Day 1 + Travel Day: June 12 and June 13, 2023


June 12.  Wendy and I are on our way to Amsterdam.  Thank you Sunshine for doing all of the planning.  I am forever grateful.  This is our 25th Anniversary Trip with a 3 year COVID delay.  Whaaaaa Jeff, your 25th Anniversary Trip got delayed because of COVID.  I also want to thank Lisa Taub for my in - flight entertainment, "The Diary of Anne Frank."    


The book starts out:

June 12, 1942: Dear Kitty, On Friday, June 12th, I woke up at six o'clock and no wonder; it was my birthday...

June 12, 2023: Dear Kitty,  I just started reading Anne's diary.  Fuck.  Once her hiding days started, that really got to me.  I feel like shit now asking for an extra piece of bread from the flight attendant.  Exactly 81 years after she started her diary, I'm reading it with too many carbs and a nice Pinot. 

Is it a complete coincidence that I am reading her diary, on the anniversary, on a flight to Amsterdam?  

Baller.  Major League Baller.

Flight is 10 hours LAX to Heathrow.  2 hour layover and then 45 minutes hop to Amsterdam.  Whaaaay, a long flight.  The book got me thinking a lot.  Heavy subject matter.  But I still have 150 pages to go and not going to the Anne Frank House until tomorrow.  "Another Pinot please."

Shout out to Sid Mirvis for our Hotel recommendation - The Pulitzer.  Place looks great from the outside.  Sid da best.

   

A quick check in before we head off to dinner.  Wendy made reservations at a way hipper than me restaurant, about a 25 minute walk from our hotel.  I asked Ron what I needed to wear.  He said, "Only a smile."  WOW!  What a great answer.  I want to take Ron home so I can get rid of all my ties.

I told him he should get rid of his ties.  He says he can't because two women in the lobby are always watching him.

No idea why I took this? Freaky.

Casual dress and fine dining.  Like peanut butter and chocolate.  I love Amsterdam already.  Love Ron. Love Pinot.  Menu looks good.





Shit.  Drinking more Pinot while thinking of Anne drinking broth.  Is this going to be a blog theme? Dear Kitty, I'm feeling guilty about Anne.  Is that normal thinking?  Actually, it's making me feel more grateful.  Yes.  That feels better.  No guilt because of what Anne went through.  But, more grateful for every day and every experience. Yeah, that feels better, much better.   Thanks Kitty.  "Wendy, can you smell the chocolate, wood chips, and cinnamon in the 3rd flight glass?"

Love Sunshine

Restaurant Daalder was very good.  It felt Top Chef-Like.  Thank you Amy Pearl for the recommendation, and thank you for making our Day 1 dinner very special and memorable.  And it stays light until 10:00pm.  Look kids, no flash.

After dinner we walked back to the Pulitzer (about 30 minutes).  Slowly getting tired.  There are two things (by far) I dislike most about traveling.  Jet lag and constipation.  I am happy to say that I can't sleep yet, but I'm blogging from the bowl.  Yeah baby.  No constipation on this trip.  Courtesy flush.

I Dreamt That Shit

























































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