No-Show Taxi to Schiphol - April 30th

I got to thinking that each time we had been picked up by the City Airport Taxi, they had been late. So I decided I wanted to move the time to 6:30 instead of 7. So I called the various numbers and all I got was answering machines in Dutch. The desk girl at the hotel tried and she had no better luck. So I found the website and emailed them and got an email back about 2330 which said that they would send us another contract. But they didn't.

We set the alarm for 5:30 and packed (except for nightgown and toothbrush) the night before. We got up and I ate some string cheese and a piece of bread that was in a packet that I had picked up at breakfast the day before, but hadn't eaten, and Bob had a croissant and some cheese that he had saved from lunch the day before. We went down in the elevator at 6:30 and the City Airport taxi was not there.

Bob at the hotel waiting for a taxi

So I called the emergency number and got an Dutch answering machine. Ten minutes later I called again - same thing. So the hotel called a taxi for us. They did not return my call until 6:55, by which time we were well on our way.

Leaving Alkmaar at 6:45

So my POV is that they did not come in time to pick us up and I should not have to pay them (and I didn't). The taxi that they called charged the same amount (80 €) He had an ap on his phone that told him where we should check in at Schiphol. I didn't try to get a wheelchair - I just went in on the scooter. Check-in was relatively painless. We went through security on our own and eventually got to the gate without going to the club first. Here they took the scooter away and I thought they would give it back to us at Heathrow and Bob thought it would be checked through. As it turned out, we were both wrong

After Boarding -From the plane

Leaving the Netherlands

Breakfast on the plane

The flight to Heathrow was relatively short although there was a delay taking off and a delay in getting a gate. We flew right over London

Tower Bridge and City Hall

Tower Bridge and The Shard

Millenium Wheel on the Thames

The London EYe and Golden Jubilee Bridge

Westminster Bridge

Westminster and on the left St James park

The Harrodian School and Leg o' Mutton

English countryside near London

Fairgrounds