So, we bought our one-way plane tickets to Barcelona early on, but it was complicated figuring out the most affordable date and location to fly home.
In the end, it was a similar price to fly first to Amsterdam, and then to Texas from there, compared to flying home from Switzerland (closest to Colmar). I pitched the idea and Sean jumped at the chance to return to The Netherlands, even if it was just for two nights.
That’s how it came to be that on this day we arranged a taxi to pick us up at 6 am to take us to the bus stop. We watched the sun finish rising on the 45-minute ride to…
Basel Airport, straddling France, Switzerland, and Germany.
We ate well-made pastries and drank coffee, then got to walk out in the tarmac to load our 90-minute plane ride to Amsterdam.
We had fun Dutch egg salad sandwiches, excellent coffee, and only for kids in the flight—banana bread and a mango smoothie! KLM for the in-flight dining win.🏆
Then the Amsterdam airport. . .
A 10-minute train . . .
A 6-minute tram . . .
And a 3 minute walk to our final hotel of the trip.
Two last nights in Europe. Feeling bittersweet. The kids asked if instead of returning we could just ship the pets to us. I said if we stay any longer they need to find employment to pay for their own room and board. Okay, I didn’t say that. I’m with them.
Nice view! And orange mint water in the lobby.
Then, though we were tired, we were more hungry, so we found the nearest place (that was less than 20 euros pp), and it wasn’t bad. It felt like it was trying to be an instagram magnet, but delicious cappuccino.
After eating everyone felt better, and the kids wanted to kick the ball around a bit. Sean and I sat on a nearby bench and watched them play with another new friend, and soaked up the cool weather (73F?).
Eventually, we stopped back at the hotel to use the bathroom, and then three of us went exploring (the youngest wanted to rest his legs).
At some point we passed a grocery store and bought a tiny bottle of wine, cheese, hummus, crackers, and fruit. We brought it back to the hotel for a light dinner, then walked to the nearby Museumplein—a large public square surrounded by major cultural institutions like the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum, making it a central hub for art, culture, and recreation.
The kids played soccer, we relaxed.
The sky and clouds were looking cool when we turned back.
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