For as many flights as we have taken out of Georgia over the past 13 years, security has always been a little different from other airports. Once, they suggested sending our cats through the X-Ray machine. Often the metal detectors are set so low that Marty's artificial hips don't set off the bells and whistles. Many times they do set them off and the wand is used along with a pat down. This time, bells went off and no wand and no pat down. She was escorted into a private room with two security women and when she said she had two artificial hips, they said "show me." Marty said they couldn't see inside her. "Show me." So she pulled down her trousers and rang her finger over the scar on each side and side, "inside here." Amazing, does she look like a 70+ year old terrorist? (Maybe)
The first flight was to Istanbul; there we had a four-hour layover before the next flight to Amsrerdam. This layover felt strange, as we usually have much time there and go in to explore the city.
Once at Amsterdam we headed into the city where we spent the night in at the very small Alp Hotel. After taking the train into the Amsterdam Central Station, we had planned to go by tram to the hotel. At the information desk at the airport, though, we were told something that didn't agree with the guidebook! By that time we were tired, so decided to just take a cab, and this was easy: he took us right to the door. Leaving the cab, David almost was run down by a bicyclist; forgetting that bike paths run between the street and the sidewalks. The biker muttered something like "Damned tourists" in Dutch.
When we arrived we were offered a complimentary beverage, so Marty had a glass of white wine and David had a beer. First time that has ever happened. The hotel was a narrow little place with a steep winding stair that lead from the ground floor to the 1st floor. We had two twin beds shoved together, with very good mattresses, except the pillows were larger than life and more like semi soft bricks. On our beds we found a chocolate and a Granny Smith apple! Those Dutch, they think of everything. Breakfast was buffet with about eight types of bread along with hot hard boiled eggs, cereals, milk, juices, coffee, yogurts, fresh fruit, tomatoes, cakes, feta cheese along with sliced cheeses and meats. Sweet.
We caught the tram immediately across the street from the hotel and with a hour's worth of tram time for €2.80 we nicely got to Central Station and caught the train to the airport. Taking only 40 minutes from the hotel we felt this was a very good deal.
People are helpful and courteous in Amsterdam. The airport is massive and one could walk forever without getting to the gate. At least they have walk time estimates to ranges of gates so you don't wait too long to head out. Our flight to the US had a very early "boarding" time which was more of a "report to the gate" for security than it was for boarding. With US bound flights there are lots of questions to answer and then go through the scanners remove shoes, belts, pull out laptops and iPads, take off your watch to avoid it setting off the alarms, take the change out of your pockets.
Waiting for push-off at Amsterdam
Now in the air we find that Marty's seat will not recline because the guy behind her was preventing it, but she prevailed! We have two younger Indian children in front of us with whom we could use duct tape for some silence and safety. Right now the younger one is doing gymnastics in the aisle and David has moved his glass of wine for safety! Such is holiday travel.
Listening to REM at 35,000' is okay!
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