Sept 18 – Who is ready for an adventure ? We are! Want to come along?

Today we packed up all our cares and woes into new backpacks that are so small that they actually qualify as carry-on luggage, and got on a big iron bird to Atlanta and then a 757 to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. For the first time, we did not have to show a boarding pass to get on the plane – the camera verified our faces, and we walked right on! All went according to schedule, and we arrived mid morning after a typical no-sleep-packed-like-sardines flight.

Schiphol Airport is a destination in itself, with supermarkets, art exhibits, showers and sleeping areas. Cheese, anyone?

We are here for several days at an airport hotel, just to recover from our jet lag. As we have visited Amsterdam several times before, we have no tourist plans here. Van Gogh? Rembrandt? Been there. Rijksmuseum? Anne Frank House? Done that. Sorry!

Sept 20 – After a fitful night’s sleep, we walked into the town of Hoofddorp to find a supermarket and have lunch. Throughout the Netherlands, you will see separate lanes for pedestrians (right), bicycles (left), and auto traffic (far left), as well as bus lanes, tram and train tracks (above).

This pedestrian walk meandered prettily among flower beds meant to attract butterflies and bees. Very nice!

There was even a little park with a pond and an anti-slavery monument.

Tomorrow, we will take the train into the city!