After an uneventful, on-time departure from St. Louis, the girls’ trip from Newark to Amsterdam was anything but. When they got to their gate, they discovered that the flight was already 2 hours late due to a delayed arriving aircraft. That time extended to 2 1/2 hours. Once they finally pushed back and started to taxi, they had to go back to the gate due to a malfunctioning backup generator. I don’t know much about airplanes, but that sounds like something you would want for a 7-hour flight.
Bottom line is that when they were finally wheels up, they were 5 hours late; and the flight was only 7 hours long. They picked up about 30 minutes and touched down at AMS at 11:35 (instead of 7:15). Within an hour they were giving me hugs in the arrival hall.
In about 30 minutes, we walked into our flat just outside of city center. After showers and a change of clothes, we were on our way to the Rijksmuseum.
Christina found a scavenger hunt for Nora to complete as the museum. It was a great way to keep her engaged in her first art museum. She actually found a few of them on her own. The only painting she didn’t find was Lady in White Kimono, which is not on display right now. Christina thinks Nora can get a Girl Scout badge for her work…. very cool.
This was Christina’s favorite painting.
They moved the Nightwatch to a different spot in the Gallery of Honour.
After about 2 hours at the museum, we went on a canal cruise. I was trying to think of things to do that would help them stay awake but didn’t expend a lot of energy and a canal cruise seemed to fit the bill. The day was partly cloudy and a bit windy, so the ride was chilly, but we still enjoyed it.
After the cruise, we took a taxi home. It was twice the price of Uber, but the taxi was there, and we were all tired and cold. It was worth the extra $10 to get home quickly.
They called Daddy while I made pasta for dinner. Right now, we’re watching Hamilton on Disney+. They should be in bed within the hour, so we’ll have to finish watching it tomorrow night.
After a bumpy start, we had a great time on the first half day of their first European Adventure. We’re looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.
YEAH! They are there! Despite the travel challenges (there always seems to be something!) it looks like they had a wonderful day! Their smiles say it all! And your’s does, too! Looking forward to traveling along with the four of you over the next couple of weeks! Have fun! Love and hugs to all!
I was so happy that they both girls enjoyed the Rijksmuseum. I was afraid they would be bored. Drew didn’t want to leave until they saw every gallery. In spite of their fatigue, the first day was a big success! Today is Van Gogh and windmills.