Thursday, June 1: Goodbye Prague, Hello Amsterdam

We have learned from prior European trips.  In order to make the last Delta flight to Minneapolis, one typically needs to arise in the wee hours of the morning to get to the airport and make an early morning flight to Amsterdam.  Last December we set our alarms for 3AM.  This morning other tour members were picked up at the hotel to go to the airport at 4:30AM.  Not us.  Not this time.  We are laying over in Amsterdam for two days allowing us to have a leisurely morning and take a 10:40AM transfer to the Prague airport, courtesy of #ROADSCHOLAR.  My last Prague meal includes the famous Prague Budweiser beer with the obligatory airport lounge photo.
Beverly is making a last effort to spend the last of her remaining Czech crowns in the airport before leaving the country.
We arrive in Amsterdam and take the train into Centraal Station (yes, that is spelled correctly) and
ponder for a moment figuring out exactly how to walk to our hotel that we can see from the plaza.
We settle into the Doubletree Amsterdam Central Station


and, after a brouhaha involving my so-called prepaid booking for which the hotel had no record, we first get a welcome drink in the executive lounge.
We take the tram, happy that our three day pass tickets still work after we failed to properly initialize the tickets when getting on the train from the airport, but all is well.
All European cities have a certain charm.  But Amsterdam is unique, to my knowledge, in quaintness with the many picturesque canals.  Unlike usual Amsterdam weather, it is sunny and in the mid-70s.  Delightful.



We find a restaurant with sidewalk tables

and dine on salmon and
strawberry creme brûlée with strawberry sorbet.
We are looking forward to our day here in Amsterdam.

I can sleep well tonight knowing that my "pre-paid" hotel stay actually was pre-paid.

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