Travel Day

Travel day.  We left about 8:30 PM, checked in, passed through security and then waited a while.  We wonder how Roel will travel, but are optimistic that he will be fine.  I've never seen a happier baby.

At Schiphol Airport

We travel with Air Transat, and while I hear some people say they are never comfortable on their jets, I find them comfortable and the crew friendly and helpful.  We slept some on the way there, and watch some tv.  Roel is great.  Not screaming like most of the other children on the trip.  We land in Schiphol and after collecting our luggage and clearing customs, we go to pick up our rental car. 

I had ordered a Ford station wagon that would carry 7 items of luggage.  None is available, but the lady behind the counter upgrades us to a Volvo for free.  We drag our luggage over the the car place and check in, inspecting the car carefully.  To our dismay, our luggage simply will not fit into the back of the Volvo, so we ask if there is anything else there that we could get instead.  The guy finds us a Volkswagon Touran, and our luggage barely fits in, but it does fit.

The Cheese Shop

From the airport, we head straight out to Gouda, where I have booked two rooms in a 17th century hotel for 3 nights.  Of course we miss our turn-off, but eventually end up in Gouda after zippping through the outskirts of Rotterdam.  We need to get to our hotel quickly as the desk is only manned for so long.  We randomly wander around Gouda looking for something that will give us a clue to where we should be.  We see one road about 5 times before deciding that we won't go down there again.  Eventually we see a hotel parking lot that the hotel literature mentions, so we stop there and haul our luggage across a bridge over a canal and finally check in.

Evening Dining

The hotel is old, but has character.  The steps are a little steep,  but we eventually get all our luggage up there and decide to go for a walk.  The evening is warm, the soft street lights add a warm glow, and the quiet amidst the old buildings exudes a serenity that relieves all travel tensions.  I already love this place.

We wander to the town center where we take outdoor seats where we can view the town hall.  We order pizza from the friendly waitress and sit back to a leisurely meal, sipping our Fanta orange and Cassis and Spa Rood in that setting.  After dinner we wander around a bit, wandering by the big church and enjoying the sights.  I am fascinated by the lights reflecting off the canal water.  Finally we arrive back at the Hotel and sleep like babies. 

Roel at dinner.

Reflections

Boats in the Water.

another canal

Evening in Gouda

Church in the evening

Roel looking up at the church.

Wallflowers.