Getting Back on the Horse: The Second Half of Amsterdam

There are many wonderful ways to wake up in a hotel room. Be awoken by a crying toddler at least two hours before you wanted to open your eyes is not one of them. Resigning myself to my fate, the little one and I dressed, enjoyed the continental breakfast provided by the hotel, then set out on a walk while waiting for my friends (who DIDN’T have an early-rising alarm clock in their room) to get up.

It was a beautiful morning, the kind that makes a new city seem just that extra bit more magical. Not having a destination in mind, but not wanting to wander too far from the hotel lest the Intrepid Traveling Twins awoke earlier than expected, we crossed the street and found a walking path.

Being Amsterdam, we quickly found water. Looping along the path, which led through a business district, we saw some pretty cool architecture.

I love that this city was built around (and over!) the canals and waterways.

By the time we returned to the hotel, the Travel Twins were ready for the day. We had big plans! We took the metro to the city center, then got a tram, both of which were easily done with the pram. Then we took a ferry to the A’DAM lookout tower. The ferry takes about four minutes and was packed with people on foot, bicycles, and mopeds.

Our whole reason for visiting the A’DAM lookout, aside from the amazing views of the city, was the swing! If you look closely, you can see four angled bars atop the tower on the right-hand side. That’s the Over the Edge swing, sitting at 100 meters above ground. Oh yeah. We did that. Upon entering, we paid the 17.50€ for entrance to the observation deck (12.50€) and the swing (5€). The staff were all incredibly accommodating of the pram and, after asking, we were escorted to an elevator that took us to the 2nd floor, where they took a fun picture. Little Man, amazingly, slept through this part.

Up to the 22nd floor, where you get a 360° view of Amsterdam, and can even get your first taste of going over the edge.

I’m not gonna lie, this got my heart pumping a bit. Luckily, another lady freaked out when her friend walked her toward this floor window without her knowledge.

We hung out here for a short while until Little Man finished his nap. There’s a cafe/restaurant, so we sipped coffee, took in the views, and tried to calm one of our friends nerves about the swing. Once again, we asked a staff member who escorted us to the elevator (they have to punch in an access code), which took us to the roof. By this time, the sun was out in full force and it was HOT. The line wasn’t too long, and before we knew it, we were up! There are two swings, each of them holding two people at a time. Since there were three of us (Little Man happily sat this one out to munch some raisins), one friend went with another solo rider, then took over the video, and baby watching, duties.

The swing lasts one minute, thirty seconds, and even though you don’t *actually* go over the edge, it sure seems like you do! It was terrifying!! My eyes stayed open the entire time and I clenched the bars for dear life.

Once our feet were firmly back on the ground, we apparently felt the need for height, as you couldn’t keep us off this giant red horse on the other side of the roof.

Having gotten our fill of pictures, we rode the elevator back to the ground floor, where we checked out the gift shop, then went in search of lunch. As we were walking, we came across a yarn bombing. I’ve never seen one in real life, and was super excited. (For those of you who don’t know, I’m an avid knitter.)

Lunch at a nearby cafe was the Travel Twins’ first experience with European dining. The slow-paced style can be irritating for us busy, high-speed Americans. Used to being rushed out of restaurants by pushy wait staff, having to flag someone down seems rude to us. Having successfully navigated this obstacle, rather graciously, in my opinion, we hopped back on the ferry and went to the city center. Playing tourist, we stopped at the sex museum. There was a 3€ entrance fee, but they don’t allow prams, and offer no place to park them. I wasn’t about to leave my empty pram on the sidewalk (as I would do in a heartbeat in Helsinki), so I waited outside with the little one as the Travel Twins went through. People watching on the sidewalk in Amsterdam was definitely entertaining.

We swung by a souvenir shop as I was in need of a sweatshirt (although not at the moment as it was still sweltering), and we all wanted a little momento. I loved seeing all the Dutch souvenirs. The tulips were my favorite.

