From Minnesota to Amsterdam

Last evening I took the 9:45 PM flight from Minnesota to Amsterdam. That put departure right at sunset, only the entire day, like many before it had been cloudy. I happened to notice a woman sitting near me had her face tinted red and that's when I discovered late evening sun.

I liked the way the sun was turning a jet way into an interesting sculpture.

I was rather delighted to find the expected flying time would be almost one hour shorter than usual. We had a supper served about 11 PM Minnesota time and then I tried to sleep. I think I did in bits and pieces. I kept the flight tracker screen open on the video monitor in front of me. One time that map said 4 plus hours left and then the next time I saw it there was only 2 plus hours left for flying!

We landed in Amsterdam about 12:30 PM  local time and I was over to my favorite Citizen M hotel by a few minutes after 1:00.

Settled in a bit, assuring myself that everything necessary really did accompany me on the trip. I transferred some things from my carry-on bag to the bag which I will check for my bag weighed only 36 pounds when I checked it, so a few more things can travel within checked luggage on the next flight.

Went downstairs and got a Coke Zero with a glass of ice-- in the Netherlands ice is possible and not considered strange -- and also one of the wonderful raisin pastries I find here. Then came upstairs and took a nap.

About 6 PM I wandered over to Schiphol Plaza. Stepped into the HEMA store mostly to just see what I could find there -- maybe another pair of flip-flops.

I laughed when I found these socks.

I've been accustomed to calling tennis shoes/sneakers by the British English word, trainers, while in Europe. I was amused to find that apparently the Dutch word for these shoes is sneaker.

Coming back from supper about 8 PM I found a new sculpture outside the hotel now lighted in a way I could see what it was. In the height of the mid-day sun all I saw was a shiny object. The late sun produced contrasts that allowed me to see this:

There isn't any explanatory information associated with this sculpture, so I cannot offer the artist's name.

As I write now at 10:15 PM local time, it is still daylight enough that I can easily read the signs on the buildings across the street. A great benefit of being "up north" and at the very western edge of the Central Europe time zone.