Schiphol Airport Day

We didn't think this was going to be our focal point for the day, but that's how it ended up -- just like at home, when you want to travel any distance that is about as far as Boston or closer, it is possible that flying will take as much time as driving. We have observed this many times. But at least when you are in a foreign country, it is more interesting and the food is different.

Jon was in much better condition today after a full day of rest and abstinence from food. He was ready to resume travel.  In hindsight, he says he was probably sick and not just suffering from his chronic stomach troubles.  In some ways this is better because we can then hope that he will return to eating with the rest of us soon.

Our host came to say goodbye and retrieve the keys at 11:00.  We chatted for a few minutes, learned that her family came from Turkey and her parents never learned to speak Dutch. To this day she and her siblings speak Dutch to each other but her mother cannot participate. It makes me wonder what language the children do share with their mother. Didn't occur to me to ask.

For me, Dutch is so far from English.  I ask Rebecca to look up words that seem to be warnings because they are so prevalent (let op means pay attention, for example. Who would ever guess that?).  I have never had any experience with German.  When we were in the museum in Amsterdam listening to an audio thing, R. commented that it always sounds like the Swedish Chef on Sesame Street. She uses Google Translate often, which is an amazing tool.

Anyway, we got on the bus and the train, zoomed off to Schiphol Airport which R. says is the third busiest in Europe.  For some reason she has a lot of fun facts stored up about this particular airport even though this was her first time there.  The train station is right in the airport and the way they divide the crowds and security lines is efficient and smart -- there is no central check-in location, you get sorted by departure plans immediately.  The security line takes 5 - 10 minutes and then you hang around in this lounge area because they don't tell you which gate until the last minute.  So everyone watches the monitor and eats and drinks and shops, and then groups get peeled off as the planes are ready to load.  The price of the food made R. squirm but at least it was real food.  I had a fine tomato mozzarella panini for about $8 which kept me alive and happy.

Waiting for Jon to return from his wanderings so we can follow(?!?) everyone one else to the gate.

In spite of all the crowd control efficiency, the departure was late. So we were at the airport for well over three hours before our plane was announced.  By the time we took off, it was 3:45 and getting dark.  We slept the whole time on the plane -- getting down the runway took a very long time but the time in the air was exactly an hour -- and woke up in the dark in Copenhagen.

Industrial Amsterdam soon after take off.

Another big, busy airport.  Another language, another currency.  We bought two-day passes for public transportation and then walked the whole way to our apartment.  Another city with lots of canals and waterways. Our Airbnb is in a huge apartment building with at least one courtyard in the middle (haven't explored in the daylight yet).  Again we have tons of space. But somehow the nicely stocked kitchen has not one single pot or pan, which definitely cramps our style.  Jon and Becca went out for provisions and brought back plenty of food that doesn't need a stove. They even got ice cream.

These two can talk about football or hockey or particular football players forever.  It is nice to be so far from the news but we can't help checking our usual news sites (UGH) and seeing that things are still as bad as ever.

Football in Denmark, and not the kind with a round ball.

Copenhagen is vast, with a huge array of things to see and learn. So much to see, so little time.