Dilemma

Introduction:-.....
There is nothing quite like a couple of dilemmas before you go on holiday!!
This was our only booked holiday at the start of 2023; a Viking River Cruise sailing down the Rhine from Amsterdam in Holland 🇳🇱 to Basle in Switzerland 🇨🇭 with our river cruising friends from America 🇺🇸. It was a trip I was looking forward to as we were 10 people in 5 couples, 4 of which had enjoyed holidaying together before. Unfortunately, a couple of months earlier, Jayne and I had cancelled due to the illness of one of our dearest friends who were going to cancel. Our cancellation was accepted, but theirs not, which left us with our 1st dilemma. As we are now on a cancellation list, do we take two suitcases on our 3 day trip to Amsterdam just in case there is a no-show before the boat sets sail!
Our 2nd dilemma started a couple of weeks earlier when my mum had a fall and ended up in hospital with a broken bone in her pelvis - so if the opportunity arose, do we go on the cruise????
So there we were waiting on the train station at Poulton-le-Fylde for the 08:30 train to Manchester Airport with our single suitcase for our 3 day trip to Amsterdam to meet up with the Viking Cruisers on their pre-cruise extension.
After a short wait at the departure gate, we were soon boarding the aircraft for our short 1 hour 20 minute flight 🛫 As it was a beautiful summers day, the visibility was excellent all the way to Amsterdam. Arriving at Schipol Airport 🛬 reminded me a lot of going to New York. Not visually, but the standing around in a long queue waiting to clear Immigration. However, 30 minutes after collecting our luggage 🧳 we were checking into our hotel the Pestana Riverside on the Amstel Canal. After unpacking, it was time to go out in search of food and a first Dutch beer in Holland for 30+ years.Read more