s birthday yesterday, which was compared to Mardi Gras by one person today. Everyone celebrates and dresses in orange.
Of course it would have been pretty close to impossible to get a room in the Netherlands anyway for that. Today there were still many stores with a rainbow of orange balloons outside the doors. It was a very long journey to get here. Travel seems so glamorous, and all who know me, know the thrill I experience when I board a plane for a new adventure.
However, reality is something totally different, at least in my recent travels. Had all of these 'inconveniences' happened at the beginning of my travels, I'm quite sure they would have ended long before now! But here I am once again, far from home and starting a new 'big adventure'!
When waiting to board the plane in the business class line, I was alone with a long line of businessmen reading papers and ignoring the world around them. I resigned myself to the fact that it would be a long flight with little interaction with any other passenger. That is fine, there are movies and I am well prepared with my own entertainment. I was settled in my seat and the plane filled up.
Suddenly there was a young man putting his things away and taking the seat next to me. He had a great smile and we immediately started chatting and what a delight he was! He was heading to Amsterdam on a buddy pass that cost him less than $100 and although that made me a bit sick to know how much I spent for the flight, I was quite pleased to have such an animated seat mate! He is a techie and I had some pretty impressive iPad personal tutoring, with the promise to continue to help me with any questions I come up with. He is just in Amsterdam for a few days visiting a friend who is here for business.
Besides this delightful young man, there was one other significant joy of the trip...I no longer need a seatbelt extender now! A definite thrill to see such concrete results from my months of healthy eating! Now my big challenge will be to go home the same way!
And what a challenge that will be! Enjoying the food on my travels is a highlight for me and something not to be missed. Am already practicing moderation, and feel a bit successful, but it is only day 1! We had a wonderful meal for dinner and I did indulge in a bit if the raspberry ice cream encased in chocolate. I didn't eat it all, but did have enough to enjoy.
When we arrived at the airport my new friend was waiting to walk with me but I explained my torn meniscus and the fact that I needed to wait for a wheelchair to get to baggage. We said goodbye and another part of the journey that requires a great deal of patience began.
Eventually I got to my luggage and waited for the hotel shuttle. Finally some nice shuttle driver told me I was in the wrong place for the city center hotel shuttle, I'd been given the wrong directions...patience, Mitzi...so I gathered my things and walked to another area and found the right shuttle.
Of course, as it seems my luck always goes, I was the last to be dropped at my hotel...an hour ride! On the way, the driver convinced me that the best way to get to Lisse after dropping my large suitcase at the hotel I will end up at in a week, was to return with him to the airport and he would drop me off at the bus stop for the bus to the gardens where I could get a taxi to my hotel, about 10 minutes away. Sounded better than taking trains and buses with my two smaller cases and paraphernalia!
By that time about 20 hours had passed and I'd had only 2 hours sleep, so I was looking pretty pathetic! I took the bus to Lisse and as tired as I was, of course I started to chat with the young man who sat next to me! People are so interesting! He said he and his wife were here for 3 months as part of his business, but were also traveling all over. Of course I HAD to ask what he did...you never know what ideas I might get! (For example my new buddy from the plane and I discussed the possibility of getting a part time job with an airline, something I will look into).
But back to my current 'seat mate': he is an all-night poker player and there is a big tournament coming up! He graduated from Princeton...now that is a career I've never heard of, and it is providing them with a quite nice trip! However, I think I won't be pursuing that career!
Back to the bus ride to the gardens...we passed many tulip fields that were incredibly beautiful! They really are like the photos you see, tulips as far as your eyes can see! Amazing sight! I DIDN'T miss the tulips! When we arrived at the gardens people rushed to the entrance, I stood in exhausted dismay; there were NO taxis there, as I'd been told there would be. I entered the information building and it was almost another hour before one came that the lady had called. Finally I thought I would be at my destination, with a nice inviting bed to welcome me...but that was not yet to be! By that time it was afternoon and I was starving.
With no restaurant at my hotel, I headed out to find a place for a quick meal before bed...quick was not to be! But I did find a lovely little outdoor pancake restaurant and ordered the apple/banana pancake...it is fruit, right? :-). A Dutch pancake is very, very thin. The toppings are cooked into it. It was eventually served and it was the full size of the large dinner plate! Keep in mind it is VERY THIN, so it really wasn't that much food.
Of course in my total exhaustion, I had forgotten my camera...maybe I'll go back tomorrow, camera in hand, to feast on another pancake! Delicious!
After that meal I found a supermarket and purchased some bottled water, 6 bottles for.77 euros. What a deal. At least I think it is water! The line was quite long and I am sure that by that time I looked horrible and it was truly a fight to keep my eyes open. After I'd paid for the water and a couple of other snacky things I waited and didn't get a bag. I asked and she said it was .15 for one and by that time I wasn't sure I could get out a cent and a lovely couple I'd been chatting with insisted on buying it for me and finally I left with the need for sleep more evident than ever before I think!
After a two hour nap I tried in vain to find a way to get to the tulip fields for photos, but it was not to be, so I wandered through the town, took some local photos and then stopped for a nice dinner. Now it is back to bed for me I hopes of an early morning at Keukenhof before all the other tourists arrive! My taxi is already ordered so after breakfast at my hotel I will head out for the day I've been waiting and traveling for!
G’night to all from Lisse, The Netherlands!
I'm sitting at my little desk in my room in Lisse. You may wonder what in the world I'm doing here...by the time I reached my hotel this afternoon I was wondering the same thing! However, the purpose of my visit is clear; tomorrow I will be visiting the world famous Keukenhof Gardens, home of approximately 7 million tulips!
