Where are you?!

I nearly missed my flight to Amsterdam for a long weekend getaway with my husband, who was working in Poland. He planned to meet me at the Amsterdam airport on Friday. I was terribly mixed up, thinking I would fly out from Detroit on Friday evening and arrive Friday morning; for some idiotic reason, I thought the US was 8 hours ahead of Amsterdam when actually it’s only six hours, and we are are behind in time, not ahead. And because my ticket said I arrived Friday, I assumed I left on the same day. I didn’t notice the departure was actually  Thursday. So much for details.

Anyway, he had arranged for a car to pick me up on Thursday to take me to Metro Detroit, and of course, I wasn’t home. I was out doing errands when he called my cell phone to ask “Where are you?! There’s a car in the driveway waiting for you!!” Eek! Luckily, I was only ten minutes away, and (because I’m organized… somewhat) I was all packed and ready to go. It also helped that my flight was delayed by one hour. Phew.

I made it

We had a lovely time. The highlights were the World Press Photo Show, featuring stunning photographs by 45 prize winners from 25 countries in eight categories; The Van Gogh Museum; the Heineken Experience (which covered everything from the Heineken family history to the brewing process); a Bag and Purse Museum that even Don enjoyed; the Red Light District; a canal boat ride; and all the fabulous little restaurants and neighborhoods. I wish we’d had more time because there was so much more we wanted to see. We’ll simply have to go again.

The people were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and everyone we dealt with spoke English. Fortunately no one asked us to explain our president.

A bit of history: we stayed in the Hilton Amsterdam, which is where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their “Bed-in for Peace” to protest the war.

Here’s a slide show:

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Linda K. Sienkiewicz is the author of In the Context of Love, adult contemporary fiction about one woman’s needs to tell her story without shame.

2016 Sarton Women’s Fiction Finalist
2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist
2016 Readers’ Favorite Finalist
2016 USA Book News Best Book Finalist
2015 Great Midwest Book Fest Honorable Mention.

“…at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. Should be required reading for all wayward teenage girls, and their mothers, too.” ~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of National Book Award Finalist, American Salvage, and critically acclaimed Once Upon a River,and Mothers, Tell Your Daughters

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