A Travel Day

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So I got on the train at Central Station Amsterdam for the 20 minute ride to Schipol Airport, a nice modern airport with lots of shops. Walked around a bit, napped a bit.

Eventually boarded for my 940 AM flight back to Dublin.

1 hr later, rainy Dublin & its old airport. They're working on new sections for 2009.
But actually gained an hour.

4 hr layover.


Two side notes:
1. I'm already tired of paying for the toilets!
2. The U.S. Dollar sucks! Many exchange rates are $1.40 for every Euro.


Eventually boarded for my 210 PM flight to Athens.

About 45 minutes late taking off, but 3 hrs or so later, Athens! But now lost 2 hrs. So I should be 9 hrs ahead of Boulder & 7 for the east coast. Figured out the subway-(nice, new, clean for the Olympics)-by saying Santagma (san-taug-ma) & pointing until someone else said Santagma & pointed. Met a young couple from New Zealand who were headed to the same hostel, so together we navigated the change at Santagma Square to the red line & one stop to Acropoli. The hostel was just a block from the subway, nice! Arrive about 10 PM.

Check in, but just one hr. left before the rooftop bar closes & we're hot & thirsty. Drop bags, change jeans to shorts, put my raincoat far away & head up. Small rooftop with about two dozen people sitting about chatting having beer; we join in & take the first look around Athens. Just blocks away, lit up at night, is the Acropilis! Very surreal like that. Wow, what a view. Lots of planning & traveling; but pay money & stand in the right line at the right time & look what you can do. Hard to believe I made it a third of the way around the world.
Time for bed.

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Photos

Schipol Airport
Time to depart :(

Dublin Airport
Lots of Air Lingus

Comments

[Michelle]

revolt about the bathrooms
That is a crime that you have to pay to use the toilets, start a revolution!! Pictures looks great. Amsterdam seems fun, did you smoke any hash?

[SPMargolin]

Toilets
Yes Michelle, it would cost you-with all the pay toilets. No smoking of hash.

[aaron]

solving the european economic crisis
With Michelle and pay toilets our world economy would no longer be based on oil. we could switch to a tree/paper economy.

[Jim Acuna]

Toilets
Hey Steve, you will have eventually figured this out, but........ I frequently would go into department stores feigning a purchase to use their bathrooms. This work is hotels also......especially if you are American or Canadian. They hotelk staff just assumes your a guest and will gladly let you use their services. Try it out............. Jim

[SPMargolin]

Yes, more good advice
I have done that but even some of those places have a toilet monitor!