Tuesday, September 29, 1987
Managed to leave work a
little early and found Kent already at home. He had already prepared our salad
“appetizer” that we ate. When Pam B came home at 17:00, we asked if she could
take us to the 17:30 bus rather than the 18:30, which she did. Kent bought the
$17 cash roundtrip tickets on Bonanza to Logan Airport in Boston.
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| Bonanza bus ticket |
Fifteen
minutes after we stashed our bags under the bus, the driver was ready to leave,
but a last minute passenger ran up. He didn’t have a ticket and was sent inside
to purchase one. The driver circled the building and picked up the passenger on
the other side, where we were able to zip right on I-95. We had a rather
imperial view from our higher level perch on the bus, and could check out
accidents in a glance, and survey the traffic situation a good mile ahead!
There were beginning fall colors and a red sunset. We slowed up in Pawtucket
(no passengers), and stopped in Mansfield, MA where the driver gave a reading
lesson to someone in a “no parking” zone. We arrived at Logan in about an hour,
and after several terminal stops, got off at American Airlines, thanks to Kent
having called Sabena to get more exact information. No line to check in, and
the manager, Mr Charlie Ash, okayed our carry-on luggage and even suggested
that Kent tuck his briefcase in the garment bag to avoid a hassle at the gate.
Kent found out where to get money exchanged, and we caught the free shuttle bus
for route 11 that took us to Terminal E. We got Belgian and Dutch money, and
returned by shuttle to Terminal B. We went through x-ray to Gate 22, where a
tiny jet was leaving for Providence! We did a makeshift cotter pin repair on
the handle of the garment bag, because the button broke from our first repair
job.
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| Our luggage |
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| Cotter pin repair |
A bunch or rather a company,
of Marines watched Jeopardy on the courtesy TV. The waiting room emptied out,
and Kent learned our flight had only 80 passengers. A medical rescue truck met
the plane arriving from Detroit at 20:45.
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| Boston to Brussels boarding pass |
We started boarding at 21:45, and
were already leaving at 21:55, and in the air by 22:05, with a scheduled
departure of 22:00! Kent pointed out a premature smoker as we boarded. I lifted
up my jacket from my lap to discover a button that had just fallen off! Kent
paid $3 for a headset to listen to Elvis in German, and Belgian music including
Jacques Brel. For a beverage, Kent got a Belgian beer, a Maes Pils, with a
strong flavor, but good. My ginger ale was just fair! Kent poured his beer into
a cup, and it began leaking out a hole in the center of the bottom. Kent had to
plug the dyke until he got a new cup. A woman came along to check several
overhead compartments, and she had fresh gauze on her arm; the recipient of the
rescue truck? There was another beverage run, and Kent got another beer and a
pin stuck into his headrest. Our dinner trays contained beef tips with pasta
shells, peas and pearl onions, cheese and crackers, a tiny roll (more were
offered), salad with Italian dressing, and a cheese cupcake, as well as mineral
water. Later coffee and tea, and another beverage run. The pin was a reminder
for them to collect $2 for the beer. Dinner was done about 23:30.
Wednesday, September 30, 1987
Kent watched the movie
“Malone” in bits between dozing. Breakfast was at 3:00 with a Danish and a roll
with butter and preserves, along with orange juice, coffee, or tea. I sewed on
my jacket button. We took Sudafed antihistamines in an attempt to clear the
middle ear for descent and landing, and did fine as our DC-10 arrived in
Brussels 5 minutes early at 4:20, or 9:20 local time. Went directly through
customs and didn’t see the Ls waiting at the exit. So we bought second
class train tickets into the city for 70 BEF/$1.85, catching the 9:46 train,
arriving at Brussel Centraal at 10:05.
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| Brussels airport to train station ticket |
It took two tries to get up the stairs
to the ticket windows, then two tries to get to the international window to buy
one-way tickets to Amsterdam at 836 Belgian Francs/BEF/$22 each.