They’re just happy! Packing my new sweatshirt under the pram, we continued down the road toward the Red Light District. My friends refused to go with Little Man, so we wove our way through the streets, enjoying the atmosphere, architecture, and canals. It was beautiful. We grabbed food on the way back to the hotel, and my friends fondness of the train saved us from having to deal with a cancelled metro.

Little Man fell asleep at a more reasonable, although still late for him, hour, thanks to the white noise I played on my phone. I managed to get mostly packed before he went down, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning. The one day he slept in was the one day I needed to get up early so I could say goodbye to the awesome ladies who flew halfway around the world to spend the weekend with me. We managed to have breakfast together before they went to catch an early flight back to the US.

Little Man decided to take a nap (what?!?) before we went to the airport, so it was a good thing I’d decided to hang out at the hotel. After checking out, I found to my surprise that it was raining. That sweatshirt came in handy after all! We made it to Schiphol without incident, although navigating was a whole new game. After walking back and forth a few times, I finally decided to brave following the signs (what a concept!) to where the check in counter may, or may not, be. Schiphol is a bizarre airport; I highly recommend asking for help if you need it. I found the counter, checked the stroller, then made my way through security and to the gate, stopping for a bite to eat. Our flight was at 14.00 so lunch was necessary.

Oh, Schiphol. As any experienced parental traveler will tell you, change the diaper BEFORE boarding the plane. I can’t even begin to describe the water closet situation as it’s just to complicated, so suffice it to say that it took me a few tries to find a WC with a changing table. Once I did, I became the entertainment for the ten or so women waiting in line. The changing table was just inside the door, so Little Man was on display for all to see. (Sorry, kid.) Everyone was really nice, offering to help hold my bag, retrieve a dropped pacifier, or hold the toddler. All in various languages. I was a little overwhelmed at their kindness, and also incredibly grateful. The bond of mothers knows no language barrier.

This flight was much better than the one to Amsterdam. First, the back half of the plane was mostly empty. I’m always happy to have an empty seat next to me when flying with the little one. If nothing else, it gives me a spot to put all the little things I magically accumulate. Second, the fewer people on the plane, the more attention the flight attendants have for each person. Again with holding the toddler as I got settled, helping buckle his little seat belt (on KLM, babies get a seat belt that attaches to yours), and offering a travel kit for kids.

Little Man nibbled on the provided snack, a hot noodle dish, then peacefully fell asleep until I was informed that he needed to face forward for landing. Spinning him around woke him up, but at that point, I was okay with it. Upon deplaning, I was shocked to find the pram waiting for me on the jet way. I’d never actually navigated the Helsinki airport by elevator before, so that was exciting. That done, I located the Finnair bus to Rautatientori. Husband had booked me a ticket the night before because there was a train conductor strike that day and no trains were running. A metro ride to our neighborhood, then a ten minute walk, and we were home!

It was a whirlwind trip with two lovely ladies, and it was worth every minute.

A few more pictures from atop the A’DAM Lookout:

Happy travels!

Mis(ter) Adventures in Amsterdam

Saturday dawned a good day for adventure. Just as Little Man was due to take a nap, we set off for the airport. He loves adventure as much as I do, and therefore refused to sleep until quite a bit later. I checked the pram at the KLM counter and, after saying goodbye to Husband, took my nicely packed luggage (and baby) to security. The Helsinki airport does not allow personal prams through the security check point, but they do offer airport prams free of charge. I have yet to try one of these as the baby carrier works so well when also bringing a carry on bag. However, the baby or, in my case toddler, cannot be in the carrier while passing through the metal detector. This complicates things when there is only one adult, so luckily there’s a baby seat available once you’re through the check point.

