Amsterdam ABC's: Amstel, Boats, Canals

I started off my first full day in Amsterdam with a visit to TMC office and had a great meeting with Arthur de Ruiter - Europe manager of TMC. He showed me his office with a beautiful 10th floor view and introduced me to his team of 12. We had lunch at a small cafeteria nearby, and in true Dutch fashion every piece of meat was deep fried and covered in mayo or tarter sauce. No thanks! I opted for salad and some kind of soup that tasted like it was made with leeks, parsley and onions. Arthur informed me that the chef there was a retired chef from a famous restaurant and that he really takes pride in his food. The TMC employees make it a point to compliment him on his skills regularly, which results in VIP treatment from the chef at every cafeteria visit. :)

I returned to headquarters for the afternoon and spent my time meeting with Jason Knox, the Amsterdam trans branch manager (new as of 2012) and after that, the sales guy from Supply Chain Movement magazine. The sales guy got really heated up when I asked him how they measure the success of their magazine. He said "You Americans! It's always about "click rates" and "open rates" and all that rubbish. I base my success on personal relationships with all my subscribers. I KNOW what they like!" ;-) As he continued to hard sell us on his networking abilities, Sophie and I watched all the other people in the office take off early into the bright sunny day, wishing we could join them. One and half hours later, we thankfully got out and into the sun ourselves!

Sophie showed me her cool new scooter and I took my first tram in Europe back to the hotel. While riding through the city, I saw that there was a sand volleyball tournament going on right in the middle of some big festival going on. Wish I would have jumped out to watch for a few minutes. I never turn down a good sand vball tourney!

After we freshened up, I walked up to Sophie's apartment and she and her boyfriend, Nick, took me out on their boat for a tour of the canals.It was great to see Amsterdam from the locals perspective. I also learned that you don't need a license to drive a boat here, unless it's a really big one. That is so reassuring, isn't it? All the cool kids were out with their boats, their 90's neon sunglasses, and their sound systems blasting dance tunes as we went by. Lots of people also sit alongside the water, dangling their feet over the edges of the canals while they eat ice cream and soak up the sun.

We stopped at a landmark windmill brewery and picked up another colleague, Alex, and the four of us boated around the canals for a couple hours. Boat parking is a tough business because there are no reserved parking spots in the canals. You have to be territorial and push boats out of the way. When we got to Nick's spot, there were two boats already parked there. We proceeded to untie them and double park them outside of Nick's boat so they could still get out. Soon after we parked, another boat tried to triple park outside of the other one! Unbelievable.

After the boating adventure we walked all over town across cobblestone streets, dodging crazy bicyclists, looking for a restaurant that had available seating, but they were all full. We finally found a cute little place called Nel, nestled on a large outdoor terrace, that had seating available at 9:00pm and we finally had our dinner in hand by 9:30pm. I was so hungry I would have eaten the table itself. Thankfully, I didn't have to! I had a lovely lemon sole fillet with veggies, mashed potatoes and an apple cake for dessert, called "Appleschnitt".

After dinner, I walked the 1.5 miles back to the hotel, enjoying the evening air and sounds of the city. Amsterdam is the type of place where you can feel very safe walking around by yourself. I really like that because it saves so much money on taxis and trams. 

A note to my sister, who thinks I am gorging myself on food while on my "European vacation": I promise that I will still fit into that bridesmaids dress when I get back! :) I probably walked 4-5 miles today after 5pm, and I'm avoiding a plethora of deep fried meats. I think my arteries will also thank me later.

Munich - Day 3 (Branch visit)

I had breakfast with my colleagues at the hotel this morning (which, by the way is absolutely fantastic!) and got to meet one of our sales guy from Manchester, Edward, who is apparently on a British dating show! He is a typical blond, very good looking English bloke who decided to try and find love on a show where he competes with 40 other guys for one woman (very similar to The Bachelorette). He told us he is in the top 3 and next week he will be meeting her family! He was such an unassuming guy I thought for sure it was a joke, but it was not. I am going to see if I can find it on YouTube when it comes out on BBC - tooooo funny.

Today instead of going to the fair, I visited our local global forwarding branch in Munich, which is located inside the airport. I got to share a taxi with the manager of Dusseldorf, Sven Boritska, which was quite fun as he filled me in on all the ins and outs of the German market. He also informed me that I need to come back to Munich in September for Oktoberfest, as well as Hamburg, because they are the two most beautiful cities in all of Germany. Mental note taken!

The Munich branch itself is quite small - only 9 people - and it was the day before they were moving to their new office so there were boxes everywhere. I didn't quite know how to approach them because they all seemed so busy and some of them didn't speak English super well. After lunch I tried 3 times to sit down and meet with them, but they kept saying "come back in 30 minutes". :) Finally, after 3 hours they finished putting out their fires and were able to sit down and talk about marketing and their business. I found out their specialty is transporting dead animals. There are rich hunters who go to Africa on safari and need a company to transport their "trophy kills" back to their countries of origin, like the US, China and Europe. Apparently we are one of two companies in Germany that have the certifications and knowledge to do this. They transport enough dead animals to fill full ocean containers. Although it sounds like a disgusting business, apparently it is quite lucrative. Who knew! I learn something new every day.

