My Bags Are Packed ...again

I'm all packed up and just killing time before I head to Central Station to take the train to the airport. Leaving Amsterdam is easy, in many ways.

Logistically it's easy. I will walk to Central Station (about 15 minutes) and just hop on the train which will take me directly to the airport. I already have my train ticket and other than change some money at the station (my sources say it's the best place to change money), I have no reason to stand in any lines there.

I'm also ready to leave Amsterdam. There are things I really love about this city. It's beautiful with the canals, the old houses, the mild weather, etc., but it is a bit too much for me. The crowds can be really overwhelming, and the stairs up to my fourth floor apartment are so steep, I can only go up and down a few times per day, so when I am in, I'm pretty much in for the night. I felt kind of like Rapunzel up here in my apartment on the top floor that feels like a lighthouse, but while Rapunzel was trapped, I was free to go out, I just didn't want to. I didn't like going out and having to navigate through mobs of tourists and find myself disoriented because I didn't know where I was (that happened less and less as my stay progressed). Also, other than eat, drink or shop, there wasn't a whole lot else to do. There were very few plazas to just hang out and watch people, sit in the sun, read a book or just relax. I'm expecting plazas to be a very prominent part of Spanish life. I hope I am not disappointed.

Two weeks was a good amount of time for me to be here. It was enough time for me to get to know my way around, get out into the country a little and see more of the Netherlands and not long enough for me to get too bored.

Now I am ready for Spain. Yahoo weather says it is 93 degress there today. It is cool compared to last week when it topped 100 every day. The reason I am in Amsterdam is because I knew the rest of Europe would be hot, especially Spain. But, my apartment is air-conditioned there and it looks like it is cool in the morning and evening. So, I will do like the Spaniard and stay inside during the hottest part of the day and enjoy the evenings when it cools down.

I guess that is it. There are other things I could write about Amsterdam as I leave it behind, but I think that is enough. I am ready to roll.