So, there is nothing like complicated itineraries to make a trip more interesting..and
boy did we have one.
First, we boarded the plane bound for London's Gatwick Airport. Its only apropos that a person's
first trip overseas be started off with an extra security screening by the nice TSA folks.
So, after a short 6 hour trip across the North Atlantic, we land in Gatwick.
From the
London Gatwick Airport, we traveled via Gatwick Express Train to the
Victoria StationTube stop, then
to the Liverpool St. Tube stop, and then onto the Stansted Express
Train to
Standsted Airport. From Stansted, we boarded an Easy
Jet
(yes,
Easy Jet) to Amsterdam - where we would spend the next two days...talk about
planes, train and automobiles!
Welcome
to London! Entrance to the Gatwick Express
the train to Gatwick airport. We
had already been flying for
7
hrs already from Atlanta.
When we arrived at the Victoria Station, we had to take the
Tube
to
another station, which required us to exit the train station -
The
double decker bus was the first piece of London we
both saw.
The
Queen would have been a lot more thrilling, but this worked out
well
too!
We land in AMS airport - which as you may
or may not know is HUGE - get the train into the Centraal Station - and from
there, attempt to figure out which tram to take to our hotel which was by the
Vondel Park. Actually we needed to know how to get a tram ticket
first. After several attempts at the ticket counter, we find out how
to purchase the tram tickets, and which one to get on to get to the
park.
Our hostel, Quentin
England Hotel Amsterdam, was at the
end
of
the Vondel Park - which was great, except that
I had
never been there, it was dusk - cold and we have
twenty
pounds of luggage that we had hauled around. Needless
to
say, we were both tired hungry and really done with
walking
around in circles. We did manage to make it through the park,
and
to the hostel. Settled in for about 10 minutes, and
then
headed out for some much needed dinner and
drinks.
