Planning Europe

One month from today, Richard and I will be in Europe. If my calculations are correct, we will be on a train somewhere between Hamburg and København. (If my superior train-catching skills are put to use, we may be clacking through the Polish country side with Richard’s full-volume lecture on responsible schedule-reading drowning out the pastoral ambiance.)

Richard and I are different travelers. While he talks of the brilliance of Amsterdam, Hamburg and København, I relentlessly throw out ideas of Rønne, Ærøskøbing and IJmuiden. Ten years in Hood River haven’t changed the basic tenet that Richard is a big city boy. And my youthful years in big cities didn’t affect my small town outlook. So we compromise. As Richard is want to point out, “Who in their right mind would vacation in some dumpy little out-of-the-way village when Amsterdam and Paris and Dublin exist?” He does have a point. So, we’ll be spending the nights and most days in major cities, but we have some planned trips to more rural(ish) areas. Of course, once we get there, things may change. Last time we were in Amsterdam, a planned day trip to Den Haag (The Hague – not exactly small town) was scrapped when, quite frankly, I threw a temper tantrum and refused to leave Amsterdam.

So we will fly to Schiphol Airport (non-stop from Portland), catch the train to Amsterdam-Centraal and spend four nights in my favorite city in the world, Amsterdam. This time, a day trip to Den Haag is almost certain. We will then catch the train to Hamburg, spend two nights there, exploring Germany’s second largest city before heading off to København for the next four nights. From København we are planning a day trip to southern Sweden (Malmø and/or Helsingborg), before catching a train to return to Amsterdam (with a night’s stop-over in Bremen.) The last two nights in Europe will be spent at a pretty expensive hotel overlooking the Rembrandtplein. Actually, with the sound economic leadership of our current administration, every night in Europe will be spent in a pretty expensive hotel, but we are splurging on our last nights. Oddly, Richard isn’t into the “youth-hostel” experience.

It’s not that I am getting excited about the trip (although if I think about it too much, I risk wetting myself), it’s just that I want to go now and I don’t ever want to come back. I can picture myself, happily sipping genever while watching the boat traffic on the Kaisergracht for the rest of my natural life.

Two years ago, I think I embarrassed Richard when, standing at one of those automated ticketing kiosks at PDX, I burst into tears when a ticket came out with my name on it and “Amsterdam-Schiphol” printed right below my name. I’m not sure I’ll do any better this time.