Thursday, June 15, 2023

Amsterdam

7:07 pm

Yesterday I checked into my city center hotel. The hotel and room are wonderful, life outside not so much. I find Amsterdam to be too overwhelming with people, shops, smell, and filth (much more apparent at 7:00 in the morning after the revelers have gone to bed).

I finally ate a full meal at a Chinese restaurant recommended by the hotel front desk staff. A small bowl of soup with mushroom, which was delicious and a noodle plate, which was okay but filling. After much walking and before retiring to my room I stopped at an Hungarian sweet shop and had a delicious “chimney cake.” I photographed and videoed the making of it and will post it on my Facebook page. It was yummy and very filling. My stomach actually made lots of noise after the influx of food after so many light days of eating. In my room I climbed into the nice comfy bed and was asleep around 9:30 pm.

And then woke up at 3:00 am. That’s how I got such a beautiful picture from outside my hotel room. After reading was able to sleep for another hour or so.

I woke up with the decision to take the train to Maastricht, a town at the very southern tip. It was a 2 ½ hour ride each way through towns and the countryside – lovely. The purpose of this trip to Maastricht is really the whole reason I’m here in the Netherlands at all. A year and a half ago my uncle asked if I knew anyone that would accompany him here because he had a heart mission to fulfill. His beautiful wife, who is unable to travel such a distance from home has an uncle, her mother’s youngest brother, buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery. He was a casualty of WWII. My uncle and I planned this trip together but two weeks before we were to fly out, his health took a turn and he had to cancel. Both of us had purchased insurance on our flight so for me it was a decision I had to make whether or not to go or stay home. So, here I am on my own and today was able to travel to the American Cemetery, locate the grave and take photos for my aunt and uncle back home.

Public transportation here is AMAZING. Trains, trams, and buses run so well, are clean, and easy to navigate. People are very helpful in answering questions, as well. When I got off the train in Maastrict, I asked how to get to the cemetery in Maargarten. “Take that bus, #350. It drops you off right in front.” And it did. On the way to the cemetery a man sitting across the aisle from me asked if I had relatives I was visiting. I explained why I was going, and that short conversation turned into much more. He was on his way to a town past the cemetery to teach a yoga class at a center for the elderly. After small talk we said our goodbyes and I got off the bus. When it was time to catch the bus back to the train station, I waited on the other side of the road. When it arrived, I hopped on and heard, “Hi, Lisa.” It was the man I’d met. I asked him what happened, and he said no one showed up for his class; it was the first time that had happened to him so he was returning home.

Now before you think I was being stalked; it all was a coincidence. He didn’t know when I’d be taking the bus back. I felt very comfortable, so I sat next to him and for the 9-mile ride back to town we got to know one another. Since I hadn’t yet eaten, I asked him to join me for lunch. Over our meal we talked, sharing a little about one another. Nice man. Once he discovered my background and love of history, he took me on a tour of the town where he has lived all his life. What an historic place – it is fascinating. I have photos of all that, as well. At 1:30 pm I said farewell to my new friend and boarded the train back to Amsterdam.

Here I sit, having reorganized my belongings, taken a nice hot bath, recharged my computer, phone, and video camera. I’ve made reservations for a visit to Brussels tomorrow. Will stay there overnight and then Paris is supposed to be next for two nights. I’ve booked a room in a monastery there (I had such luck with one in Rome). However, I am unsure from one day to the next what the plan is so we’ll see.

The days are moving along but not having solid plans of where I’m going and where I’ll be staying is disconcerting. So, stay tuned. More to come.