I am planning a trip to Amsterdam. My plan is to purchase Dutch products for gifts. I have an hour or two at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for a layover. I noticed in the past there were tulip bulbs for sale, which I thought would make a perfect gift for friends and families. But I’d heard that they are not of the highest quality and sometimes don’t even grow. What is the best place in Holland to purchase the bulbs?
— Linda of Vancouver, Washington

Dear Linda –

Schiphol generally tops the list for the world’s best airport shopping, in particular for chocolates, Stroopwafle, Dutch Genever Gin, Gouda and Edam cheeses, Delft Pottery – but definitely not tulip bulbs, often old and difficult to grow.

The most well-known flower bulb ‘sanctuaries’ in the Netherlands can be found in the region south of Amsterdam, in the uppermost part of the province of North Holland, and in a section of the province of Frevoland.

Linda, will you be visiting Holland in spring? If so, make sure to put Keukenhof Gardens on your list; you’ll be surrounded by a kaleidescape of blooming Dutch tulips at the most famous and largest flower park in the world. Keukenhof’s spectacle of 320,0000 square meters of flowers is a short and easy drive from Amsterdam, and it is essential to plan your visit in advance. AND YES, this is the place to purchase tulip bulbs.

Tulips grow best in maritime areas, preferably not further away than 30-50 miles from the coast. In the Netherlands the area most like this is near the North Sea. The best types of soil are the sandy-clay grounds in the provinces of South and North Holland, Flevoland and the Noordoostpolder. In particular, the maritime climate and the vicinity of water are optimum conditions for growing tulips. I noticed that you live in Vancouver, Western Washington State, which is close to the Skagit Valley. Once a year there is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which should prove to be an easy location to access the bulbs when not visiting the Nethlerlands.

Dear Dutch-American –

Why are there so many bicyclists in the Netherlands when the nation has public transit, automobiles, trucks and buses?
— Barry of Omaha, Nebraska

Dear Barry –

The Dutch can afford automobiles, but the price of petrol is over $9/gallon. City fathers have made parking cars in town centers highly expensive, making it much more affordable to simply pedal into the cities. Plus, over 26% of the Netherlands is under sea level, and for centuries the Dutch have battled against the ocean water with a system of polders, dykes and weirs. This has created a stunning and unique flat as a pannekoeken (pancake) landscape of reclaimed land across the country, ideal for bicycling. As one of the world’s most forward thinking democracies, Dutch citizens are highly educated, aware that unregulated fossil fuel could not only damage their health, but also the life of our own planet. I’ve noticed that many Dutch people find it perplexing that ignorant far-right Americans consider monetary profiteering more important than the health of their own children. Please note: When strolling through a popular tourist destination, it is the bicyclist who have the right aways on the pathways — so keep your wits about you and be quick on your feet.

Dear Dutch-American –

My time in Amsterdam is far too limited to see all that needs to be seen. What is your pick for the city’s best museum?
— Wendy of Portland, Maine

Dear Wendy –

This is a win-win situation. You really can’t go wrong.

MUSEUM SQUARE is a brief tram ride from Amsterdam’s city center, home to the RIJKSMUSEUM, which includes the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The VAN GOGH MUSEUM is short walk away, and contains the world’s largest collection of paintings and drawings by the artist.

JOODS HISTORIC MUSEUM consists of four adjoining synagogues, linked by internal walkways to form one large museum. The synagogues were central to Jewish life until WWII, and were restored in the 1980s. Most Dutch tourist who visit the museum today are not Jewish, and consider the museum a part of their own history, as well.

ZUIDERZEE MUSEUM in Enkhuizen, an hour away from Amsterdam by train, recreates local Dutch village life throughout history.

“You can always give something, even if it is only kindness.” – Anne Frank.

