It’s Cold and It’s Dark, But It’s Home…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

In this last post of our New Zealand travels, we are coming in to land at Schipol Airport outside Amsterdam.

It’s just before 6.00 a.m. on a January winter’s day and it’s dark outside. I try and take photos of the lights beneath us as we come in to land, and end up with more arty streaks of light that are more abstract art than realistic photos.

At least at this time of the morning it doesn’t take so long to get though the airport.

It’s a long way from gate to the baggage claims and exit but there’s a wheelchair waiting on hand for me and we decline assistance in being wheeled, Himself does that whilst I take our hand baggage on my lap.

We have some excellent neighbours who like many city Dutch people, can drive but don’t own a car so we have a long standing arrangement: they run us to and from the airport in our car and in return they get the use of our car when we are away on holiday.

There is a very good train service to The Hague but if I’m really honest, there’s nothing like stepping off a 14 hour flight and having someone waiting at the airport to help us get home quickly and smoothly.

The only thing is, we loose the wheelchair at the exit and the car is parked miles away in one of the massive car parks  so I wait outside in the arrivals hall which is the shortest walk away, whilst the rest of the family quick march to the car and then come and pick me up.

The announcement from the captain of the aircraft just before we land warned us that it’s -4 Centigrade (28 Fahrenheit)  outside, a short sharp shock compared with the tropical temperatures we left behind last night.

As I wait, I take a photo of the second control tower I’ve seen in a less than a day, the moon is out along side it, cars are covered in thick  frost and my breath makes little clouds in front of me. Luckily the car arrives after just a few minutes and soon we are sitting inside with the heater on full blast joining the early morning traffic on the motorway home.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Please Make Sure your Seatbelt is Securely Fastened and your Tray Table is Stowed for Take Off…

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

Kiwidutch has a confession to make:  While you have been enjoying a virtual tour of Germany courtesy of  the massive stash of photos stored on my hard drive, I  have in recent months and weeks, been organising medical permission  to travel to New Zealand.

Now, with said permission gained,  in recent days Family Kiwidutch have been commencing their global travels.

Ah ha! Yes indeed, we are still on the move as you read this. You are packed securely into my camera bag ready to join me in the air, on the road or on any other form of transport we may encounter.

You, as a virtual tourist (fortunately) weigh nothing more than the few kilos of my laptop and I promise you that your travels with Kiwidutch will be turbulance free, completely without jetlag  and not cost you any additional cent other than the ones you already pay to connect to the internet.

Do however fasten your seatbelt because I hope as usual to show you many wonderful things as we  transverse the highs and lows of this slightly less usual trip to my other “home”.  Like migrating swallows we are migrating temporarily towards warmer climes, and heading out of the beginnings of a Dutch winter into the beginnings of a New Zealand summer.

We get to spend Christmas and New Year with family and friends, but also need to inspect earthquake damage on our Christchurch house and support family and friends who’s  nerves, homes and businesses have suffered greatly in the last year due to the five big quakes and the nine thousand plus aftershocks.

Our journey starts of course at Schipol Airport just outside Amsterdam…  Ready for take off?  …We are!

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

Mountains far below, somewhere over the Indian subcontinent or south west Asia… (about  10 or 11 hours into our 14 hour flight)

(photograph © Kiwi Daughter)

We arrive at 6:00 a.m.  and head towards our hotel as the Singaporean dawn is breaking… and while everyone here is rising to greet the new day, we are about to head to bed for a sleep.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)