Hello From Eurodam!

[RuthC]

Bye, Brian! Try and have a good time 'til I get there. ;)

[AlohaPride]

Ok, so far Brian has to drink TWO Wang Wangs. Anyone else want him to drink one? :p

[RuthC]

Ok, so far Brian has to drink TWO Wang Wangs. Anyone else want him to drink one? He's so fun when he's drunk. :p

Mary, I think you're confusing Brian with Scotty.

[AlohaPride]

Oh, how I wish we could have gone on this cruise as originally planned. Yes, I too am green with envy!

We can all feel everyone's excitement as they prepare to head over the pond! Safe travel to all of you and have a glorious time.

Thanks, Brian, for sharing your joy as you prepared to depart!

We all look forward to hearing about the Eurodam and all the fun!

 

We seriously looked into it until we found out I was pregnant. And as happy as I am that I now have a beautiful baby girl (who is currently tugging at my leg) and still wish we could have had the guts to book it as new parents. We just didn't know how to travel that far with an infant. Now I think it would have been worth it. :cool:

 

My ONLY solace is that fact that Brian, Ruth, Greg and other amazing writers will be documenting the trip for us to live vicariously through them!

[AlohaPride]

Mary, I think you're confusing Brian with Scotty.

 

Darn! You're right.

 

Either way, I'm sure he's fun drunk if he's this much fun sober ;)

[RuthC]

Darn! You're right. Brian was sick, right?

Brian wasn't there that cruise. I don't remember who was sick.

[AlohaPride]

Brian wasn't there that cruise. I don't remember who was sick.

Oh, ok. Boy does my foot taste good :p

[RuthC]

Oh, ok. Boy does my foot taste good :p

:D :D :D :D :D

[bepsf]

Just arrived in Amsterdam a couple hours ago...

...someone remind me not to go through Heathrow again!

 

Mom and Dad and Scotty have been wandering the streets already - It's kinda crowded and muggy here even tho it's overcast. We had quite some adventure re-arranging ourselves in the hotel, switching rooms, etc. The folks already think we're crazy Americans...

 

We're at the local Apple store on our way to drinkies - but the Hardrock Cafe is across town, so I'm afraid we're not going to make it there Mary Ellen

:(

 

More later - TTFN!

[Sage]

Brian, I'm so glad to hear that you are safely in Amsterdam. Of course we are all green with envy here, but we are also hoping that you have a wonderful time. Please give Scotty a big hug for me.

[sammiedawg]

Brian, I love reading your posts, keep them coming. Your on board accounts are the best, I remember the one you did on the Celebrity cruise you " won"

Eurodam sounds great!

[innlady1]

Just arrived in Amsterdam a couple hours ago...

...someone remind me not to go through Heathrow again!

 

Mom and Dad and Scotty have been wandering the streets already - It's kinda crowded and muggy here even tho it's overcast. We had quite some adventure re-arranging ourselves in the hotel, switching rooms, etc. The folks already think we're crazy Americans...

 

We're at the local Apple store on our way to drinkies - but the Hardrock Cafe is across town, so I'm afraid we're not going to make it there Mary Ellen

:(

 

More later - TTFN!

 

Glad you've finally arrived, Brian!

I know what you mean about Heathrow. I went through Heathrow one time only, on my way to Gothenburg with my mom and sister...British Air lost my luggage...didn't transfer it to SAS. I got it two days later in Gothenburg...good thing my sister and I were the same size.

All of us here are going to have to adjust to the time change you're on...it must be afternoon now for you.

Enjoy Amsterdam!

[kryos]

Just arrived in Amsterdam a couple hours ago...

...someone remind me not to go through Heathrow again!

Oops! My bad. Guess I should have warned you. I had the "Heathrow experience" in April 2007. The entire overseas airport experience was bad ... especially since my traveling companion and I got racked for about $300 bucks in baggage overweight charges out of Venice Airport. Good Lord!

 

Yes, Heathrow has to be the worst airport I have ever visited ... crowded, with rude people staffing it ... I hope I never need to go through there again because it's definitely not an experience I have any desire to repeat.

 

Blue skies and have a wonderful voyage!

 

--rita

[kryos]

Glad you've finally arrived, Brian!

I know what you mean about Heathrow. I went through Heathrow one time only, on my way to Gothenburg with my mom and sister...British Air lost my luggage...didn't transfer it to SAS.

 

I'd have killed them if they had lost mine ... after all the extra money I was charged to get it there. It had "dammed" well better have been on that carosel when I arrived in baggage claim to pick it up!

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[mamaofami]

Brian, have a wonderful cruise. Can't wait to read your live from. I too am green with envy.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Brain, glad you made it safely to the other side of the pond. Looking forward to more posts:)

[cruznon]

Brian,

Thanks for checking in and letting us know you arrived safely. I smiled about your switching hotel rooms--I've done that a few times. Enjoy Amsterdam--it's a charming city.