ANNE FRANK HOUSE & ADJOINING MUSEUM: During World War II, over 103,000 Europeans of Jewish ancestry were deported from the Netherlands to Nazi concentration camps. The most famous was a 13-year-old German girl named Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank. In 1942, the Frank and van Pels families went into hiding in the secret upstair’s annex of a canal building in Amsterdam. For two years, Anne worked on her diary, giving an account of growing up during one of the most inhumane periods of modern history. She made her last entry three days before being arrested. Anne and her older sister Margot died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, only a few weeks before the concentration camp was liberated. The heroic Amsterdamer, Miep Gies, who had helped to hide and feed the Frank and van Pels families at the risk of her own life, found Anne’s manuscripts and gave them to Otto Frank, Anne’s father, the only family member who had survived the concentration camps. With the utmost respect for the privacy of the Frank family, Ms. Gies never once opened the manuscript. In 1947 the first Dutch edition of the diary, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” appeared. Since then the diary has been published in more than 55 languages. Anne’s hiding place is the most visited site in the Netherlands. Today you can retrace her steps where she entered the secret annex hidden behind the bookcase.

Meet our Dutch-American: Deb Roskamp

This installment of our advice column comes to you from T-Boy photographer Deb Roskamp, a first generation Dutch-American, whose ancestral home hails from Andijk in the province of North Holland, the place of her mother’s birth

Readers, feel free to ask our staff any questions regarding their ancestral homeland of your choice at ed****@tr**********.com . T-Boy has an illustrious team of writers ranging from British-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, Norwegian-Americans, and more, who have an acute understanding of their ancestral homeland.

The post Dear Dutch-American by Deb Roskamp appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Cutting through the Polish countryside with Eurail. Photograph by B. Banaszalk.

Planning the trip had initially been a daunting task. But after careful research, I found that a Eurail Global Pass offers travel in 28 European countries, giving me the freedom and flexibility to create my own personal journey of discovery. Owned by over 35 railway companies, I opted for a Eurail Select Pass, which featured a Regional and Three Country Pass. That would mean six cities and three countries in twelve-days without any hassles. Plus, it was also easy on the pocketbook. With my Eurail map in hand, I couldn’t wait to experience the destinations on my schedule.

The Old World charm and romance of Kraków. Photo courtesy of Kraków Tourism.

Kraków (Pron: Kraw-KOOF)

It’s almost a cliché to say that Kraków is poised to be the next Prague, but this remarkably well-preserved medieval city serves as a stunning outdoor museum. Kraków rates fifty-five UNESCO World Heritage Listings, which includes the entire historic town center. Kraków was basically left untouched by the Nazis. Although they had mined the city for complete destruction, they couldn’t follow through due to a surprise Red Army invasion. Today, Poland’s former capital is the nation’s number one tourist destination. The city lends itself to a stroll on the Royal Way Walk or a coffee at an outdoor café in the main market square with Wawel Cathedral, the most visited site in Poland, watching over you. Bask in the vibrant ambiance of street merchants, musicians and Krakóvians, commencing in their daily affairs. Poles may seem to be indifferent to tourist, particularly those of us adorned in shorts, flip flops and t-shirts with billboard logos, but don’t be afraid to engage a local in a few words in Polish – broken, in my case – and you’ll usually find a person who is willing to share their knowledge of the city, history and current events.

And what to eat: ‘Bigos’ is a much-loved Polish stew made from sauerkraut, meat and a variety of vegetables; ‘Pierogi,’ half-circular dumplings usually formed from noodle flour dough; and the definitive Polish comfort food, ‘Zurek,’ a fermented soup made with sour rye flour. Also, ‘Steak Tartare’ — having little time for cooking, the Tartars would put desiccated horse meat under their horses’ saddles while riding, in order to soften it prior to eating — and Viennese ‘Wienerschnitzle’— an Austrian breaded, fried veal cutlet — which originated in northern Italy as ‘costoletta alla Milanese.’

Selected Sites Around Kraków

The birthplace of Pope John Paul ll, Kraków’s favorite son. Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Pope John Paul ll (Karol Wojtyla)

Poland is considered the most devoutly Catholic country in Europe, and it cannot be overstated the effect that Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) – Kraków’s most famous native son, born in nearby in Wadowice – had on the Polish people. A supporter of the anti-communist Solidarity – an independent self-governing trade union – his words to the Polish populace: “Do not be afraid,” gave the Poles courage to stand-up up the Soviet Union, which led to Poland’s break from communism and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. His birthplace is a short drive from the city center, while the John Paul II Center and Sanctuary in Kraków is the most popular destination for pilgrimages.

