9-4-2024 - We make it to Amsterdam!

 On this last flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam Michael and I are sitting at opposite sides of the plane in Business class.  This is an experiment to see if these seats actually have more room for your feet.  So I only see Michael once during the flight.  When we are to deplane I notice that he once again has the nosebleed clip on his nose.  It had started again - but doesn't seem to bad.

At Schiphol airport - we walk miles to finally find the customs and passport control area.  The line is very long.  They are only letting about 20 people through to go down the the passport control area.  And even then - there are about 20 zigzag lines to go through to get to the front.  Only four people are working - there seems to be booths for 12 - 16 workers.  Are the workers on strike we wonder.

We find a taxi and get to our hotel with no problem.  Our taxi is a van with room for about 8 passengers and all their luggage - it feels like an extravagance for just two of us!  The room is not ready as we are there several hours early.  So we wait in the lobby.  But not for long - I am glad as we are both very tired.

As in most of most big cities in Europe - the room seems tiny.  The bathroom has room only for 1 and no place to put anything.  But our room has a "west" wing (actually I have no idea what direction it  is).  There is a large wall of tall windows on one side of the room.  There is a narrow passage that leads to a desk area with two chairs and a closet.  It takes a while to organize where to put our stuff and then take a nap followed by showers.  

We are to meet up with a friend who has moved to Amsterdam along with his partner for drinks at 4pm.  We ask to meet earlier as we are both starving.  We meet at the hotel and then walk to our favorite Kabob place near the Albert Culp market.  The food is good - but the restaurant is extremely hot.  They get desert - baclava - and I have to have some too - but I will eat it later.  Then we find a bar so they can have beer and I can have the one whisky they have in stock!  I have never like beer!  We talk for several hours and after a couple of rounds of drinks Michael and I are fading.  The discussion had turned depressing as Craig had many horror stories of older people being taken advantage of by caretakers.  Are we doing the right thing by trying to stay in our house?

Tomorrow will be brighter - Alexis arrives in the morning and we will have two days together before Michael and I head to Italy.