A trip back in time:Salt Lake City public library 2006 & Vancouver 2010

Thinking about libraries today, I remembered how much we loved the Salt Lake City one.  I see my photos were almost all of the stunning architecture and the children's area.

The funny thing was, when we visited the library in Vancouver BC a few years later, it was clear they had copied many of the ideas.

Vancouver:

Amsterdam 8: The End - Tuesday 1.27

I needed to leave too early in the morning to take the hotel shuttle, and didn't wanted to haul my suitcases a block to take the cheap airport bus, so the hotel got me a nice taxi.

Check-in was easy, and the nice young woman told me how to find the Sky Club. There is a great deal of construction in the airport, and the Delta gates have been moved far from the lounge. But I was pleased to have an hour there as one of my Platinum privileges. That expires this weekend, when I go back to Delta Silver after no travel in '14. Oh well. 

Fearing the breakfast on the plane would be awful, I took advantage of their fine offerings - chicken noodle soup, yogurt with delicious fruit, cappuccino, cheese, even tiny pancakes.

I was annoyed that KLM, now managing boarding for Delta, had switched my seat. But I did get an aisle one in Economy Comfort, and with nobody in the middle it turned out fine. The flight attendants were a curious crew. In contrast to my two great restaurant experiences, they didn't seem to enjoy working together, or working at all. I rarely saw a smile or heard laughter. Some made a few smart remarks. No warmth was evident. Am I looking for too much? One of them had an astonishing hair style: 2-3" long, straight up all over her head. I wondered what statement she was trying to make.

Then a good surprise: One of the breakfast offerings was a tasty chicken curry! It came with fruit.  

A while later a snack came out: olives, hummus, cracker and cookie. Even a nutrition folder that said it was 218 calories (but I'm not a green olives girl).  An hour before landing there was more food. I chose a hot chicken and cheese on whole wheat. It came with an ice cream cup. Nothing like the front of the plane, for sure, but I didn't need all this food anyway. I was impressed with the relatively healthy choices.

And an even better surprise: midway, I slept almost 3 hours. I attribute that to the very fine new neck pillow that Christie and Fred gave me for Christmas + my fine roomy eye mask.  Later on I even had an additional 45-minute nap. Which, combined with cappuccino in Amsterdam and Detroit, may explain how I returned home to my old sleep routine.

I loved that I could plug in my MacBook and my phone to charge them. I think I could go a fair distance in Economy Comfort. Testing that was one reason for the trip.

I was too busy working on sorting thru photos for blog reports, etc. to watch a movie. But I enjoyed following the progress of the plane. Since my connection was in Detroit, I didn't have to worry about the blizzard in the Northeast.

In the baggage claim area I waited until all the suitcases had come out - but not mine - and then asked the Customs agent where Delta's help desk was. He asked if I had checked the  Priority bags + First Class separate carousel; he had been puzzled that they never announced it, and this was the first time I heard of such a thing. The entire time I waited I was comforting a frazzled woman who was supposed to be going home to New York. She asked if there was a hotel nearby that she could walk to. And she asked where we were. I saids Detroit. She asked Is that in Delaware? She explained the only time she ever left NY was to go out of the country.  Egad!

After a nice break in a Sky Club I enjoyed being upgraded for the final ride home. And looking out the window at the snow-covered land:

Back to work at home, now, relaxed and refreshed indeed!

Amsterdam 2b: Wednesday 2.21

A little break at noon, then a Building tour with Isabel, another good guide. And what a treat! I had her all to myself. The story of the building is fascinating, with the appointment of a Catholic architect in a very Protestant-majority country. Many aspects of the building are cathedral-like and it was controversial at the beginning. Many changes have been made over the years, but this restoration aimed to restore it back to the 1884 looks but with some ingenious and complex modernization as well.

Of course we started in the new atrium.  It's hard to imagine the original courtyards covered up with floors of the building; they have all been removed. This new "basement" space is open and light with its glass roof. The original iron girders support the ceiling and are visible to all. The giant new "chandelier" has all sorts of modern technology features, from fancy lighting to grooves in the panels that diminish the sound to security features. The most modern technology is "embedded" underground around the new building.

One of the entrances from the street

Passage from atrium to entry to galleries

One of the two "chandeliers"

Isabel led us up through this doorway, explaining that the collection originally was divided by category, with separate entries and the subject indicated in the sculpture above. We did talk about what this referred to, but I've forgotten, alas.

As we passed the Night Watch she showed us on her iPad the device that is used to remove the painting. I never thought about how it gets in and out! But of course it had to be moved during the restoration and also during the war. A system is built in that can haul it out. 

In the gallery behind NW there's a window through which you can see the length of the Museumplein, with the VanGogh and Stedelijk museums to the right and the Concertgebouw beyond. We're looking through the mesh advertising the Rembrandt show here.

One of the rooms that fascinated me was fairly small and totally new, with colored glass donor recognition panels in the window. And a ceiling full of stars. The design was dizzying. Isabel said they were all hand-painted on the ceiling, not on a canvas. Argh! But it does give a lovely effect to the room if you don't look at it too long.

 

Of course by the end of the tour I headed to the café for delicious tomato soup (and bread).

and a nice view of the bicycles passing by on their street!

Off, then, to the Anne Frank house. On the walk there I passed a houseboat with a green roof and skylights:

I had never been to the Frank house since the lines were always longer than my patience. Today the lines weren't so long, but the morning guide's gift of a back-door invitation still saved time and I got to start immediately on the path through the house. No photos were allowed, alas. Of course we all know the story, and there were good exhibits that brought it to life. And a museum to spend time in as well. It was almost 5 when I left.

It was time for a Dutch pancake experience, and the one I found the highest ratings on was just down the canal. 

If you can increase the size of the menu you'll see the amazing variety of pancake options. I asked what was most typically Dutch and she said apple and bacon or apple and cheese - combining sweet and savory. 

I got the apple and bacon.

It looked way to big to eat, but I did. It was very light and full of apples. I had no idea what to put on it. The syrup looked more like molasses than maple syrup. And powdered sugar seemed odd.  Across the aisle two Japanese girls got big dessert pancakes. They took selfies and then each other. And then I offered to take one of the two of them together, and did.  Then they started giggling and gesturing with one of their cameras. I finally figured what they wanted - me in the picture with them. So I got the server to accomplish the task.

I have to remember when I smile to push my eyelids up so I don't look like I'm blinking. Oh well.

5:30, and time to head back. I stopped at Starbucks for yogurt, figuring that, with the free tea in my room, would be a smarter breakfast tomorrow. Can you read at the big message on their wall?

And I stopped and chatted with a fellow at the big Apple store - with the feeling of the one in NY with curving plexiglass steps to the second level. 

After a break in the room I decided to do the nighttime canal boat tour. I was in the mood to soak up some more of the city, even if it lacked narrative. 

The boat moved along fairly quickly, so it was almost impossible to take in-focus photos as we passed a number of houseboats with open curtains so we could see the furnishings and the residents relaxing.

The hotel from  the canal

The Rijksmuseum at night

The bikers get their own light system.

I bet you can understand why I put writing up this day off to the end. It was so full and I was so tired at the end of it. According to my Fitbit, I had walked 18,245 steps.