The horrific slave labor camp of Auschwitz evokes an array of deep emotions.
Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Auschwitz – Birkenau

A solemn tour of the Auschwitz slave labor concentration camp, followed by roughly a 10-minute trek to the Birkenau extermination camp, is a deeply moving personal experience that requires no words. Over 1.5 million died, that included 1.1 million Europeans of Jewish ancestry, Gypsies, Catholic priests, the mentally and physical handicapped, political dissenters and homosexuals at Auschwitz–Birkenau as part of Hitler’s demented plan to build a 1,000-year-long Aryan race.

Oskar Schindler’s office is considered the most popular site at Schindler’s Factory Museum. Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Schindler’s Factory Museum

The industrialist and Nazi Party member, Oskar Schindler became world-famous due to the book, Schindler’s Ark and the later Steve Speilberg film, Schindler’s List. He formed a factory, making pots and pans, using members of Krakow’s Jewish community as slave laborers. As the war progressed, he discovered that his workers would be transferred to a concentration camp, where many would be rubber stamped for extermination. The factory shows Schindler’s office where it is believed an assistant devised a list that saved the lives of 1,200 Jewish prisoners, insisting they were essential to the success of his factory. The workers were then instructed to make war armaments. Mysteriously, many turned out to be defective. The factory has been expanded to showcase a museum that conveys the horrific period of Nazi occupation. Schindler is virtually worshipped in many western nations; but ask a Pole if he was a hero and you might be surprised to hear that the deceased man is still wanted for war crimes in the Poland of today.

Kraków to Wroclaw: Time – 3 hours & 10 minutes. Photograph by B. Banaszak.

Wroclaw (Pron: Vra-SWOOF)

Nestled on the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands, over 80 percent of Wroclaw was destroyed during the Second World War, but this time by Allied bombers due to the fact that Wroclaw was then part of Germany, named Breslau. After the war, the city was given to Poland where the complete replacement of the city’s population gave Wroclaw potential for newcomers to reinvent the city. Today, it is a vibrant, young city with over 122,000 energy-driven students and a forward-thinking city administration. Carefully rebuilt, Wroclaw was the European Capital of Culture in 2016.

A fun way to explore the city is to grab a “dwarf map” which combines sight-seeing with the tracking of over 300 dwarf statues, strategically placed throughout Wroclaw. Photo courtesy of Wroclaw Tourism.

Wroclaw is a city that lends itself to a leisurely walk through the historic city center where you’ll find numerous restaurants, beer gardens and clubs. I was impressed that when ordering a beer during Happy Hour you’re also giving a free sandwich; an example of the progressive nature of Wroclawians, aware that alcohol on an empty stomach should be avoided. As previously noted, Wroclaw’s nationality dramatically changed many times throughout the ages, belonging to Poland and Bohemia, then Hungary, Austria, Prussia, Germany and, in the end, back to Poland. The city’s name in other languages, include Hungarian: Boroszló, Czech: Vratislav, German: Breslau, Hebrew: ורוצלב (Vrotsláv) and Yiddish: Bresloi. Don’t feel bad if you struggle in pronouncing the city’s name; the locals are well used to it. As you wander through this ever-changing city you will see architectural styles influenced by the Bohemians, Austrians and Prussians.

Wroclaw to Warsaw: Time – 3 hours & 36 minutes. Photograph by B. Banaszak

Warsaw (Pron: Var-SHAW-va)