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| Brussels to Amsterdam train ticket |
We bought a
Coca-Cola Light from a vending machine to quench our thirst, then went to track
5 to await the 11:14 train, which of course left on time.
It was supposed to be 45
degrees when we arrived in Brussels, but it was comfortable with a jacket or
sweater. It was sunny and we saw a man in his backyard without a shirt! We
slipped into the Netherlands, no welcoming sign, no customs. There were fields
of cows and corn, poplar-lined dykes (low country!), sugar beet harvesting,
school kids on bikes and mopeds. “Looks like Ohio!” commented Kent as we passed
through flat countryside. A crop of gladiolas, half dark purple. A stork,
herons, lace curtains in windows, and working windmills near Leiden. A snack
cart went through the train several times. Kent noted young people doing Monty
Python routines; a good sense of humor here. We arrived in Amsterdam on time at
14:08. Decided to first find a hotel, and went a little out of the way before
finding 135-7 Herengracht where the Hotel Groot was located. Rang a bell and
answered a call from upstairs. The proprietor gave us a double room for the
night for 90 Netherland Guilders/NLG/$45, and tried to sell us two nights for
75 each.
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| Hotel Groot receipt |
Filled out forms and took the key after leaving a 10 NLG/$5 deposit.
We went to Room 22 on the 3rd floor, which is the 4th floor in the US. Up
narrow winding stairs with clean linoleum and tile. The room was small with a double
bed and sink, lace curtains across the front windows looking down onto the
canal and street. There were also drapes to draw for the night. The toilet was
down the hall, and the showers were down one floor. Church bells were ringing.
We let ourselves out of the hotel to find a place to eat. Turned up a side
street (Bergstraat) next to the hotel towards the Dam Square, and saw damsels
in their front windows with red lights. So here, too!
In the square, some black
fellows were drumming and tinning tribal music as others danced in their own
fashion. Headed down Kalverstraat, full of shops and boutiques, and fast-food
type places (including McDonald’s). Detoured to the Begijnhof, known as an
Almshouse that started in 1346, with its old ladies and cats as inhabitants.
Well-kept 14-18th century homes with shiny clean windows. Went in the
well-decorated Catholic chapel (1671), once kept a secret. One complete wall
fresco was being restored.
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| Catholic Chapel entrance |
The original Catholic church (1400) was confiscated
in 1578 and is now the English Reformed Church. It was given to the Pilgrim
Fathers when they were here in 1607. Now the organist was at work with someone.
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| Reflection of the English Reformed Church |
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| Artists at the English Reformed Church |
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| Begijnhof courtyard (KSS) |
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| Cat on the steps |
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| Peephole where young women could modestly look out |
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Het Houten Huis/The Wooden House (1420),
the oldest house in Amsterdam |
Back out to Kalverstraat, where we decided to eat at Paris Croissant, getting a slice of vegetable pizza warmed in an ancient microwave, and chocolate croissants. We browsed a toy store, then the Singel Flower Market on canal barges, although you would not have realized that from the storefronts.
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| Bloemenmarkt/Flower Market |
Found ourselves at the Mint, covered with green lightbulbs. It was a 1490 monument and part of the old city walls. The nation’s coin press was hidden in the octagonal base during French occupation in 1672, thus the name Mint. We wandered up Kloveniersburgwal and found #26, which was supposedly the narrowest house in Amsterdam, and known as Mr Trip’s coachman’s house, who once remarked, "I'd be happy with a house only as wide as my bosses' front door!" However, this house was built in 1696, well past the dates of death for the Trip brothers. It is 2.44 m/8’ wide.
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26 Kloveniersburgwal,
one of the narrowest houses |
Arrived at the round building of DeWaag, built in 1488 as a gate to the old city. Later it was converted into guild offices on the top floors, used 1619-1939. The anatomy lesson of Dr Tulp as painted by Rembrandt took place here, and we found a doorway that proclaimed in Latin: the Anatomy Theater.
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| The Anatomy Theater door at DeWaag |
Since 1926 it has housed the Jewish Historical Museum.