After a 2 hour nap my future looked brighter. And it seems I am here at a great time. I did miss the celebration of the Queen’s birthday yesterday, which was compared to Mardi Gras by one person today. Everyone celebrates and dresses in orange.
Of course it would have been pretty close to impossible to get a room in the Netherlands anyway for that. Today there were still many stores with a rainbow of orange balloons outside the doors. It was a very long journey to get here. Travel seems so glamorous, and all who know me, know the thrill I experience when I board a plane for a new adventure.
However, reality is something totally different, at least in my recent travels. Had all of these 'inconveniences' happened at the beginning of my travels, I'm quite sure they would have ended long before now! But here I am once again, far from home and starting a new 'big adventure'!
When waiting to board the plane in the business class line, I was alone with a long line of businessmen reading papers and ignoring the world around them. I resigned myself to the fact that it would be a long flight with little interaction with any other passenger. That is fine, there are movies and I am well prepared with my own entertainment. I was settled in my seat and the plane filled up.
Suddenly there was a young man putting his things away and taking the seat next to me. He had a great smile and we immediately started chatting and what a delight he was! He was heading to Amsterdam on a buddy pass that cost him less than $100 and although that made me a bit sick to know how much I spent for the flight, I was quite pleased to have such an animated seat mate! He is a techie and I had some pretty impressive iPad personal tutoring, with the promise to continue to help me with any questions I come up with. He is just in Amsterdam for a few days visiting a friend who is here for business.
Besides this delightful young man, there was one other significant joy of the trip...I no longer need a seatbelt extender now! A definite thrill to see such concrete results from my months of healthy eating! Now my big challenge will be to go home the same way!
And what a challenge that will be! Enjoying the food on my travels is a highlight for me and something not to be missed. Am already practicing moderation, and feel a bit successful, but it is only day 1! We had a wonderful meal for dinner and I did indulge in a bit if the raspberry ice cream encased in chocolate. I didn't eat it all, but did have enough to enjoy.
When we arrived at the airport my new friend was waiting to walk with me but I explained my torn meniscus and the fact that I needed to wait for a wheelchair to get to baggage. We said goodbye and another part of the journey that requires a great deal of patience began.
Eventually I got to my luggage and waited for the hotel shuttle. Finally some nice shuttle driver told me I was in the wrong place for the city center hotel shuttle, I'd been given the wrong directions...patience, Mitzi...so I gathered my things and walked to another area and found the right shuttle.
Of course, as it seems my luck always goes, I was the last to be dropped at my hotel...an hour ride! On the way, the driver convinced me that the best way to get to Lisse after dropping my large suitcase at the hotel I will end up at in a week, was to return with him to the airport and he would drop me off at the bus stop for the bus to the gardens where I could get a taxi to my hotel, about 10 minutes away. Sounded better than taking trains and buses with my two smaller cases and paraphernalia!
By that time about 20 hours had passed and I'd had only 2 hours sleep, so I was looking pretty pathetic! I took the bus to Lisse and as tired as I was, of course I started to chat with the young man who sat next to me! People are so interesting! He said he and his wife were here for 3 months as part of his business, but were also traveling all over. Of course I HAD to ask what he did...you never know what ideas I might get! (For example my new buddy from the plane and I discussed the possibility of getting a part time job with an airline, something I will look into).
But back to my current 'seat mate': he is an all-night poker player and there is a big tournament coming up! He graduated from Princeton...now that is a career I've never heard of, and it is providing them with a quite nice trip! However, I think I won't be pursuing that career!
Back to the bus ride to the gardens...we passed many tulip fields that were incredibly beautiful! They really are like the photos you see, tulips as far as your eyes can see! Amazing sight! I DIDN'T miss the tulips! When we arrived at the gardens people rushed to the entrance, I stood in exhausted dismay; there were NO taxis there, as I'd been told there would be. I entered the information building and it was almost another hour before one came that the lady had called. Finally I thought I would be at my destination, with a nice inviting bed to welcome me...but that was not yet to be! By that time it was afternoon and I was starving.
With no restaurant at my hotel, I headed out to find a place for a quick meal before bed...quick was not to be! But I did find a lovely little outdoor pancake restaurant and ordered the apple/banana pancake...it is fruit, right? :-). A Dutch pancake is very, very thin. The toppings are cooked into it. It was eventually served and it was the full size of the large dinner plate! Keep in mind it is VERY THIN, so it really wasn't that much food.
Of course in my total exhaustion, I had forgotten my camera...maybe I'll go back tomorrow, camera in hand, to feast on another pancake! Delicious!
After that meal I found a supermarket and purchased some bottled water, 6 bottles for.77 euros. What a deal. At least I think it is water! The line was quite long and I am sure that by that time I looked horrible and it was truly a fight to keep my eyes open. After I'd paid for the water and a couple of other snacky things I waited and didn't get a bag. I asked and she said it was .15 for one and by that time I wasn't sure I could get out a cent and a lovely couple I'd been chatting with insisted on buying it for me and finally I left with the need for sleep more evident than ever before I think!
After a two hour nap I tried in vain to find a way to get to the tulip fields for photos, but it was not to be, so I wandered through the town, took some local photos and then stopped for a nice dinner. Now it is back to bed for me I hopes of an early morning at Keukenhof before all the other tourists arrive! My taxi is already ordered so after breakfast at my hotel I will head out for the day I've been waiting and traveling for!
G’night to all from Lisse, The Netherlands!
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1 comment:
Glad you made it......I was getting tired just envisioning you waiting, schleping, etc., etc. Ahhh......the beauty of the tulips!! Hope you can get some rest! Barb
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