While Kraków offers Old World charm and romance, Warsaw is the electrifying capital city of Poland with a population of 1.7 million. The Polish equivalent of a hybrid New York and Washington DC; it is the place where things happen. The home of the courageous Warsaw Uprising – see film director, Andrzej Wajda’s 1957 masterpiece, ‘Kanal,’ where his images focus on Polish resistance fighters crawling through Warsaw’s sewers to escape the German encirclement – and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; heart-wrenching suicidal battles where Poles of Jewish ancestry took their final stand, engaging the Wehrmacht in combat, based on the decision that they would die on their own terms, not on the German’s. Later, Hitler brutally punished the citizenry by reducing the city to rubble, destroying 85 percent of Warsaw and killing approximately two out of every three Warsavians. The Soviet Red Army watched the destruction from a distant hill, not bothering to fire a single shot in support of the Poles. They knew that their Nazi enemy was doing part of their work. Shortly later, they would ease into Warsaw as both a liberator and conqueror, aware that Poland itself would soon be a Russian buffer state. For more, stream the 1958 film, ‘Ashes and Diamonds,’ a cornerstone in Wajda’s body of work. After the war and the eventual demise of the Soviet Union, the historic city center was painstakingly rebuilt, brick by brick, to its former glory. Today, Warsaw enjoys a plethora of seemingly endless museums and heartfelt monuments, revitalized wide boulevards and towering skyscrapers.

Warsaw’s historic city center was painstakingly rebuilt after the Second World War to its former glory. Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Łazienki Park, often rendered “Royal Baths Park,” is the largest park in Warsaw.
Photograph by Ed Boitano.

On the top of your list should be a trip to the museum, 1,000 Year History of Polish Jews, and an al fresco Frédéric Chopin concert at Łazienki Park – one of Warsaw’s favorite sons. The park-and-palace complex lies in Warsaw’s central district on the “Royal Route,” linking the Royal Castle with Wilanów Palace.

Warsaw to Berlin – 5 hours & 37 minutes. Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Berlin’s Gendarmenarket is often considered the most beautiful square in Germany.
Photograph by Ed Boitano.

Berlin

It is hard to believe that it has been over well-over 30-years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Known for its remarkable transformations, this enthralling city on the “Prussian Plains” continues to redefine itself as it marches into 2022. For lovers of history, no city has had a greater impact on the 20th Century than Berlin: the centerpiece of two world wars and the epicenter of the Cold War, everything seemed to happen in Berlin. After the Berlin Wall fell, artists poured into the former East Berlin, while the West remained an affluent showplace for the world to see. Today, there still seems to be somewhat of a cultural divide between the cutting edge, artist-driven East and the ultra-hip, modern West, but this dichotomy is one of the reasons that the city is so alive. Quite simply, it is my favorite city on the globe.

Photo courtesy of Berlin Tourism.

Some of my favorite attractions include a visit to the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall, decorated by 118 artists from 21 countries. Cycling the Trail of the Wall is a guided bicycle tour along the path of the Wall with Berlin on Bikes. The Palace of Tears, a museum situated at a former border crossing station, which helps visitors understand the border experience and the steps toward reunification. The Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie offers an insight into the Cold War, construction of the Wall, and the fight for human rights. The Black Box, also located at Checkpoint Charlie, touches on the history of the famous former border crossing point during the Cold War. This is the crossing where U.S. and Soviet tanks faced off for 16 hours in 1961, almost creating a third world war. The STASI Museum is situated on the former grounds of the headquarters of the communist German Democratic Republic. The Stasi was the GDR’s infamous secret police, modeled after the Soviet’s own KGB, itself modeled on the Nazi’s Gestapo. The terrifying former central complex of the Ministry of State Security showcases original offices, as well as the diverse aspects of the political system and the opposition against it. The GDR Museum offers an interactive look of daily life in the former communist East before reunification. Visitors can experience everything from the bugging equipment of the Stasi; displays of the sluggish two-cylinder Trabant car, the GDR’s answer to West Germany’s Volkswagen; and an attempt to emulate denims, adolescents’ most sought after product. Museum Island, the original settlement of Berlin on the River Spree, consists of five epic museums which collectively are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The museums feature everything from classical antiquities to collections belonging to King Frederick William IV of Prussia. What can’t be missed is Museum Island’s Pergamon Museum, which hosts stunning reconstructions of massive archaeological structures. It is the most visited museum in Germany.

Berlin to Hamburg – 1 hour & 37 minutes. Photo courtesy of Berlin Tourism.

