Car!

Monday after doing laundry, {for what seemed like hours and hours and hours, the dryers were not cooperating!!} Grace & I hopped a bus to Schiphol and picked up our rental car.

I had reserved a small Ford something or other, the smallest, cheapest, automatic on the list.  When we got up to the desk, the lady had to call around to the pick up desk, and the garage, to make sure they had an automatic in, that I could rent.  After about 4 phone calls, we were told we were going to have a BMW 1 series.  I was fine with that, as long as it didn't cost me more, and was automatic.

In the last few months they moved the car rental pick up desk ... all the way to the other end of the garage.  So after an escalator ride, a walk, four moving sidewalks, and an elevator ride, we found the desk.  And then the confusions started!  The BMW was still in the garage, so they were going to give us the Peugot they had sitting ready.  But then the other guy on duty said no that was for someone else.  If we could wait about 5 minutes, then the BMW would be ready and brought up.  No problem.  After about 10 minutes, the guy came back in and said that the BMW wasn't coming so we could have the Peugot after all... and then he said, wait, I see the BMW, let me go get the keys.  Walked off, but never came back with the keys.  Another 10 minutes passes and we finally drive out ... in the Peugot 3008.  :)  So much confusion over a car!!

We headed up to Volendam, a little touristy fishing village on the Maarkermeer.  We did the obligatory shopping and eating and then headed back home.

an itty bitty tiny street that I was leery driving our car down ~ but I guess its big enough for a car and bus!

Tuesday we headed out by 9 am to go do to La Roche-en-Ardenne, in Belgium.  We got into La R-en-A around 12:30 and walked the streets with the stores and checked out a few things we wanted to buy, but decided to do the hike up to the castle ruins before we bought and had to carry things around.  The hike up to the ruins, was really a hike, up a slope/hill of cobble stones that are really uneven and not smooth.  After a stop for lunch, when we got back down, we headed back to the shops and spent all our money! :)

We left shortly after and carried on to the city of Luxembourg, in the country of Luxembourg, not to be confused with the province of Luxembourg in the country of Belgium.  We found a parking garage and walked back up to street level, to realize we were in the rich hoity toity area, since one of the first stores I saw was Hermes.  Yeah, I don't think I'm going to spend 2000 Euros on a purse, especially one that won't even hold my wallet!

The balance of the pictures are here.

Today we are recuperating from all the driving yesterday, and I had a doctors appointment.  Tomorrow morning we hope to get up uber early and hit the Aalsmeer Flower auction.  Then?  Wherever our Peugot will take us!