amsterdam
Amsterdam
Instead of going all the way to Centraal station, we decide to leave the train at Schiphol Airport, as this was closer to where we were staying. Our host in Amsterdam, Robert, met us right at the train platform and helped us with our luggage and we were at his place just a few minutes later. That night, Pili opened her birthday presents from me and other family members and we had another fantastic home-cooked meal. I only mention these meals because if you’ve done any extended travel, you can appreciate how refreshing it is to not have to order from a menu before you eat every now and then.
The next day, we tried to head into the city center, but we didn’t get very far. Instead, we were hit head on by some of the strongest wind and rain either of us had ever felt! This was the kind of wind that made it impossible to walk at times. The rain wasn’t too bad, but it was very cold and we decided that it wasn’t the best tourist weather, so we canceled the trip into town. Instead, we picked up some groceries and decided to go back and cook. On the way back, the skies opened up and in addition to the wind, it began to pour rain. That afternoon and evening, we just cooked and watched movies which may not sound exciting, but can be a nice change for a married couple that lives 3,500 miles apart!
The next day, our host, Robert, offered to show us some parts of Amsterdam that most tourists don’t see. The first stop was the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, which is the largest of its kind in the world. Before today, I had no idea that flower auctions even existed, much less that we were about to see the biggest one in the world. I knew that there were people that grew flowers for a living and I knew that there were shops all around the world that sold them, but I never made the connection that they have to be sold somehow in between. I had absolutely no idea what to expect going in, and was amazed when we arrived. According to Wikipedia, building of the flower auction in Aalsmeer is the largest commercial building in the world in terms of floorspace – 99 hectares, almost one square kilometer of floorspace! The actual auction room is quite small, with the main action going on in the warehouse. It is hard to describe here, but inside this building are hundreds of workers hauling these small “trains” of carts holding thousands of flowers. After the early morning (5 AM start time) auctions, these guys organize the flowers that were bought from different growers and deliver them to the buyers. The building is well insulated, so the temperature is constantly cool inside all year long. This building is virtually a city in itself, and from here the flowers that are grown locally are shipped all over Europe and around the world through close-by Schiphol airport. After the flower auction, we got to check out a local rose nursery, which grows three types of roses.
That afternoon, we went to visit the The North Sea Canal locks. These locks bring ships leaving Amsterdam up to sea level, as Amsterdam is below sea level. I have visited some locks before, but these were the biggest I have ever seen and we got there just in time to see a auto carrier go through the biggest of the three locks. That evening, we did a little shopping, then walked through the red light district just after sunset and checked out some of the monuments of Amsterdam, then took the tram back to where we were staying.
The next day, my flight left at noon and Pili decided to head back to Nijmegen by train, so we both left for the airport at the same time. It worked out very well as I checked in for the flight quickly, and her train left from right underneath the airport just before 11. Schiphol airport is one of the nicest and most convenient airports I’ve ever used. For the first time, we said our goodbyes as she was leaving and not me, but it was still sad all the same. My flight left on time and I was home 10 hours later. Pili enjoyed seeing some of her friends in Nijmegen, then returned to Amsterdam on the 17th for her KLM flight back to Lima.
Click here to see our Amsterdam pictures
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