A Word About the Bridges Conference

Captain's Log: Sunday, July 28, 2013. I have suddenly entered a mysterious portal where people are discussing fractals, algorithms, isohedrons and who knows what else. They are a strange group of people who don't care how they dress and charge the buffet line when invited to do so. I am humbled and intimidated by their intelligence. Most are polite, but the conversation does not go far with me. Last night's speaker shared his research about how to cut a sphere such as the globe to make it lay flat. He must have offered 50 ways by simply changing the settings on his computer program. His partner did similar research by cutting orange peels and laying them out flat. Really? Thank goodness they fed us a lovely dinner and all the wine we could drink prior to the presentation. Did I mention that this event took place in an old church in the center of town? They set up a buffet table, bar and several pub tables with candles. Jesus would have been proud that so many people, who can't accept anything by faith, had entered His house. Pam and I ate our dinner in the pews along the walls and left our empty wine glasses on the banister. It was almost a sacrilege, but very humorous at the same time. I am trying really hard to comprehend this subject. The art is fascinating, but the math is confusing. Almost everyone speaks English here, which says a lot about the Dutch educational system and the priorities other countries place on learning other languages. It makes the U.S. standards look shameful. I have met some of Pam's friends and they are very real people. She gravitates toward the more artsy mathematicians who have personalities and like to have fun. Thank goodness! Tonight one of them will present his talents as a Mime in the church. Another friend is in charge of a theatrical performance on Tuesday. Pam is coordinating backstage activities and putting together props for the performance. What am I doing, you ask? I am sitting in a corner of the cafeteria drinking coffee, taking cold medicine, and documenting this trip. Hope you enjoy my efforts.

Hotel Amadeus

Hot, hot, hot! We are in another small room with a double bed, one small window and a FAN. The bathroom is much bigger and is on the opposite side of our room off the entryway. We immediately scored big points by breaking the lock on our door. The concierge is going to love us! I decided I better pay her compliments whenever I can so she doesn't think we are rude Americans. The bed is pretty comfortable, but who can sleep with all the trains and noise from the street. I think the teenagers must sleep till noon then stay up all night roaming the streets. I am actually less comfortable with the townies here than in Amsterdam. There are young kids hanging out everywhere in groups. They look like they have nothing to do, so I keep a tight watch over my belongings. We are not far from the heart of town in which there is a beautiful town sqare loaded with cafes. I slept with a wet towel over my face last night to beat the heat. I think I have developed a little cold as well that seems to be settling in my throat. Oh well, who needs sleep anyway.

Travel to Enschede

Friday, July, 26, 2013. I've decided I don't enjoy lugging my bags all over Europe. I used to do it with ease, but my body is definitely not as strong. Pam and I had so much fun getting our bags down the 3 flights of winding stairs in our Amsterdam hotel. We made a luggage brigade. I stood at the top of the steps and slid each bag to her at the bottom. Then, of course we had to load up and walk to the station. It always seems like an eternity with so much weight on my back. We found our train to Enschede (pronounced ON-skeduh). We have the luxury of traveling in the first class compartment using our Eurail passes. We basically had the entire compartment to ourselves. It was raining, but I ejoyed the Dutch coutryside filled with small villages and farms, some houses with thatched roofs, lots of horses and open fields. The last leg of our trip was under construction, so we had to take a bus into Enschede and walk another mile or so to our hotel. Of course the streets were once again laid out in circular fashion with little or no posted street signs. We found the Hotel Amadeus conveniently located right by the train tracks - yeah! As fate would have it, Room 23 was on the third floor. Fortunately the steps were wider and straight. However the temperature increased 10 degrees with each flight and there was no air conditioning. Yikes!