Look forward to your future posts!

[scopewest]

Looking forward to your posts.

[earl_m]

Glad you made it. hope you have a great time

[alonzo14]

Brian,

 

So glad you made it there safely!! The worst part of your trip is over and now for the fun!!!!

 

Nathan,

 

Can't wait to see your shows!!!!!!!

[bepsf]

Friday, June 27, 2008 - San Francisco

Noon

Just managed to make it through security - long lines for check-in to European gateway cities - Seems most folks are not Americans flying out but foreigners returning home. The new international terminal is nice enough, but bland and drab out in the gateway areas. Most gates are actually below the concours level since the terminal was designed to accommodate the new Airbus double-deck behemoth - but of course there aren’t any here. Lots of boutiques selling quality goods, but very few places to find nibblies. I found a place at the end of the concourse selling magazines, room-temperature bottles of water and various candies. No Starbucks.

 

Checkin wasn’t too bad - and the excess charge for the 3rd bag was @$140. I ended up using straps to link the 3rd piece to another piece of rolling luggage - so I had a nice little luggage train rolling through the terminal. When I inquired as to the cost of an upgrade to Business - I was informed that the charge generally runs $535 - Not unreasonable, but there were no available seats for upgrade.

 

Saturday, June 28 – Mid-Atlantic: Southwest of Iceland

Dawn or Dusk?

I can’t tell if it’s the dawn or the dusk: The sun never completely set tonight - it's kinda dark, but there is a glow on the horizon that won't quit - amazing sight! As we flew over Hudson Bay, I could see the melting ice floes from the air. I have a fabulous stewardess who brings me Champagne from First Class and lovely seatmates returning home to England from visiting family on the Pacific Coast. I might have dozed a couple of hours, but I can’t really say that I got any sleep tonite. Looking at the map, it appears that we’ll be flying over Ireland on the way to England - I just hope that it’s clear so that I can see the Green Island.

 

Definitely Dawn

Goofy me: I didn’t recharge the iPod at home yesterday morning, but I did bring my new Solio, which is a solar-powered charger and am running the music off the batteries. It takes a bit to figure out which plug to use, but once it’s set up, it runs like a champ - I was able to completely recharge the iPod from almost nothing and I still have over 1/2 charge left on the Solio. (Now if I can just figure out get it to run the laptop.) Since I am on the north side of the plane I have direct sun, so I used the included suction cup to stick it to the window to gather more power - The stewardess came by with another class of Champagne from First Class :D and asked what it was (No, It’s not a Global-Warming Death-Ray...)

 

Missed Ireland Completely...

 

Saturday, June 28 – Amsterdam

 

Now that I’ve had time to rest, I’ll fill you in on the rest of the day:

 

Flying into Heathrow was an amazing experience: England is so beautiful and green, with little villages surrounded by irregularly-shaped farms, hedgerows, winding lanes and wooded parks. I was able to spot the Japanese Pagoda in Kew Gardens! The little trains are even picturesque - they remind me of the “Thomas the Engine” videos that my little nephew was so fond of when he was younger. As I was chatted w/ my seatmate, I said “It’s so pretty here - I’ll have to come back to England for a visit." Then I realized: I AM coming to England for a visit in a couple weeks!”

:)

 

Heathrow Airport itself is a gigantic mess: Although we disembarked in Terminal One, and my connection was within Terminal One, we had to walk through a gigantic maze and eventually out to a space where we boarded a shuttle that drove us around in circles (got to see the giant new A380 double-decker airliner) until we disembarked someplace, then wandered around in more circles and went through security again to a check-in counter where we were informed that we should wait in this great shopping mall area for our departure gate information to be displayed on the large boards: Apparently they don’t tell you which gate to go to so that they can keep you in the shopping/eating/moneychanging/spending area as long as possible Had a nice English Breakfast including grilled tomato and mushroom(?) since the flight departure was delayed, then finally off to the gate: Walk through more mazes until the line of passengers for my BMI flight is forced to wait in the dingy passageway for the gate agents to check passports (again) and tickets before being allowed into the waiting room - but of course they were so slow that they finally abandoned that plan and moved to the boarding podiums where they checked tickets again!

 

(When Orwell was writing "1984", he must have been waiting for a connecting flight at Heathrow) :cool:

 

Fortunately, the flight was only 1/2 - 1/3 filled, so I had all 3 seats on my side of the aircraft to myself. I do wish that I had gone to the ATM when I was in Heathrow to get some Euros - You can’t get even a cuppa tea without paying for it!

