We arrived in Amsterdam during a heat wave with record temperatures being set during the time we were there. Fortunately the temperature dropped down to a reasonable level at night, so sleeping was fine. The campground we stayed in is called Gaasper Camping Park and it was very convenient for travel by train. It was less than a two minutes from the metro station which connected directly to the central train station. It was clean and organized and also had a grocery store and restaurant. Here is the link for the Gaasper Camping Park https://www.gaaspercamping.nl/ During our first full day there we traveled to Delft where they were having a traditional market day. There were many stalls with different hand made and local items to buy. Delft is the home of blue and white Dutch pottery. It’s all very cute and you start to feel as if you must have some. However it’s not compatible with our travel style to haul China and so I limited myself to a very tiny set of blue pottery Dutch clogs about an inch long. Bikes seem to be the main mode of transportation in Amsterdam. They were everywhere we went and although they have dedicated pink roads for bikes, as tourists we felt like we were on an obstacle course whenever we needed to cross the street, with three layers of traffic to look out for (cars, bikes, and trams). I think we must have looked like excited chickens with our heads bobbing each way, darting back and forth trying to avoid being hit. Our friend we visited told us that you are more likely to be hit by bike, than by tram or car and her advice was “keep moving” don’t stop and they will steer around you! We were only in Amsterdam a couple of days as our main goal was to visit a fellow Woman on the Frontlines leader Arlene Westerhof. Arlene is an amazing leader and has done a lot of work in helping to stop the trafficking of women in the red light district of Amsterdam. She has also started a conference called the European Economic Summit which looks at practical ways to influence and change culture through governmental and business movements. It was our intention to head straight to Switzerland from Amsterdam to do some camping in the mountains, but the forecast was for 100% chance of rain for two days, so we decided to stop in Frankfurt along the way and stay in an affordable hotel. A quick tip for those who are traveling with a Eurail pass is that hotels are priced with supply and demand and you can save a lot of money by staying just outside of a major tourist area, or in a transportation hub where hotels are really competitive. This is what we did in Frankfurt. We chose to brave the rain and went for a walk and a coffee in Frankfurts Old Town. You can see the traditional German design in many of the old buildings. We also stopped in at McDonald for a drink at one point and I was surprised to see that they have many items that we do not have such as breaded shrimp and chicken wings. I think we should begin to campaign for chicken wings in North America because so many are on a keto diet. Well, every trip has its bad moments and unfortunately as we were leaving Frankfurt we had what turned into a very distressing experience on many levels. First a minor issue, (although as travellers it took some time to rectify). We were on our way to the train station and just as we were arriving, my wheel suddenly flew off my suitcase. This of course left us at a standstill trying to fix it at least long enough to get into the station. Well that’s when something happened that it’s even difficult to write about, but I said I would share my journey and this was part of it. Here is what happened ... As we were trying to sort out the problem with my wheel, about 10 ambulances and fire trucks and police pulled up at the train station. I immediately began to pray as I knew it had to be a terrorism act or something similarly bad that was taking place. Well it was very bad. A crazy person had started pushing people onto the tracks in front of an incoming train. A small boy was killed and his mom barely survived. The station was in an uproar as we came in with police running, and people crying and devastated. Police tape was everywhere and the tracks closed and news people with cameras were arriving. We felt sickened and horrified by what had happened. We eventually decided to leave the station and take an Uber ride to a sports and camping store to buy a new suitcase. We returned to a very sad and quiet station later that day to continue our journey. Please say a prayer for the mom and family of the little boy. It could have been any of us in that station. We could have been on the same platform had my wheel not come off. The police have told all travellers to be extra alert on platforms due to copy-cat crime possibilities. So of course we are being extra aware, and we are just shocked and saddened by this senseless tragedy. We were very glad to leave Germany behind and get to Switzerland! Today’s Camping Key - Packing the Kitchen sink.One of the ultralight setups we bring with us is our dishwashing equipment. Pictured on the table above is a compact bucket, kitchen sink, rubber sink stopper, scraper, two sided dish cloth with bristles on one side and cloth on the other, tea towel and dish soap. Probably the most important item on display is the rubber stopper as this turns any sink into a place for laundry or dishes, and hotels and campgrounds will not supply them. Here is our bucket. It holds about a gallon of water and folds up onto this tiny pouch. I have put my hand in the photo so you can see how small it is. It is made by sea to summit and you can order it here. https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Folding-Bucket-Liter/dp/B007IGOTXI/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sea+to+summit+bucket&qid=1564746561&s=gateway&sr=8-1 Sea to summit also makes a portable kitchen sink like this one, for about $30.00 but we bought a knock off from eBay for $6.99 and it works great. The water fills it up and holds the sides rigid. A bit like a swimming pool. You can order it here. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Camping-Hiking-10L-Folding-Washbasin-Water-Wash-Basin-Bucket-Pot-Bag-Outdoor/262752112375?epid=2095096569&hash=item3d2d3f0ef7:g:ol4AAOSw5cNYRSKU My next blog will be Switzerland and choosing your footwear
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Wendy Peter is the North American Director of Events for the Women on the Frontlines Organization.
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