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| Canal houses and hoisting hooks |
We ended up near the train station, designed by P J H Cuypers in 1889 in Dutch Renaissance style. Next was Schreierstore /the crying tower, built in 1487, where it is said wives bid farewell to their sailor husbands.
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| Schreierstoren/Crying Tower |
A plaque is dedicated to New Amsterdam (Manhattan, NYC) and a tablet for Hendrick Hudson, as he left from here to eventually “discover” NYC! The building seemed to house a nautical equipment museum.
St Nicholas Church was closed on weekdays, but this is where Rembrandt’s wife, Saskia, now rests, as well as composer Jan Sweelinck. The church was built in 1306, and on the outside it was dark and imposing. It bordered on the Red Light District and we plunged in, seeing the goods on display, as well as seeing drugs being used, from cocaine to marijuana. Kent noticed several bars that had a marijuana leaf symbol in their windows, signifying they had it for sale. Saw lots of black guys running out of an alley, which seemed to mean trouble. We walked around the Oude Kerk/Old Church, built in the 14th century. It was surrounded by red lights, peep show cinemas, tattoo parlors, placing it definitely in the sailors’ district. Such a contrast!
We found our way back to the Dam Square, once a fish market. Noted the National Monument, but couldn’t figure if it was the allegorical statue representing Amsterdam, since there were no seven arches to represent the seven provinces. (N.B. The allegorical figure represents victory and peace, and the seven arches are actually on the façade of the Royal Palace.)
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| National Monument |
It is a monument to the Dutch victims of World War I, and the plaques on the curved wall were for the twelve urns representing the 11 provinces plus Indonesia. We returned to the hotel, and had already seen many of the 1,001, or 1200, bridges, 50 canals, and innumerable furniture hoisting hooks on the buildings. Kent wanted a drink, so we stopped in the corner café, Ylonda. Kent ordered a coffee to go, and the proprietress checked her surprise and gave us our drinks in plastic cups (I had apple juice), plus she gave us a package of crackers.
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| Hotel Groot room |
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| Lace curtain |
We showered and regrouped, then headed to the
train station to get some business done. We had our Eurail Passes validated,
got information on trains to Berlin (deciding against the high fee of sleeping
accommodations on Russian coaches for over $60 each!), made reservations for 2nd class seats, and purchased train tickets through East Germany, since Eurail
Pass is not valid there.
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| Eurail Pass |
We changed more money. Kent was tired of the long
lines, and it seems everyone smokes! Back out in the crisp autumn air, we made
a beeline for Binnen Bantammerstraat with all the Indo-Chinese restaurants. The
cheapest seemed to be Azië, and we were the only clients for the evening! Kent
ordered the traditional Rijstaffel with 14 dishes for one person, and I had the
Bami (/noodle dish like the rice dish of Nasi) Rame special. Kent had a
foot-long 4’ wide “pork rind” (rice ship?), and a bowl of rice. The hot plate
contained servings of curried beef and goulash beef in “chili sauce,” as well
as bean sprouts in a peanut sauce, spicy fired tofu (wow!), boiled cabbage,
pickled cabbage, pickles, boiled egg, and a meatball with a sweetish
oyster-like sauce, plus coconut and sugar, peanuts, and potato sticks! While
Kent’s meal was separated in compartments, mine was mixed together, with the
curried and goulash beef over noodles, with coconut, two types of cabbage, bean
sprouts and potato sticks. I also had pork on a skewer with peanut sauce, a half
“pork rind,” with a fried egg on top of it all! A variety of tastes and very
good, although too much food. I had Spa mineral water and Kent tried the Amstel
Gold and Tuborg Gold Label beers. Had to call the waiter, who was waiting, to
let him know we were finished. He cleared away the dishes, and went to wait
again! So we called again to get the check, leaving 47 NLG 50/$23.
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| Azië restaurant bill |
Dinner
conversation was about the Dutch people, religious tolerance, history, etc.
Early to bed at 8:30.
Next: Amsterdam II.
