Scandinavia - Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Our penultimate travel day.  Although our first impression of Copenhagen was that of a drab and dirty megapolis, we have found it an enjoyable place. I for one, would like to return to explore in more depth.  Awake and facing the world by 6:00.  Repacked and prepared the luggage for the trip.  The amount of belongings has increased - what a surprise.

We met in the lobby and walked around the corner to the coffee shop/patisserie for a cup and some pastry.  Then back to the lobby to haul luggage down and order up the taxi to the airport.

Again, we found ourselves assigned to "1st Class" seats (what a travel agent we have!) and therefore were eligible for access to the SAS lounge where free food and drink were available.  As we had 90 minutes before flight; we were obliged to partake of their largesse.

The flight left early (!!) and we arrived in Amsterdam at noon.  Our car and driver were a little late, but after we were on the road, we could see why - the traffic was extremely heavy, and the drive in was 30-40 minutes.

We arrived at our last hotel, The Good Hotel.  This is quite the establishment.  It is a temporary hotel that has been open only 3 months.  It is constructed on a barge in the river, and will be shipped in mass to Rio de Janeiro for re-erection at the 2016 Olympic games.  All the employees are disadvantaged people who are being trained for the hospitality industry.  The entire operation is eco-friendly and this is a not for profit endeavor.  The rooms are small but unique.  I urge all to visit their website, www.goodhospitality.org to learn more.

We struck out on a walkabout, navigating the rush at the Central train station and into the Old Town.  We stopped at the Tourist information center for some directions, and as we were leaving, Deb missed a step and took a tumble.  The result was a broken pair of eyeglasses, a gash near her eye and what eventually will be a nice shiner.  No broken bones or damaged knees, but soreness will be on the agenda tomorrow.  (Note to those who might like to see, Deb will show you the scar, and I will show the photo for payment of a fee.)

Deb insisted we continue the walk, and Dr. Howie, after a quick examination to determine her life wasn't in danger, agreed that it was OK to continue.  We made the short hike to the "red light district" but found no women in the windows.  We did see an array of sex toys such as I have never seen nor imagined. We backtracked to a recommended restaurant, The Grasshopper for wine and burgers.

A walk back to the hotel by 9:00 and into bed for reading and rest.  An eventful first day in Amsterdam.