Hamburg

Are the residents of Hamburg referred to as ‘Hamburgers,’ ‘Hamburgites’ or ‘Hamburgtonians’? Even the Hamburg PR had different answer, but it has been confirmed that this booming, northern port town is the actual birthplace of the hamburger (circa 1861), which was a popular snack for sailors and dock workers’ Christened, ‘rundstück warm,’ the proto-type burger consisted of day-old pork topped with either beet root, pickles, tomato slices, sandwiched between two round Kaiser rolls and doused with pork gravy. Sailors returning to Hamburg’s port would request what they referred to as a ‘hamburger.’ As the Hamburg gastronomic invention went out to the world, it returned back to the city, similar to a meatloaf. Many U.S. establishments lay claim to its invention, but Hamburg is the place.

Hamburg has more canals than Amsterdam and Venice combined.
Photograph by Ed Boitano.

As Germany’s second largest city, Hamburg is endowed with hundreds of picture-perfect canals that serve as a gateway to both the North and Baltic Seas. Like Berlin, Hamburg is blessed with expansive green areas and striking architecture, many of which is new. During WW ll, the city had suffered from strategic Allied bombings, which created horrific firestorms, killing an estimated 37,000 civilians and wounding 180,000 more, virtually destroying most of the city. Hamburg was rebuilt and regained its position as an affluent port city that is both creative and open to innovation. It serves as an important transportation hub, with a strong media industry and financial and industrial center.

For Beatle fans, a stroll through the Reeperbahn, once a seedy sailor’s haunt and red-light district, showcases a number of venues where the mop-tops played off and on for two years. This is where they perfected their ‘beat-sound’ before they became world-famous; and, of course, a fame still in the limelight today with the ‘Get Back’ documentary. Highly recommended is Stefanie Hempel’s Beatle tour. A walking encyclopedia on all things the Beatles, Ms. Hempel shares her insight about the lads which will dazzle even the most well-versed fan of the lads. Upon the Beatles’ arrival, they sported greased-up, slicked-back haircuts, but after meeting German photographer, Astrid Kirchherr, they transition to their world-famous coiffure, in which Kirchherr used Jean Cocteau’s 1950 film ‘Orpheus’ as her main inspiration.

Another important point of interest is Miniatur Wunderland, the largest model railway exhibition in the world. The world-famous model train and miniature exhibition is Hamburg’s number one tourist attraction, a must-to-be-seen to be believed.

Hamburg to Amsterdam – 5 hours & 23 minutes.

Photograph by Matthew Wexler.

Amsterdam

Less than a full day is never enough time spent in this dynamic city of pristine canals, world-famous museums and remarkably preserved merchant and shipping magnate homes. Akin to a 24-hour party town, everyone in seemed to be out and about, which included plenty of tourists like me. Dinner was at Café Hoppe (circa 1670), a wildly popular Brown Café’ – no, not one of those – but a historic venue defined by its wooden interior, blemished by years of tobacco smoke. A quick stroll through Amsterdam’s Red Light District revealed that the once quiet district with women in the windows had been transformed into a rowdy hot spot, popular for British bachelor parties. My evening ended with a tranquil evening canal cruise with the lights and stars of Amsterdam above me. My journey back home began with stepping over a drunken bicyclist who had just collapsed on the ground next to my 6 a.m. waiting taxi.

WHEN YOU GO

For further information, www.eurail.com

The post On the Tracks with Eurail: A Personal Journey of Discovery appeared first on Traveling Archive.

James Boitano – T-Boy Writer:

Iceland’s Keflavik Airport handles most international flights and is the convenient gateway for Icelandair’s connection from North America to a many European destinations. Transfers are the quickest and easiest than I have found in any other European airport. Even if your flight is less than an hour from landing and you have to pass through Schengen, it’s enough time. And if you have to spend any time here, it’s such a pleasant and user-friendly airport with every amenity. The airport is about an hour from Reykjavik and the bus ride over the lava fields to the city is a magical introduction to this land of fire and ice.

In contract, Iceland’s domestic flights are handled by their tiny city airport, Reykjavik Airport It’s more like a glorified bus terminal with a minimal of fuss and amenities. I don’t know if this is still the case, but when I took a domestic flight in 2013 there wasn’t even any airport security. It doesn’t get more low maintenance than that.

