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| Living the philosophy, “it’s all about the journey” in Rotterdam, Netherlands. |
It’s been said that in life, “it’s all about the journey, not the destination.” Yet when when it comes to travel, most people rush-rush-rush to get where they’re going. Not that I blame them, what with the tragic state of Americans’ vacations these days. (Who can relax in a week? Seriously. This needs to be re-examined.)
Minimizing layovers is a big part of that. And, journey be damned, if there’s a layover of more than an hour, most people will complain about it profusely.
I take a different stance on the whole thing: a layover is an opportunity to explore en route.
On a recent trip to Europe, a friend in the Amsterdam-area asked whether I had a layover in Schiphol, which I did: five full hours. So upon landing, she picked me up at the airport (once we found one another) and whisked me off to her ‘hood, which I had never before explored: Rotterdam.
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| Whirlwind tour of Rotterdam. Photo by Charish Badzinski. |
It was a whirlwind tour: windows down, careening around corners, breathing in fresh, foreign air.
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| Canal on the whirlwind tour of Rotterdam. Photo by Charish Badzinski. |
We squeezed in time for lunch, multi-course to be specific, which included a stroll through the market at my insistence. There, I sought out stroopwafels, which are my favorite Dutch treat! A gooey delight of thin waffle-like cookies with a syrupy center, served warm off the griddle.
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| Stroopwafel. Resistance is futile. Photos by Charish Badzinski. |
And a raw fish sandwich, which my dear friend encouraged me to try. Hmmm. Interesting.
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| I’m gonna need help with the name of this one. Raw fish, pickles, white bread. Photo by Charish Badzinski. |
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| Market fresh cheese! Photo by Charish Badzinski. |
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| The quaint streets of Rotterdam. Photo by Charish Badzinski. |
I also got to visit her home, and tour Rotterdam on foot, however briefly.
I didn’t have long in Rotterdam, but I did have enough time to whet my appetite for more. And, I squeezed in a fabulous side trip, and time with a dear friend on my way to wherever it was I was going.
See? It really is all about the journey.
What are your favorite side trips or stop offs?
Rollerbag Goddess Global Communications 
How about forced layovers? Like the time Northwest got me to my destination 20 minutes after my connecting flight left and I spent a March evening in Detroit? Explored the hotel bar and room TV selection.
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