The second leg of the trip brought me to Paris and eventually to Amsterdam. Whenever anyone asks, I pretty much say the same thing about Paris: it’s a cleaner NYC. I love NYC. I love Paris. I probably wouldn’t live in either place long term, but I’d rarely turn down an opportunity to visit. I walked over to l'Arc de Triomphe, had some street crepe, and linked up with some second degree friends or friends of my friends. That was easily the best part. Traveling is life-changing and mind-opening. I’ll never turn down a great trip because I have to go alone, but spending time with the right people makes a great trip fantastic!
After a couple days in Paris, I took a train to Amsterdam. I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go, including a potential trip to the Hague. Unfortunately, there was a transit strike smack dab in the middle of my time in the Netherlands. Doubly unfortunate, I figured since I would be there during the week and the city would probably be dead late night I could save a few coins by staying outside the city and a short train ride in.
Strike hits, I’m a business traveler’s hotel well away from everything that isn’t an open field or transit stop. I could take an expensive Uber (no Lyft in the Netherlands that I saw) around, but I figured those workers were striking for a reason and I didn’t know enough of the situation to justify breaking a strike so I stayed at the hotel. All day. All, all day. With nary a business traveler in sight. It’s a setup for a horror movie. Or a fun adventure. My adventure consisted of breakfast, with two coffee cup size servings of espresso, a nap, and a sandwich.
The strike was over by the next day - it was scheduled for 24 hours - but my excitement had somewhat waned. I had a flight the next day and not near enough time to go everywhere I wanted to. I rode into Amsterdam, walked around a fair bit, saw oodles and oodles of bikes, and rode out. I’d go back, but only with another person that was keen on the idea.
I need a traveling buddy.
After a couple days in Paris, I took a train to Amsterdam. I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go, including a potential trip to the Hague. Unfortunately, there was a transit strike smack dab in the middle of my time in the Netherlands. Doubly unfortunate, I figured since I would be there during the week and the city would probably be dead late night I could save a few coins by staying outside the city and a short train ride in.
Strike hits, I’m a business traveler’s hotel well away from everything that isn’t an open field or transit stop. I could take an expensive Uber (no Lyft in the Netherlands that I saw) around, but I figured those workers were striking for a reason and I didn’t know enough of the situation to justify breaking a strike so I stayed at the hotel. All day. All, all day. With nary a business traveler in sight. It’s a setup for a horror movie. Or a fun adventure. My adventure consisted of breakfast, with two coffee cup size servings of espresso, a nap, and a sandwich.
The strike was over by the next day - it was scheduled for 24 hours - but my excitement had somewhat waned. I had a flight the next day and not near enough time to go everywhere I wanted to. I rode into Amsterdam, walked around a fair bit, saw oodles and oodles of bikes, and rode out. I’d go back, but only with another person that was keen on the idea.
I need a traveling buddy.
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