Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a major hub for flights from Lima, whether heading for Europe, Asia, or Africa. It's a 12 hour flight and 8 hour time difference, generally with long layovers for connections. Valerie, especially, has spent many hours in transit at the Amsterdam airport on various work trips. On a recent trip to Africa, she spent a night in Amsterdam and had a chance to walk around the old city, benefiting from the long days of late May.

The cobbled streets and canals make for wonderful walks and discoveries. And it's fun to see the brick row houses, which very so inspired the architecture of Eastern and Mid-Atlantic cities in the US. But the most striking thing was all the bicycles. Like Beijing, they are the favored mode of transportation, and the bicycle parking area by the central train station is impressive.

 Bike parking by the train station

 Look at those waffles.

 Classic canal view

 Biking in style with the animal print seat and Van Gogh inspired saddle bag.

 Aaaaah tulips

 Homo-memorial on a canal

 Outside of Schipol Airport is this running wheel, where the founder and volunteers keep it going non-stop with people power - to raise cancer awareness and support research.