I have transferred to Munich Airport twice, and it was second only to Keflavik in easy of customs and transfer procedures. Both times they seem to have arranged that my outbound flight was at the same gate as my arrival. If you have ever spent an hour trying to get between terminals at Heathrow, you will appreciate that convenience. I also remember their lovely free coffee and newspaper stations and pleasant waiting areas.

Kevin Revolinski – T-Boy Writer:

That’s easy, Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea

Richard Carroll – T-Boy Writer:

It was a memorable experience flying to Cabo San Lucas in the late 1960’s before it was tagged Los Cabos. The airport or landing strip was located in San Jose del Cabo, and it never seemed to be fully paved and always felt like we were landing uphill in a cloud of whirling dust. It was like flying into another world. The terminal was basic with no A/C and I could always smell the sweet bouquet of tequila, which was probably from a small booth in the terminal hosted by an attractive senorita offering shots to anyone strolling by. A few Taxis that would give you the ride of your life were lined up outside the terminal for the 20-mile drive from the working town of San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas, which was along a gorgeous coastline with few hotels, a wide expanse of ocean, sandy beaches, coves washed by a strong surf, and a scattering of fishermen casting their lines. Arriving in Cabo San Lucas the cabbie’s carefully dodge the dogs snoozing in the streets.

Yap’s International Airport consists of one runway, no tower, and if a plane fly’s es over it must be Wednesday. Yap Micronesia, 541 miles southeast of Guam in the Western Caroline Islands, was invaded and occupied by the Japanese during World War II until the official surrender in 1945. The single taxiway was built by the Japanese in early 1944, and was heavily bombarded by the U.S. Army Air Force and Navy. Landing on the runway among thick foliage and a sparkling ocean, I could see the wreckage of Japanese aircraft near the runway which vividly brought to mind the history of warfare in the Pacific. The terminal consists of a small A-Frame style building with bird life in the rafters and is nicely organized. English spoken.

Portland International Airport is a feel-good destination and my favorite large city airport. Disembarking, travelers are greeted by live music, and it could be a guitarist performing blues, jazz and classical charts, or an agile violinist with a smile, or Liz Wister an accordionist. Local musicians with great skill also light up a permanent upright splendidly tuned piano, the sound system perfected to relax harried travelers. A big cheer to the Portland International Airport Music Program where volunteer musicians perform an average of 65 weekly sessions providing some 200 hours of live music each week for travelers. Performers have a time limit with changing talent throughout the day and evening. Even the giant, 24-foot-tall Cuckoo Clock has a song to share. It’s an ideal airport for a dreaded layover, and if traveling with a dog there is a Pet Relief Area.

Landing in Hawaii my first impression is always the fragrant splendor of fresh flowers, and being greeted by the smell of freshly cut blooms, the scent drifting along the air currents and possibly created from the profusion of orchard leis’ that have found a home in the airport. For the airports of the world this is a special and unique greeting for sure.

Flying to Tsavo West National Park in southeastern Kenya in a steamy single engine puddle-jumper we circled the landing strip for a length of time that seemed like an eternity waiting for a large herd of elephants to move off the runway, all the while watching the fuel gauge slowly waver downward. When we finally touched down on a bumpy strip of land with the help of the remaining fumes, the terminal was a small hut with a man inside stretched out on a bench soundly asleep.

Jim Gordon – T-Boy Writer:

Airports for me begin and end with Palm Springs! I’ve never been to an airport where my stress level drops as soon as I walk through the open-air structure, small though it is!

Rodger Fallihee – T-Boy Writer:

I loved Hollywood Burbank Airport (now Bob Hope Airport) because of the stars that I saw there over the years. Robert Redford, Beau Bridges, Jon Voight, Lynda Carter, Jerry Lewis, Tom Poston, John Ritter and I’m sure more than I have forgotten. They also had the best parking at Carter VSP. They would wash the car or change the oil.

