How Much is That in Euros?

In 2007, there were not as many websites available to help travelers find flights, hotels, restaurants, and everything else you need to know when you travel.  After searching the few sites online I found a relatively inexpensive hotel with a restaurant and that advertised shuttle service to and from the airport.  We booked a room for 3 nights and Bill and Verda booked into the same hotel for 2 nights.

The idea of guest reviews was not as popular then as it is now, so there were not very many reviews to check.  But I sure wish someone had mentioned that the shower leaked all over the bathroom floor in our room.  We had to roll up our pant legs until it dried up.  

Another unpleasant surprise was that, when we arrived at Schiphol airport, we discovered that the shuttle cost 12.5 Euros per person, or about $33.00 for the two of us.  And, it was my mistake that I assumed that the shuttle would be free if we stayed at that hotel.  When the cost of the shuttle was added in to the cost of the room, it turned out not to be an inexpensive room after all.  

But upon arriving after a trans-Atlantic flight, you’re not going to care about much but sleep.  We crawled into bed immediately and had a nap til we woke up hungry.  My husband, Ron, and I took a walk around the neighborhood and found the markets.  We bought goodies for an in-room picnic and went back to sleep for the night. 

Bill and Verda arrived early the next morning, but had several hours before they could check in, so we decided to take our first tour of Amsterdam.  The hotel was quite close to a tram stop that would take us anywhere we wanted to go, and the hotel desk sold us two-day tram passes.  The first thing on our list was the “Damme” or Dam Square.

It is difficult to see this as the original dam across the Amstel River since it is so large.  The Dam Square is always full of living statues, like the one above, jugglers, protesters, and unusual monuments.

Right away, we had to learn how to walk around in Amsterdam.  In the U.S., the pedestrian always has the right of way, but not in the Netherlands.  We had to watch for trams, be on the lookout for speeding cars, and, most of all, not walk in the bike lanes!  We were sure Ron was going to get hit before our stay was over.  He couldn't help walking next to the canals, which were where the bike lanes were.  We constantly heard Brrrrring! Brrrrring! Get out of the way or get run over!

Coming from a car-centric country, we found it unusual that the favored mode of transportation is the bicycle.  There are literally thousands of bikes in Amsterdam with parking garages just for them.  Seeing these bikes, you can't help but think that the Dutch must be much healthier than Americans.  The other thing that strikes you is the lack of "safety standards."  You know that what you see in the photo above would never be allowed in the U.S.

Back at the hotel for dinner and we were ready to talk about our various options now that we were in Europe and had a car to pick up on Monday morning.  Since we were starting out from Amsterdam, we realized that it would be foolish to try to get to Rome, Florence and Venice.  Someone suggested that we each pick one thing that we really, really, really wanted to do.   My husband wanted to see the beaches at Normandy.  His uncle Willie had died in the invasion and Ron had always been interested in the history of World War II.   Our friend, Bill,  is of German extraction and expressed a desire to learn more about his family's roots, but since they were staying an extra week, they said they would do that after we left to come home.  Verda paints and said her trip would be complete if she could go to the Louvre.  Oh, and she wanted to make sure that we actually got to Paris and didn't fiddle around and run out of time.  I agreed with her but said that my heart's desire was to to stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset and see the lights of Paris come on below us.  So, first,  explore Amsterdam on the one day we had, then off to Normandy.

First Trip to Europe

When I was a little girl, my mother enrolled me in an educational program from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They sent a packet of information each month about different art museums in the world and the works of art that could be seen in them.  I pored over these materials for hours, and carefully, so carefully, put the stickers in my booklet in their little frames.  My favorite was the "Winged Victory of Samothrace."There was something about her power and grace that spoke to me.  I imagined myself transported from my little room in Selma, Alabama, to Paris, to the Louvre, and standing in front of her.  And then, over the years, I forgot about that dream.

Many, many years later when the children were grown and we had more time, we started investigating the possibility of more travel.  And, by then, we had the internet.  I was able to investigate sites like Travelzoo that searches out great travel deals and sends them to you in an email each week.  I happened to see an entry for “European Destinations,” which offers packages that include airfare, accommodations and, sometimes, ground transportation or connections when necessary.  For example, in 2007, this was available: Fly to Rome, spend 2 nights, take the Eurostar train to Florence, spend 2 nights in Florence, take the train to Venice, spend 2 nights in Venice and fly home for an unbelievable $955 per person.  Allowing ourselves $1000 for meals, fees for attractions, and shopping, we could have 6 nights in Italy for just under $3000.

I emailed our travel friends and sent them the link to this amazing package.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, as it turned out) they were on vacation at Hilton Head and had no computer access in their condo.  Days crept by with no response from them and the longer we waited, the higher the price went as the less expensive hotel spots were taken.  

Note: as I remember this now, I realize that 10 years ago, not everyone had a cell phone, a data plan, an iPad, and Wifi everywhere.

When we were finally able to speak with Bill and Verda on the phone, we discovered another glitch.  They had recently been bumped from a Delta flight and were given a voucher for a free flight as long as it was the same price or less than the flight they’d been bumped from.  When Verda checked the voucher, she saw that it expired in two days!  Therefore, we had no time to work out an itinerary with European Destinations since there are options to choose from - including length of stay in each city; 3, 4 or 5 star hotels; which mode of transportation ( train, bus, or car) -  so planning was imperative.  We were on our own as far as planning this trip.

The next thing we knew, Bill and Verda had booked tickets to Amsterdam!  I was surprised, to say the least.  Amsterdam is quite a ways from Rome, Florence, and Venice.  And they booked their flight on May 30th without thinking that, if we traveled from Amsterdam to Rome, it would put us there right at Easter, which that year was on April 8th.  Trying to find an inexpensive hotel in Rome on the holiest of days in Christendom?  You guys do know that the Vatican is in Rome, right?  

True to their adventuresome character, Verda said

“Don’t worry.  Wherever you guys fly into, we’ll just take a train and meet you.”

So, with that in mind, we started searching online for airfares.  As I looked and looked, I was getting discouraged because I couldn’t find anything - not to Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Munich, anywhere - for less than about $800.  Too much for us to spend.  Finally, one night, my husband was standing by the computer while I showed him what the fares looked like.  He suggested that I look for the previous day - the 29th - instead of the 30th.  Lo and behold!  Flight to Amsterdam for $478 each!  Instead of European Destinations to Italy, this was Cross Your Fingers to The Netherlands. 

More to come.