Fully recombobulated, we headed to the gate. I was looking forward to boarding via a jet bridge, which is not always the case in European airports. Alas, I was seated far enough back that I was told to go down the stairs, on to the ramp, then up the stairs to board through the rear boarding door. Keep in mind that along with my purse and carry on, I was wearing a 10kg toddler strapped to my chest. Those stairs were brutal. Huffing and puffing, I made my way to my easily-accessible aisle seat.

It was a two hour flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam, and these days, I feel like that’s quite short. This was Little Man’s 21st flight (yes, really!!) and he was in no mood for it. Best way to lengthen a two hour flight? Be in charge of a toddler who insists on screaming for 45 minutes before passing out. This was by far the worst flight I’ve been on with the little one. You know those people whose kids scream the whole flight and you give them the evil eye because, let’s face it, nobody wants to listen to that? I was that person. People turned around in their seats to look at me. I had to pass on the (incredibly decent) snack because not even wonder mom could get a handle on that situation. When sleep finally claimed my mini demon, one of the flight attendants reassured me that it’s summer, everybody expects crying babies on the plane (except the guy sitting kitty corner from me, apparently), and that I was doing a really good job staying calm. Those words were balm for my soul. I will forever be grateful for that wonderful woman.

Stepping off the plane, I was greeted with a surprise: the pram I’d checked in Helsinki had been brought to the jet bridge for me! It’s the little things, people. I could now bypass baggage claim and go in search of my two friends who had flown in earlier that day from the U.S.. Since they’d already taken naps at the hotel, they knew where to go. Handing me my metro pass, they led me to an elevator which took us to the train. Two stops and twenty minutes later, we exited at Biljmer Arena. The hotel was a five minute walk from there. We were all pretty exhausted, so we grabbed dinner in the hotel restaurant, then hung out and caught up for a bit, until Little Man’s impending melt down forced my friends out so we could attempt to sleep.

Jet leg is a jerk, so while my friends tried (so they say) to adjust to a seven hour time difference, Little Man and I went exploring. We took the metro into downtown Amsterdam, then, somewhat predictably, took the wrong tram to where I wanted to go. It did take us to some beautiful places though.

The canals are wonderful. I love all kinds of water, so this was a happy place for me.

Once the intrepid traveling twins were up and about, we went to a cafe while we awaited our brunch cruise. I’ve never had such good coffee as I find in Europe, and each city seems to have their own brand of deliciousness to offer. I could (and do) drink it all day.

As one of my friends loves brunch (as do I), and the other was along for the ride, we had found a brunch boat that offers a two hour canal cruise while you eat delicious food.

They also make amazing bloody Mary’s.

Along with a plate of stroopwafels, strawberries, and chocolate, the meal concluded with a mug of liquid magic.

We returned to the hotel for a bit of relaxation, and to let Little Man roam free. I also needed to pick up the pram as I’d been using only the carrier so far. Then away we went to experience Heineken!

Prams are not allowed on the tour, but you can park them behind the counter. The mostly self-guided tour was interesting and fun, culminating in a tasting, then two beers you can enjoy on the rooftop bar. The music was a bit loud, but we managed to squeeze onto the patio to enjoy the amazing views.

After that, we decided some fries were in order so schlepped back to the place the travel twins had found the previous night, Manneken Pis.  They’re voted the #1 best fries in Holland, and with good reason. The fries are served hot in a paper cone with the sauce of your choice squirted on top. They were so good, I ate them before I could get a picture. It was quite late at this point, Little Man had miraculously passed out in the pram, so we took the metro back to Biljmer Arena.

A restful night was needed so we could fully enjoy our last day in Amsterdam.

Time for Some Light Travel with a (Not so Light) Toddler

Before our relocation to Helsinki, I was working in a small(ish)-town airport. A lady came up to the check-in counter wanting to check a bag. After pulling up her reservation, I informed her of the $25 fee to do so. She proceeded to flip out, hollering across the lobby (which echoes, by the way) to her husband about this atrocity, then telling me about how she just paid so much money in order to sit in better seats. And NOW I was making her pay more?? She couldn’t possibly go somewhere for three weeks WITH AN INFANT and NOT check a bag.