Ed Boitano – T-Boy Editor:

Shop till you drop is an alien term to me. To be more specific if there was no such thing as online shopping, I fear many birthdays and holidays would be celebrated gift-free. This all changed upon an early arrival at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport when waiting for an international flight back to the states. The statistics were in my favor for Schiphol is regularly voted the best airport for shopping, plus it’s run by the Dutch who have the characteristic of being orderly and forward thinking, already anticipating the needs of the traveler. Yes, that includes a shopping mile, a casino, spas, a library and even a branch of the Rijksmuseum all neatly laid out along Schiphol’s Holland Boulevard. My only dilemma was whether I should purchase Dutch gin, chocolates or gouda cheese for my Aunt Kate back in the states. I already knew tulip bulbs should only be purchased by the grower.

I had made it, complete with a backpack stuffed with unnecessary items. Zürich Airport was calm, and it was just what I needed after having taken the train there in the early morning. But I kept thinking I had forgotten something. Oh, yes; it was a trip to the bakery to bring a bag home of silserli (Swiss Pretzel Rolls). I rendezvoused with my photographer at the airport and explained my dilemma. Take it easy, she replied, pointing to Brezelkönig Bakery, just a few steps away from where we were standing. Painfully aware of uncivilized price gouging in captured U.S. airport settings, I replied, Yes, but won’t they cost a $1,000 U.S. or something? No, she smiled. The prices are regulated, they’re no more expensive than on the street. Yet, another reason why I love Switzerland and silserli.

I knew that Singapore Changi Airport would be clean and sparking, as all things are in Singapore. But I never expected an airline representative in pre-pandemic and post-9/11 Singapore to approach me while I wandered around the terminal in my usual daze. I was also aware that the rules are strict in this handsome island nation, and wondered if I committed an airport infraction. The employee’s words were simple: Can I help you? It appears that you may be lost. No, I replied. Just marveling at your airport. Well, please enjoy it, she said. We have free Internet over by the window.

Skip Kaltenheuser – T-Boy Writer

Hard to imagine that the last time I was in one of my top favorite cities, Hong Kong’s head honcho was still the amiable Governor Chris Patten, and I was soon to be scribbling columns from DC for a now long-gone Hong Kong magazine called Windows. Kai Tak was still the airport. When I first flew into it, a side trip after visiting a pal in Tokyo, during the landing it looked like the plane’s wings might snag lines of laundry hanging off the balconies of apartment buildings, or flatten TV antennas. There was a sudden hard turn that made me wonder if our final destination was Victoria Bay. It was a spectacular landing and prelude to a great city.

Preparing for a trip to Hong Kong with my wife, I learned she had an abhorrent fear of airplane crashes, not unlike William Shatner in the Twilight Zone episode, Terror at 20,000 Feet. So we got a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication which she topped off with drinks. Upon landing the passengers cheered and clapped and I smiled at her. I couldn’t tell if the expression she returned was one of stark terror or a promise of revenge. I looked down to see four ripples of blood dripping from my forearm from where my wife’s fingernails had been embedded. I remember thinking future plane travel for her might not be much in the cards. On a prior trip to Hong Kong, I came across a fortune teller who was a doppelgänger of Ho Chi Minh. He answered my query of a contemplated union by requesting a photo that would allow him to compare noses. As the mystic was closely tuned to Hong Kong, the foreboding on his face must surely have presaged the coming airplane fright, I figured.

How do I convey the thrill of landing at Kai Tak, with or without fingernail acupuncture in one’s arm? Here’s an article that gives a notion of an approach to the airport’s runway 13/31, known as the “Kai Tak Heart Attack.” Built on reclaimed land in Kowloon Bay, the airport was in a bowl, surrounded by mountains and water and plenty of apartment blocks and skyscrapers. Runway 13/31 extended out into Victoria Harbor, across from Hong Kong Island. Imagine the additional excitements at night, with all the distracting lights of Hong Kong, or in rough and/or rainy weather, and the occasional typhoon. Automated landings could not carry the day here. For pilots, it was revered as the best test of competence. Takeoffs weren’t the easiest liftoffs either. Remarkably, despite this airline gauntlet, runway 13/31 was the world’s busiest single runway, with an hourly log of 36 landings and take-offs. One every 100 seconds. No one tarried when there was a mishap. One of the times a plane overshot the runway into the drink, the airport blew off its tail so it could be quickly towed out of the way.

