Stranded in A'dam

Last week the volcano eruption in Iceland kept me stranded in A'dam. I was in A'dam for business until Friday, Apr 16th. I wanted to combine work and pleasure and booked my return flight to Kiev for Sunday, Apr 18th. Once on Thursday, April 15th the ban on all European flights was announced I felt smug. I expected by Sunday the ash cloud will clear up and will be able to fly as usual.
As the ban continued and it became clear what a chaos the ban on all flights triggered I started to be concerned about my return flight. I tried to get most of the situation but it was strange to walk in somewhat empty A'dam. It was obvious the number of tourist was significantly lower. But the weather was gorgeous. I walked along canals and enjoyed myself. The skies had a sparkling blue color. No airplane tracks. No airplane sound. I spoke to a Dutch friend – Piternel who stayed stranded in Kiev. The weather in Kiev was – rain and cold. It felt good to be in A'dam.
I passed Concertgebouw. The highlight of the Saturday evening concert was Hyden's violoncello concert in D dur with Alexandar Knyazhev. The conductor was Gordan Nikolic. I decided to go. The purchased ticket not only allowed me to attend the concert. It was also a free public transport pass and during a concert break I could have a free drink. The concert was fantastic.
On Sunday morning I was woken up by what I thought was a sound of a plane. My hope was shortlived. It was a tram. The flying ban was still on. My hotel booking expired on Sunday and I inquired a possibility to extend my stay. It was possible. But at much higher prices. As flying ban started on Thursday many tourists have not arrived to A'dam. It seems some hotels wanted to take max advantage of those people who remain stranded and significantly increased prices. Thanks to internet I could book one night on Sunday morning at the small nice hotel “Toren” at a reasonable price. I moved there immediately.

As the mother nature decided to show her erupting power I thought as a good idea to admire mother nature's gentle side in Keukenhof gardens. Initially the plan was to go there by the train from the A'dam central station. While at the CS to get a ticket to Lisse (where Keukenhof is located) I could also inquire about train possibilities of moving east i.e Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin, Warsaw etc – any place which might bring me closer to Kiev in case ban continues. The central station was in chaos. Long lines of unhappy, frustrated people. Abandoned the idea of a train trip. Took a tour bus to Keukenhof instead.
This was a best decision of a week as the park was not crowded. The modest attempt of capturing beauty is on ......
During Sunday I asked a secretary in Kiev to book me on a flight for Tuesday. Following test flights done by KLM, AF and LH everyone was hopefully the skies will open on Tuesday . I asked Oksana to book me on UA flight at 9.15.
In the afternoon I spoke with Julia who took care of Igor in Kiev. I wondered if Igor forgot me. "Oh no. He asks every hour about you." It felt so good to hear this. I felt blessed with Julia.
Monday I spent at the HO. I set up impromptu meetings with colleagues and had a very constructive day.
Monday evening spent in the hotel room checking updates for flights. I was disappointed reading the announcement about cancellation of UA flight.
On a bright side – this meant I would spend another day at HO. Tuesday morning I called a travel agency in Kiev and spoke with the agent about flight possibilities. I could go on KLM flight at 13.05 but at the price of USD 970. I decided it's better use of resources to spend a day at HO.
In the office I checked flights on the internet. I was quite frustrated when I saw the KLM flight at 13.05 departed. The knowledge I made a wrong choice when choosing a return flight have not sit well. I am a poor gambler. Even worse looser. I asked Oksana to book me for a Wed flight at 13.05.
Wednesday morning I went to the airport at 9.00 hours. Spent five hours in a queue. In a true Dutch manner the airport had made no difference between economy or business of gold or platinum members. There was one queue for all. The staff explained in such situation we are all the same. I was lucky to give enough time to queue and catch a flight to Kiev. Once seated - it felt so good to be on a plane.