This is the point where I tell you, dear reader, that I was at least seven months pregnant when this happened. Hormones raging, I bristled at the idea of NEEDING to check a bag. After all, Husband and I had done two weeks in Europe with a backpack each. Not even one of those hunormous hiking backpacks. We’re talking book bag. I’m pretty sure I over-packed and didn’t wear all the clothes I brought. So no, crazy lady, you don’t NEED to check a bag. *Deep breath as the morning sickness reared its ugly head*

Fast forward to the part where I actually have a baby. Yes, now you can laugh. I know, I know. You don’t really understand until you live it. HOWEVER, I spent almost three years working for an airline, and before that, Husband and I had our luggage lost for the entirety of our honeymoon. So excuse me if I still don’t like checking bags.

(Side note: working for the airline, I saw people overpack ALL the time. Not liking to check bags has nothing to do with the way those bags are treated by our highly lovable and humorous baggage handlers. If you pack poorly, things will break. The same thing happens to groceries in your car. Please stop hating on the baggage handlers!) Also, the above picture is from the day we moved to Helsinki. Those bags contained our lives!

That being said, I’ve learned to pack the essentials. I leave out anything liquid if possible. Shampoos are typically provided at hotels (or a family members home), and worst case, I buy a small bottle when I arrive. I pack enough clothing to have one outfit per day, and usually only bring one pair of walking shoes and a pair of flip flops. (They’re small, easy to pack, and sometimes you really need a break from those walking shoes.) Since I’m usually traveling for vacation, all hair supplies stay home. I either braid my hair or put it in a ponytail. I didn’t even luck out with easy-to-style straight hair; it’s curly and frizzes at the first hint of humidity. (Helloooo, Caribbean beach!) The same goes for makeup. It’s amazingly freeing to not care about your looks while also knowing that you’ll likely never see these people again.

Okay, that’s what I pack for myself. What about the toddler? (Is he really a toddler already?!) We seem to be past the spit-up-make-a-mess-at-every-opportunity phase, or maybe I’m just past the point of caring as much, but I only pack one outfit a day for Little Man as well. I’m not completely without need of a contingency plan, so two extra outfits typically find their way into the bag. (Unless I’m planning to do laundry. Then I stick to one outfit per day, usually up to seven outfits.)

Snacks are a must. It’s way too easy to lose track of time while traveling, especially between time zones, and little mouths will loudly remind you that it’s time to eat. Once again, my airline brain kicks in. Goldfish crackers and Cheerios are an airline employees worst nightmare. (Seriously. They’re AWFUL.) They crumble and get smashed into the carpet and let me tell you, ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, I’m opting for those horrible-for-the-environment, incredibly convenient squeeze pouches and baby granola bars. Both are Little Man approved and don’t make over-the-top messes. I’m also bringing raisins. He loves to fish them out of the box himself, so I’m hoping that will double as entertainment.

As for diapers, he’s going through approximately four a day, so I pack five per day, plus extras in the diaper bag. You know what? I’ve never been anywhere that you can’t buy diapers. If I run out (or get dangerously close to running out; I’m never going to cut it that close), I’ll buy more.

Wondering how I fit all this into a carry on? Here you go:

That’s just about everything prior to packing. (The cookies are for a friend I’m meeting. I wish I could say they were MY snacks!) Tucked in there are also some gifts for said friend.

There you have it. I even added a blanket and some toiletries (not pictured). Once it was zipped, I still had some wriggle room at the top, not to mention the empty side pockets. Room for souvenirs!! And since I won’t be bringing the diapers back, a considerable amount of space will open up for the return trip. I should probably mention that this is just a quicky; 72 hours to be precise. You’ll have to read my future posts to find out where I’m taking Little Man. Let’s go adventuring!