A Morning Walk in Amsterdam

Pam and I slept over 12 hours last night. We were so jet-lagged! This morning we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast of granola, hard-boiled eggs, apples, and toast with chocolate sprinkles on it. This is a Dutch tradition that I like! We left the hotel in cool weather. It was very enjoyable. We walked to Vondel Park and passed the Heineken brewery. Also went to the museum district, but did not take in any museums. In this area we found the Hard Rock Cafe and an open air market to browse. We had lunch in an Irish cafe of all places and couldn't even drink a beer for being on Ibuprofen. We couldn't see the Ann Frank house without a reservation. After lunch, we came back to our hotel and learned that my luggage had arrived from the airport, but Pam's did not. The hotel concierge was kind enough to place a call to the airport to see what was happening. While he was on hold with the airline, a carrier delivered Pam's luggage. That was perfect timing! Next we had to figure out how to get our suitcases up those dreadful stairs. We have already planned to slide them down the steps tomorrow when we have to check out! After a little rest and recharge Pam and I headed out again, this time to a section of town with small shops. Of course we found nothing that we wanted to buy. I then convinced Pam that we needed to see the red light district, which was nearby. The closer we got to the area, the sleazier things became. We walked down a street with prostitutes soliciting from the windows and doorways and saw many sex shops, bars, and porn theaters. The funniest thing was to overhear a group of college boys discussing whether or not to pay the price. There seemed to be an abundance of Argentinian restaurants in this region as well. We were getting hungry, but decided to get out of this environment. Every tourist in town was there! We walked back to our hotel and tried pancakes at a local cafe. These are similar to crepes with a variety of fillings. Pam ordered one filled with spinach and goat cheese. My selection was filled with ham and cheese. Our table was between a young dutch couple and two other young women. One of the girls was Chinese. Her friend was American, but was speaking Chinese to her friend. This is such an international city. Everyone speaks English, of course. I think we both have decided that Amsterdam is an interesting city, but not our favorite. Tomorrow we will catch a train for Enschede.

Hotel Hoksbergen, Amsterdam

Most of the buildings in Amsterdam are narrow. When they were constructed, people paid taxes bases on the front footage, so everyone built several stories high rather than across. Our hotel is designed in this way. Consequently, we have to climb 3 flights of narrow, steep stairs to get to our room. My feet only fit on each step sideways! Our room is so tiny. It is probably only 10 square feet with a teeny bathroom. There is nothing fancy about it. We have a huge window with openings, but no screens in the windows. Every so often we get a whiff of marijuana that someone is smoking near us. Poor Pam is allergic to the smoke and sneezes incessantly. Pot is everywhere. Someone was toking up at 8:00 this morning. It is everywhere on the streets. Speaking of streets, the good Doctor (Pam) is having trouble navigating because nothing is perpendicular nor logical. Often the streets curve and even change names. I find it difficult to see the names of streets clearly. The other thing that takes getting used to is that you constantly have to dodge cyclists and trams. We were almost run over by a tram. We know better today. There are so many cyclists in the city that there are lanes on either side of the street for them. All kins of people are on bicycles, including businessmen, girls in skirts, young children riding with moms, older people, and girls riding side-saddle with their boyfriends. It is all very cool.

Trying to Get to Amsterdam

My current trip is to travelto Amsterdam to attend a math conference with Pam. Don't even laugh at the thought of me at a math conference.We are currently sitting on the Tarmac of the first leg of our trip to Europe. We can't even get out of Cleveland. No problem. Pam and I ate Chex Mix for lunch. On second hand, we have a problem. 1. Weather in Cleveland and Detroit. 2. One of the fire cylinders in the luggage compartment was half full, therefore all the luggage had to be removed. Our luggage will not arrive on this flight with us. 3. We had to de-plane till they figured out what to do. 4. We re-boarded and are currently sitting at the gate. 5. Did I just hear the attendant say that the plane will be off balance because we have no luggage? All of this fun has taken place in CLEVELAND. Who needs adventures outside of the country! We fianlly made it to Detroit with not a minute to spare. So much for being able to walk in the airport before boarding the next flight. Our flight to Amsterdam was filled with abundance; food galore, drinks, movies, music, pillows and blankets. I loaded my purse with leftovers in case it will be a while before we eat again. My passport is going to smell like a banana! No sleepon the plane. Will arrive in Amsterdam near 10:00 am.

Welcome

Welcome to my travel blog! I may not be a gifted writer, but I want to use this blog to share some of the travel adventures I experience with those who are interested. I was bitten by the travel bug in 1972, when my parents put me on a plane to Tours, France to spend my Junior year of college studying French at the Institute de Touraine. I lived with a French family, took courses at the Institute, and had the opportunity to travel extensively through Europe. That experience changed my life forever. Not only did I discover that I had a passion for foreign languages and world cultures, I also learned that I needed to experience more of the world. Since that year, I have been blessed to travel to Europe two more times, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, and have even visited the tip of Africa. Needless to say, I am eager to experience more places. My "bucket list" is getting longer every day! So, as travel opportunities arise, I will post my adventures here to share with my family and friends. I hope you enjoy the ride!