Amsterdam - City of Bikes

We arrived in Amsterdam at 6:30 AM - 1/2 an hour early after 2 uneventful flights!  Take that volcano!  Unfortunately we didn't sleep much on the plane and so by the time we arrived at our hotel (7:30 - customs was FAST) we were winding down and hoping to check in early, maybe catch a quick nap and a shower and then begin our day.  Well, expectations are a bitch, and so we were told we could leave our luggage but that check in was at 2PM - WTF - all jet-lagged that was more than 6 hours to waste in our zombi state.

We wandered out of the hotel, suffering our fate, and randomly headed down the street.  Jet lag is sort of funny and comes in many different ways - today, you would never have known that Trav and I are educated professionals as we aimlessly wandered down side streets turning this way and that with no idea which way we were headed, why we were headed there, or what we intended to accomplish - just wandering.

Starving, we finally asked for help (a page out of the Amazing Race book) to find a place for breakfast.  We found a bagel shop that also had wifi and with a little food, a restroom and an iPhone we finally figured out where we were and formulated a plan to get us through till at least noon.  Back to the hotel to grab sweaters - apparently in "jet lag land" we thought we were in the Carribean - suffered the "bitchy" look from the desk lady "you can't possibly be back to check in already" - we got our coats and headed toward the city center (I had north all wrong the first time round). 

THE PLAN - head to a photography museum, then grab lunch, then maybe we would have wasted enough time.  THE EXECUTION - got to museum 15 minutes before opening, decide to go around the block for a look around, found a cafe and decided we should have a drink, or 2, then lunch - well, it was a beautiful day and sitting in Rembrandt Square we just sort of melted into some outdoor chairs in the sun and time seemed to drift away, besides there were street musicians to entertain us...  so, no museum, but we did get some food and at noon we thought we might be safe to "face the bitchy desk lady".

Not so much.  Our room still not ready, and me completely comatose and about to melt down we headed to the hotel bar for another drink (like I needed that) to wait it out.  Finally an hour later we were in the room, clothes strung out on the floor, shades pulled and out cold.  I know those of you who have done the Europe travel thing will be thinking - you should really stay up and suck it up and get on the right time schedule - yeah, well, suck it I say.

Finally feeling a bit better after a snooze we headed to a nice dinner at an Italian place L'Ozio ( I think) and it was delicious - a bottle of wine, some fine food, racous atmosphere and it was time to say good night...

So, goodnight, talk to you tomorrow.