With our Amsterdam stay coming to an end, Bill boarded a local bus at 3pm to Amsterdam Central Station and then caught the airport express shuttle for his departure. I decided to stay one more night at Hotel Atlanta and enjoy a few additional hours exploring Amsterdam before moving on to my next destination.
When I extended my stay, I initially booked a cheaper room at Hotel Atlanta and offered to pack up my belongings and move to it. The hotel wisely decided to let me remain in my existing room. That saved them the work of cleaning another room and saved me the trouble of packing, moving, and unpacking everything for just one night. A win-win!
The following morning, I packed up after breakfast and checked out. That's when I received an unexpected surprise: additional charges for breakfast during our stay. Note to self: Always confirm whether breakfast is included in the room rate or will be charged separately. It's a small detail worth checking before booking.
I left my luggage at Hotel Atlanta and spent a few more hours walking around Amsterdam. I took advantage of the extra time to explore some of the city's waterways and bridges. Amsterdam is a wonderful walking city, and the numerous canal crossings make it easy to discover something new simply by wandering around.
Hotel Atlanta had a good location, but the hotel itself left something to be desired. The bathroom design was particularly puzzling. There was a glass half-shelf positioned over the sink, and the bathtub/shower were elevated above the rest of the bathroom floor. The arrangement seemed unnecessarily awkward and potentially dangerous. I could easily imagine someone slipping while getting in or out of the shower and ending up with a trip to the doctor. Good location, questionable design!
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| Watch Your Step!! |
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| The Infamous Glass Half-Shelf |
After my walk, I retrieved my luggage and caught the same transit path then as Bill had done the previous afternoon. I wasn't catching a flight, however. I was killing time and making my way toward my next hotel, hoping to arrive around the time they would allow me to check in.
My destination was the OXO Hotel de President Airport in Hoofddorp, a town near Schiphol Airport. I had selected it for two practical reasons: its proximity to the airport and its location relative to the upcoming Focus concert at the Cpunt Theater.
The hotel was about a 35- to 40-minute walk from the theater. Before making the reservation, I had checked the route on Google Street View. It appeared to pass through a mixture of office parks and residential areas, which seemed perfectly reasonable. I had also planned ahead for my departure the following morning. Because my flight was early, I wouldn't be able to rely on the hotel shuttle, which didn't start operating until 6:00 a.m. Fortunately, a local bus also served the airport.
With the logistics figured out, I settled into the hotel first for a nap and headed out for my walk to the theater. I was pleased to find that the route passed through perfectly ordinary surroundings, with no neighborhoods that felt threatening or run-down.
Another Evening with Focus
The Cpunt Theater complex was quite impressive. The large building appeared to house several different spaces and activities, including areas for children's play, arts and crafts, and, of course, the performance venue where Focus would be playing.
Finding the actual theater entrance was a little confusing. The directions I received seemed to amount to, “Go to the bar and restaurant, and you'll find it from there.” So that's what I did.
When I arrived at the bar and restaurant, I immediately recognized what appeared to be the gathering place for the concert crowd. There were plenty of people with gray or no hair, and a fair number of us were clearly on the more mature side of life. I had found my people!
The theater doors opened, and everyone began filtering inside. The venue looked as though it could accommodate perhaps 400 people. One feature I particularly appreciated was the sloping floor, which provided a better view toward the stage from farther back in the room, where the bar was located.
At five minutes past the hour, Focus took the stage. And once again, they played their hearts out.
It was another excellent performance from a band that continues to deliver the goods. After following the logistics of getting there, checking out the venue, and navigating my way through the building, it was wonderful to settle in and simply enjoy the music. The effort of getting to the concert was well rewarded.
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| Pierre van der Linden (Drums) and Thijs van Leer (Organ, Flute) |
When the performance ended, I headed back to the hotel on foot. It was another 40-minute walk, but I had already checked out the route and knew what to expect. I arrived back at the hotel, enjoyed a quiet evening, and turned in for the night.
An Early-Morning Departure
The next morning, I was up early and left the hotel before daybreak to catch the local bus to the airport.
I hadn't anticipated just how crowded the bus would be when it arrived. It seemed that quite a few of the passengers were heading to work at Schiphol. I based that impression on the number of people traveling without luggage, compared with those of us who appeared to be airport-bound travelers.
It was a reminder that an airport bus isn't necessarily filled with people catching flights. For many passengers, it's simply part of the daily commute.
With another Focus concert behind me and my time in Amsterdam complete, I was on my way to the next stage of the journey. The extra day had provided a little more time to enjoy the city, discover a few more canals, and prepare for another evening of live music.
And, as always when traveling, there were a few lessons learned along the way: check whether breakfast is included, plan transportation before an early flight, and never underestimate the value of a good walking route.
Most importantly, another great performance from Focus made the entire detour worthwhile.