To master the unique requirements of landing on that runway, often while fighting powerful crosswinds that, like wind speed, were in constant flux, airline pilots trained extensively on special simulators before they took on the low-altitude, manual 47-degree visual right turn at 200 miles per hour, immediately kicked into gear by the sight of a large orange and white checkerboard painted on a hill, with only two nautical miles to go before hitting the runway.

For a better sense of the challenge to pilots, try this video explaining it by a pilot very experienced with the runway and checkerboard approach:

And here’s a fun look via simulators showing the added value of the buildings all about:

Some additional photos are hyperlink: here at the Daily Mail website.

Despite a dozen air disasters, by 1996 Kai Tak was handling thirty million passengers a year. The airport closed on July 6, 1998, but that landing remains indelible in many millions of minds, for the passengers, pilots and crew, as well as the plane watchers on apartment rooftops and balconies and in the streets. Landings there made Kai Tak one of my two favorite airports. It’s now a cruise liner terminal, but I doubt docking there is quite the same. I get emails updating me almost daily from pals in Hong Kong. Though they no longer have to land in Kai Tak, I wish them luck on all other fronts, now every bit as tricky.

EXTRA

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I had only two days’ layover in Amsterdam and wanted to make the most of it. I had a long list of “stuff” to see and do, destinations that I had not had the time to see and experience the year before, when I had a short trip to this charming city of canals, tulips, and bicycles, among its many draws.  It was my fourth or fifth trip to the Netherlands and I still had not made it to — heavens! — the Museum of Bags and Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje), which somehow, despite its being tops on my list, had eluded me for one reason or another on past visits.

And this time around, having read Jessie Burton’s novel The Miniaturist (and having seen the PBS mini-series of the same name), I desperately wanted to see Petronella Oortman’s miniature house — a cabinet doll house, presented to her as a wedding gift from her husband, Johannes Brandt — which has a place of honor on a little stage-like platform at the Rijksmuseum. The house is a marvel and it’s hard to believe it is a true, detailed mini-model of Petronella’s home; indeed, both Oortman and her husband were real people, in the late 17th century — early 18th century in the Netherlands; for the wealthy, having a miniature replica of their homes was a status symbol.

In order to make my trip efficient and easy — and to save a couple of dollars — I opted to purchase the Amsterdam Card, officially known as I amsterdam City Card, which you can buy on line even before a trip, or once in Holland, at the I amsterdam Visitor Centre at Schiphol Airport; in the I amsterdam store inside the Central Station; and at the I amsterdam Visitor Centre across from the Central Station. Additionally, it is available at many hotels, museums, canal cruise companies’ ticketing offices, tourist agencies, and GVB ticket offices (Amsterdam’s pubic transport company).

Passes are available for 24-, 48-, 72-, 96-, and 120-hours, in other words, for one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-days’ duration; they are priced, accordingly, at 65, 85, 105, 120, 130 Euros and occasionally, you might find a somewhat reduced price with a few Euros knocked off the tariff.  (As of this writing, the 120 and 130 Euro cards are each on sale, for 115 and 125 Euros, respectively.)

Is a City Card really worth it? Well, for me it certainly was.  I took many trams, so I saved significantly on transportation, all managed by the Amsterdam GVB.  (A two-day pass for transportation alone is 13.50 Euros, but it’s included with the City Card.)  At the Rijksmuseum, I avoided the 20 Euros entry fee, and at the Tassenmuseum, I skipped the 12.50 Euro tariff.  Add to that the entry prices for the Jewish Cultural Quarter (17 Euros), the Stedelijk Museum (18.50 Euros), and a ticket for a canal cruise (17 Euros). And if I’d had time for the Diamond Museum (10 Euros) and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum (5 Euros), I really would have made out like a proverbial bandit.

Bottom line, if you are planning a lot of gallivanting about and you are sure you’re going to visit museums, then the card is definitely worth it for you. Additionally, there are discounts on bike rentals (see Amsterdam like a native), music events, and food and drink. So, yes, it’s worth checking out before you leave to determine if you’ll come out ahead.  Above all else, it made all my peregrinations simple. And it will do the same for you.

© 2020  Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

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