Amsterdam, Day One
We just returned from a trip to Amsterdam. This is our first trip to a non-English speaking country (although, really, English is spoken everywhere in Europe so it's hardly a hardship) so we're easing into further tours. I'm breaking this into three posts since there will be a lot of writing and pictures.
Our trip started around 5.15pm Friday evening with a taxi ride to the Ipswich train station. We shared a single bag, so our luggage load was light. It took about an hour to get to Harwich by train. The station is right at the ferry terminal, so it was no walk at all to get to the ferry departure area.
The sun had nearly set by the time we boarded. The Stena Line ferry was huge and well-appointed: in the single passenger deck were packed a dining area, restaurant, fast food, shop, business lounge, wifi lounge, kids' play area, casino, coffee shop, two bars, a dance floor, and two cinemas. We had a buffet dinner right away; 18 euros, half price for Sarah. (Our first chance to spend euros! Look! My keyboard can make that symbol too: €) I enjoyed a good nosh with salmon, fried fish, stuffed chicken breast, boiled veg, roasted potatoes, some of Sarah's fries/chips (with mayonnaise on top!), stout, desserts, and port. Oooh, I'm feeling tipsy ... must be the boat. Then we camped out in seats near the play area and watched Sarah as she computer-painted and watched Tom and Jerry cartoons. We were also close to the dance floor, where I heard more US pop music than I had in years; it was the first time I'd heard anything from 50 Cent or Shakira.
The ferry ride was about four hours. We docked at Hoek van Holland and went through Customs. Again, the train station was right there. Around 12.30 we boarded a train to Amsterdam that also made stops at Rotterdam, Gouda, Der Haag (The Hague?) and the Schipol airport. We couldn't see much in the dark but I did notice larger signs and more neon than we see in the UK. Being a late Friday night, a few passengers were being really loud upstairs. Dutch sounds a lot like German, and I've heard swearing in Dutch described as being like llamas spitting, so I wouldn't disagree. It also introduced me to the local cheap, default beer. In the States, if you're not at all picky and ask for a beer, you'll get something like Coors, Pabst, Miller, Budweiser. In the UK, it's Carlsberg, Becks, and Stella Artois. In the Netherlands, it's Heineken and Grolsch.
From the train station we took a wild taxi ride to our hotel: fast starts, fast stops, high speeds, lots of lane changing with no signals. At €25 we were probably ripped off but we were tired and inexperienced. It was nearly 3am by the time we arrived. We'd reserved a standard room but staff had difficulty fitting in a sleeper bed so we were given a nearby suite at no extra charge. I took a picture later as it was given the same name as the nickname we use for Sarah when she is whining and being a drama queen.
Our trip started around 5.15pm Friday evening with a taxi ride to the Ipswich train station. We shared a single bag, so our luggage load was light. It took about an hour to get to Harwich by train. The station is right at the ferry terminal, so it was no walk at all to get to the ferry departure area.
The sun had nearly set by the time we boarded. The Stena Line ferry was huge and well-appointed: in the single passenger deck were packed a dining area, restaurant, fast food, shop, business lounge, wifi lounge, kids' play area, casino, coffee shop, two bars, a dance floor, and two cinemas. We had a buffet dinner right away; 18 euros, half price for Sarah. (Our first chance to spend euros! Look! My keyboard can make that symbol too: €) I enjoyed a good nosh with salmon, fried fish, stuffed chicken breast, boiled veg, roasted potatoes, some of Sarah's fries/chips (with mayonnaise on top!), stout, desserts, and port. Oooh, I'm feeling tipsy ... must be the boat. Then we camped out in seats near the play area and watched Sarah as she computer-painted and watched Tom and Jerry cartoons. We were also close to the dance floor, where I heard more US pop music than I had in years; it was the first time I'd heard anything from 50 Cent or Shakira.
The ferry ride was about four hours. We docked at Hoek van Holland and went through Customs. Again, the train station was right there. Around 12.30 we boarded a train to Amsterdam that also made stops at Rotterdam, Gouda, Der Haag (The Hague?) and the Schipol airport. We couldn't see much in the dark but I did notice larger signs and more neon than we see in the UK. Being a late Friday night, a few passengers were being really loud upstairs. Dutch sounds a lot like German, and I've heard swearing in Dutch described as being like llamas spitting, so I wouldn't disagree. It also introduced me to the local cheap, default beer. In the States, if you're not at all picky and ask for a beer, you'll get something like Coors, Pabst, Miller, Budweiser. In the UK, it's Carlsberg, Becks, and Stella Artois. In the Netherlands, it's Heineken and Grolsch.
From the train station we took a wild taxi ride to our hotel: fast starts, fast stops, high speeds, lots of lane changing with no signals. At €25 we were probably ripped off but we were tired and inexperienced. It was nearly 3am by the time we arrived. We'd reserved a standard room but staff had difficulty fitting in a sleeper bed so we were given a nearby suite at no extra charge. I took a picture later as it was given the same name as the nickname we use for Sarah when she is whining and being a drama queen.
posted by Michael Nelson at 1:49 am
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