Italy Round 2 via Amsterdam - Empty Jet's, Marvelous Cuisine & Reunions


 Flying an empty jumbo Boeing 787 airliners to the Amsterdam was a reminder that COVID is still weighing heavily on the world's economy.  What does it mean when only 15 of the 300 seats are filled?  Certainly great service, but a day of reckoning is coming.  For some of the airline staff unfortunately sooner than later...

Because Italy will only let us stay for 5 days until we satisfy a 14 day quarantine, we must spend the weekends in Amsterdam.  Darn the bad luck :)  The food and people don't disappoint.  The hotel's are virtually empty, but the staff is so appreciative.  My favorite new bartender Andrea taught be all the tricks for making a marvelous cucumber muddled gin cocktail (e.g. peel the cucumber and use an egg white) and I discovered a delectable new citrus liquor from Spain '43'!


Ah, but I digress, not far from Amsterdam's Schiphol's airport is a marvelous French restaurant, Bij Qunis.  It occupies what for a 100 years was the pumping station that emptied the lake where Schiphol airport now stands (BTW Schiphol means "shipwreck" named for all the ships that were lost). The 5 and 6 course meals are gastronomical delight, perfectly proportioned and wonderfully presented by an attentive staff


More pictures here!

Another great nearby Amsterdam venue, Brasserie Nieuwe Meer requires one to crank themselves across a canal using a cable via ferry.  But once there the view, French onion soup, local caught eel, garlic toast, and Affligen beer are worth the effort 



And that was just the weekend.  We commuted to Italy for the workweek.  Once we satisfied our 14 day EU quarantine we were free to return to Arona, Italy and to reunite with friends for fabulous cuisine and tennis on clay courts. It doesn't get better than this.










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Location: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Evert van de Beekstraat 202, 1118 CP Schiphol, Netherlands

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