Baltimore to Amsterdam

My travel companion is my long time friend Randy. Not our first rodeo with travel, but a first time with international excursion. He found a killer deal from BWI to Amsterdam and that is where we will be the next 5 days.

This also will be the end of January and to continue with my Sketchbook-A-Month Challenge i will be sure to include some of this adventure in it.

Traveling Day 1

Here we go! From my new spookyshack in Alexandria to Baltimore I meet up with Randy so we can figure out the day. We first hit up the REI to get a last minute super portable water bottle, which came in super handy on the flight. The deal we found was taking us to Amsterdam via Baltimore with WOW air. This is a truly cheap way to get to Europe and in doing that the flight doesn’t offer anything free. So the carry on cost a little but we saved in bringing our own water and snacks, and my tummy was glad we did.

BWI was the fastest I she ever gotten through checking through security and to the gate in my travels to date. Smoothly sailing to that and to our seats the next feat of speed was the first layover in Iceland. Landing provided no worries but it was waiting for all of the slowest off boarding and such a quick transfer time that Randy and I were running as fast as we could and just getting through the passport check point to get on a tram to get to our plane Jacky Onassis style!

Got to love vomit humor with a hint or marketing advertising! We had 2 South African ladies who are living in Iceland and working at a micro brew pub restaurant that made some amazing conversation. Such a fun duo with a Lucy and Ethel style relationship. They are visiting Amsterdam for the shopping and getting some cool funky outfits as they feel Iceland is a bit drab and has too many winter clothes. I don’t remember the name of their place but I will be sure to research it when I can and will add links to this post!

We made it!

#iamamsterdam sign greeted us as we got off the plane. We also had purchased an I am Amsterdam card which gives you museum access and also public transport access. However, we learned that at the airport there is not a transport service you can use easily so we ended paying some euros to take the train to city center which then we could take the metro which goes right near our hotel!

Clarendon Vitality is out hotel for this adventure. It is super nice, micro compact style but modern feel to the room and is right near the metro and rail/tram system which we can use the iamamsterdam card to travel with!

We were pretty wiped out from the traveling so decided to take a nap, then walk to a local grocery store to save some money and get snacks and some sandwich making items to carry with the next day, then we can splurge on a main meal or some trinkets if we see something shiny and haunted, or interesting. There are 3 options for grocery stores and it has some cute items, not feeling super adventurous we just got some main things and headed back to the room to celebrate making it this far with such little sleep.

Next was the spa! He hotel has an amazing spa and pool area and is worth the price to enjoy it. Sauna, multiple shower areas both hot and cold, a fun pool with jets and waterfall and also my favorite is a fake Turkish beach room with vitamin D lamps. Below are pictures I didn’t take as you are not allowed to in the spa area. It I pulled from the website so you can see 🙂

Until tomorrow’s adventure!