 

Over the channel we flew - saw birds and two ferries passing one another mid-channel - then we descended through the clouds towards Scheipol in the Netherlands: Beautiful landscape beyond the beach, several wind turbines, canals and farms arranged in long-long narrow rows, including farms for Tulips and Hops! Finally landed, but the airport itself was miles away! We drove for on the tarmac round and round for at least 20 minutes until finally arriving at the terminal gate.

 

Scheipol is a very nice airport - much newer and more like airports in the US than Heathrow’s Terminal One: easy to get around and was able to quickly make my way through immigration to the small and crowded baggage claim area: Baggage claim carts are no charge, so I took one for my pile of luggage which all came off in fairly rapid time! A quick stop for Euros at the ATM and we’re out into the arrivals area where throngs are lined up with balloons and name-cards - Finally wheeled my way through the folks blocking our way into a gigantic shopping mall: Families with children who don’t seem to be traveling are everywhere, stopping, gawking... Out to the taxi stand and right into the back of a nice late-model Mercedes E-Class taxi. I showed him the address to my hotel and off we dieseled...

 

Suddenly, the driver announced that we’d arrived, I looked around and didn’t see what he was talking about: I saw restaurants and shops and folks on bicycles, etc - but no hotel: As he parked on the sidewalk, he pointed out my hotel - Apparently there is no separate entrance, you enter through the restaurant! The fare on the meter was 53 Euros, but he said that 50 was fine (!) He helped carry my luggage into the restaurant, handed me his card, shook my hand and off he went! The fellow at the front desk couldn’t seem to figure out that I had a reservation or which room I was to get, but finally took a copy of my passport and gave me a room key - He then helped put my things on a tiny little elevator tucked into a back hallway.

 

When I came off the elevator, I was in a state of shock: This place is a DUMP! Narrow corridors jog up and down and wind in and out, cleaning supplies on the floors in the corridor - and when I finally made it to my room: It looked like a tiny prison cell with no windows to the outside, two narrow beds slammed together, a dimly lit bathroom, no carpet - This wasn’t at all what was pictured on the website!!!

 

Scotty came in presently - he had been out walking with Nana and Apa. I took one look at him and announced “I can’t stay here”. Nana and Apa came along and we found an available attic room on an upper floor that overlooks the street but still, small and dingy - looks like it hasn’t seen a lick of paint since WWII, mold growing in the corners: So much for Dutch cleanliness! Still, it was brighter and an improvement from what we had before, so we moved the luggage up there.

 

After freshening up a bit, we 4 went for a walk - Apa and Nana both look wonderful and Scotty couldn’t be happier. We wandered down towards the train station where we found the Apple Store that I posted from earlier - then we meandered back to a corner cafe for some cool drinks, chats and people watching. We eventually made our way back the to hotel where we enjoyed a nice simple meal, but Scotty and I were fading fast: Off we trooped down the undulating corridors for a shower and some much needed shuteye.

 

When I awoke 5-6 hours later, I realized I had a sore throat: Yuck - probably from being inside the Flying Germ-Capsules all night and forgetting my Airborne prior to flying. Scotty trooped off in search of treasures and eye-candy when I discovered that the TV doesn’t work - but I do have access to free WiFi. :D Scotty came back and happily informed me that we’re on the edge of the Gay/Redlight district, so he’s off again now in search of fun and I’m in bed blowing my nose. Hopefully, I’ll feel better tomorrow for some serious sight-seeing.

[JRachels]

Glad you made it and I can't wait to see you. Sorry about the luggage situation.

 

My luggage is out but nothing in it yet. I have until Tuesday at 4:00PM when the car service gets here. Actually, I have put in one thing, a large shopping bag for the goodies I'll pick up in Copenhagen for the sail away.

 

XOXOXOXOXO

 

Joyce

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Oh Brian, I love your reporting so far. I have a feeling we are all in for a thrilling holiday by following your posts:)

Too bad the hotel is not what you thought. That reminds me of many years ago when we were in England, what you were describing sounded like the hotel we stay in there. Now I will say when we got to Amsterdam the hotel was also the same we entered thru the restuarant which I remember being very good. But our hotel rooms there were very nice and modern but then that was 1971 so maybe it is the same place and it has not been remodeled since:eek:

[RuthC]

Hi, Brian. So glad you arrived safe, if not fully sound. Please don't get sick! We have too much fun to have for you to be at less than your best!

A big "Hello!" to Nana and Apa---I'm looking forward to meeting them. :)

[kakalina]

Brian, it sounds as if the "hub" of the gang is together in Amsterdam. I too am green with envy.

I know it's alot to live up to your last "live from" but we know you've got it in you !

Do not, I repeat, do not get sick. It is verboten. Get some good rest, have some "green devil" and enjoy.