While en route from Uganda back to the United States in August 2007 after a mission trip, I had the opportunity to get a brief taste of Amsterdam for a few hours, thanks to some forethought by our group leaders. We arrived in Schipol Airport in the early morning hours (somewhere between four and six a.m.) and took advantage of their somewhat comfortable chair-beds to doze for a few hours before going out into the city. Bleary-eyed and groggy, we secured our luggage in the airport lockers, made our way through passport control, and down into the train station below Schipol. After only fifteen minutes on the Intercity direct train line, we emerged at the beautiful Centraal Station ready for a few hours in the city!

After breakfast we continued to wander the streets. The culture shock (and entertainment) increased as we encountered our first coffee shop. For those of you unfamiliar with Amsterdam, a coffee shop actually serves marijuana. Contrasted with our recent arrival from a Christ-centric mission trip to Africa, the idea and reality of a coffee shop simultaneously amused us and reminded us that "we weren't in Kansas anymore!" For those of you who need actual coffee while in Amsterdam, find yourself a nice little cafe (preferably one with a great canal view) for a hot cup of Joe.
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"This car is so tiny!" |
Having spent as long as possible walking through such beautiful neighborhoods as the Jordaan and admiring many pristine canals, it was finally time to return to Schipol for our flight to the states. I have yet to return for a proper exploration of Amsterdam, but I will always hold those brief layover hours in high regard as the beginning of my love affair with Europe.
Have you ever squeezed any sight-seeing into a layover? Have you ever visited Amsterdam?
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Linking up with Bonnie Rose and other travel bloggers for #TravelTuesday!