We spent the week getting clothes washed, errands run, prescriptions filled, and everything eventually packed. Becky coordinated the Girls EMpowered (GEM) celebration at Upward on Thursday—a fine time for all the girls, teachers, and United Way representatives. Then we could concentrate on finishing reservations and stuffing our bags.

Our aim was to minimize luggage weight and number. We packed only one suitcase for clothes and shoes and one carry-on for medicine, glasses, technology, a book, and travel materials. We reduced weight about 10 lbs each: Becky’s suitcase weighed less than 30 lbs, and mine less than 40 lbs after some serious debate and deletions.

Interrailing, our travel provider, customizes train-based vacations in UK and Europe and makes all the train, ferry, and hotel reservations for the places you want to visit. They also offer links to packages for day trips, local buses and trams, and sights/sites based on your itinerary. All the arrangements are set up so that we can concentrate on the fun parts.

The plane trip was Asheville AVL to Charlotte CLT to Philadelphia PHL to Amsterdam Schiphol AMS lasted from 2:30 pm Monday to 11:00 am Tuesday —total of about 24 hours in transit.

All planes were full, full, full. Amsterdam arrival was a couple of hours late because the pilot and copilot were delayed getting to Philadelphia. The flights were uneventful if flying across the Atlantic Ocean at 590 mph and 40,000 feet can be counted as uneventful.

From where I was sitting, I had a view of the toilets on the A320; many people were baffled by the inward folding door. Some people pounded on the door until they accidentally managed to hit the push here sign marked with an up arrow. A few stepped back, studied the door, and hit the arrow. A few asked an attendant. The attendants or travelers just opened the door for some. Others gave up—which seemed like a bad idea.

Upon arrival in AMS, we took the train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal, the transport hub of the Netherlands and Amsterdam. We stood in line to get our GVB tram/bus passes, jumped on a tram, and rode to Leidensplein junction near our 3-star tourist hotel—clean, safe, spartan, and well located to the Museum Quarter which is our focus in Amsterdam.

After check-in, we scouted the neighborhood for food and drink. Cafe and restaurant food is very expensive so we plan to picnic from grocery stores with an occasional sit down meal.

A small grocery was just a few yards from the hotel; we bought deli sandwiches for lunch in the park on a canal. Two copper-feathered ducks became very friendly, faintly quacking, edging closer, hoping that some morsels would find their way toward them. The closer they got the more demanding they became. Oh the dilemma! Should we feed the ducks or not? What do you do?

After 24 hours of travel by plane, train, and tram, exhaustion overwhelmed us. As a result we plopped ourselves down to read for a while and go to sleep. Very deep and long sleep was important in anticipation of a busy day on the Museumplein tomorrow.