I amsterdam!

So on our way over to Barcelona from Florida we took a day layover in Amsterdam. We were instructed by our flight attendant, Miriam, that gin was a specialty of the Netherlands and she gave us each a small bottle of gin in a ceramic souvenir house. We must chill the gin first, as it is best when cold!

After dropping our luggage at the hotel we took the shuttle back to the airport and attempted to buy a train ticket at the kiosk and then at the desk. But our credit cards were not welcome there! One must have a chip in the card and have a PIN. Being Americans, we had no such thing. Well, we had a chip, but the only PIN was for a cash withdrawal at ridiculous rates. It became a cash trip.

We eventually navigated into town and made our way to the Rijks Museum. First we made a stop for a cup of coffee amid the bustle. Amsterdam = bikes, right? It was more than that. Bikes people and cars in a cacophony of overdrive activity! There wasn't much in the way of traffic signs and signals and yet everything and everyone moved around mostly gracefully.

There are dedicated bike lanes and pedestrians must beware. I found the entire thing a bit overwhelming at first. The jet lag probably didn't help much. The demarcations between sidewalk, bike lane and street didn't feel terribly distinct. But it was very entertaining from behind a cup of tea!

The Rijks Museum was fully open in all its glory! On our last visit it had been under construction with limited viewing. And geez was it big. By the time we walked there we were about ready to fall over. So we took our time. At one point we sat in front of paintings of a ship and I managed to nod off on the bench for a few minutes...

When we left the museum we decided to do nothing else for the afternoon but people-watch. There was a park across from the museum and it had an "I amsterdam" sculpture. What mad mayhem!

Oh the fashion! Oh the clustering around the cell phone charging station! Oh the posing for cameras!

But it was quite cool and the breeze picked up so we decided to move on. We purchased two sodas from the hot dog stand for a caffeine kick and sought out our next refuge.

I did manage to saunter around the museum gift shop before leaving. It represented both the Rijks and Van Gogh museums.

As we passed by it struck me as remarkable that we had purchased Coca-colas from an "American" hot dog stand with our flag painted boldly on the back.

What else could we do but pose for a selfie in the reflection? Swirled in the jet-lagged confusion of a Van Gogh masterpiece.

The rest of that day is a bit of blur. A terrible meal at a restaurant with incredibly slow service (or was that just the perception of tired travelers?).

A ride on the bus with a crowd of school kids and a conversation with their teacher.

Waiting and waiting for the hotel shuttle.

Tumbling into bed wondering how to wake up on time the next morning.

And then it happened. Morning arrived. Rested. Showered. Packed. On our way!

We were so excited! We walked out of our way so I could climb up on the "I amsterdam" sculpture at the airport. All to myself! Then we checked-in.

Except that they couldn't find us. Turns out we were supposed to fly out .... yesterday! The layover that never was! Our sleepy, jet-lagged motions in Amsterdam a sham!

Use the cell phone to log into the internet in the airport. Dial the airline via Skype. Breathe. Pray the connection doesn't drop. Pay extra. Board the plane. Hooray!