Following my branch visit, I headed back to the airport, had some yummy white beer, salami panini and chips and then boarded a plane to Amsterdam. It happened to be the same flight as Anton from TMC, so we had a good time catching up as well. Although our flight was delayed, the time didn't seem so long when there was someone to talk to. :)

My taxi driver from the airport was from Afghanistan and he spoke just enough English to be able to converse, so of course I took the opportunity to ask him lots of questions. :) I asked him if people in Afghanistan really don't like Americans and he said that it isn't true at all. It's all just propaganda and politics. He was from a small village that got bombed and he came to the US and then to Amsterdam to get educated as a professor of mathematics. Apparently everyone in his family left Afghanistan years ago because it is too dangerous - last week roadside bombers killed 350 innocent Afghan citizens in the streets. He said at some point you just decide enough is enough and you leave. He loves America, our music, our culture, our friendliness and system of education. He was quite an enjoyable man and at the end it felt like we were old friends. For me, he is a sign that anything is possible when you keep an open mind and a positive attitude.

He dropped me off at the Park Hotel right in the heart of Joordan (city center of Amsterdam) where I will be staying for 4 days. It is just as I imagined it: beautiful canals with boats, live music in the streets, fun restaurants and lively action going on, even late into the night. I have my window open and I can hear a street musician playing and people riding their bikes, dinging the bells. Facing my 6th floor window is the Hard Rock cafe. Somehow I cannot escape that place when I travel (refer back to my travels in Poland last November).

I am looking forward to staying in Amsterdam for 4 days. i have an action packed weekend ahead with Sophie! Only problem is there is no time to sleep. :) Too much to do and so little time.

Munich - Day 2 (Transport Logistic fair)

Second day of the fair was really good. Since yesterday I canvased all 12 of the halls of exhibitors, today my strategy was to work the booth, visit with publications and see if I could sit on some sales conversations with customers. I was able to do all three! It was a beautiful day and I sat outside with Tom Sullivan, Anton from TMC and Michael Grutter while they were having a conversation with a potential Polish customer who was leery of using us. This was their third or fourth attempt to get his business. It was great to observe how they handled all the concerns and potential obstacles and came out with a solution that he ultimately bought into. I think we will get the business!

Sophie and I left the fair early to start setting up for our customer/carrier networking party at the 8 Seasons event hall later in the afternoon. This event hall was more of a historical building turned into a night club and event location in the heart of Munich. We decorated the whole place and the staff there was so amazing to work with. We had an absolute blast! I will post more pictures later when i download from my camera. It's pretty hard to describe - hip, trendy, little fancy appetizers, fun drinks, plenty of socializing and a great speech by Bryan Foe - president of Europe. I got to meet carriers from Austria, Lithuania, and Benelux area, as well as customers from around Europe.

Following the event, everyone decided to go dancing at a local club called the 089 club. It was quite a nice place and fun to hang out with my colleagues. Everyone was wearing their suits and business attire there... and funny enough many other people were too. :) I can't remember the last time I went dancing at a club - it reminded me how much I miss salsa dancing with Alfredo!! About 90% of the music was American - a mix of current top 40 hits, 80s and 90s music. I haven't heard "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer for way too long. Apparently it doesn't matter what era the music is from - Germans like all of it!

Following that, we shared the biggest burgers I've ever seen at a street vendor outside. I swear they were about 9" across! Sooooo tasty. :) Quite the action packed night, and plenty of good food too!

Munich - Day 1 (evening)

So to finish off last night, after the fair we all went to a fantastic restaurant called Halali which had traditional German food, but was very nice and upscale. There was a big group of us together from C.H. Robinson and it was good to get to know more of the branch managers and sales people. For dinner I had white asparagus cream soup (just as awesome as it sounds!) and a variety of scallops and shrimp in a butter cream sauce over mashed potatoes. For dessert there was a chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. I am completely spoiled!

Following dinner we were on our way back to the hotel when Tom Sullivan, branch manager in Warsaw, decided to take us on a detour to see the "surfers" on one of the rivers in the English Garden downtown Munich. I thought he was joking. He was not joking. In fact, there are fabricated rapids under an old stone bridge where guys go in their wet suits and practice surfing across the river. It is totally insane and quite fun to watch. Also, if you jump in an inner tube you can float down the river through the gardens and read a book and bring a picnic. I will have to come back and try that sometime. :)

Munich - Day 1 (Transport Logistic fair)

I woke up this morning refreshed and so glad not to feel jet lagged anymore! The city is beautiful in the morning and I saw a glimpse of it on our 20 min taxi ride to the fair. So many lush trees and gardens, statues, fountains and historical landmarks. I will have to come back to the city when I have time to explore. It really seems like a great environment for walking around randomly and seeing what you'll run into next.

Our cool tower ad in the hall entrance

The tradeshow today was quite busy. Our booth was full of CHR people and it was fun to meet more of them. My goal today was to go around to all the halls (A1-A6 + B1-B6) in the massive Messe Munich conference center and I made it! Not only did I see all of our competitors booths, but I also took pictures because these booths are absolutely crazy. Coming here is not a typical tradeshow.... it is an experience! Some booths have fully built bars and cafes with chefs, many have meeting rooms and 2 story architecture built to have customer conversations, and there were even flight simulators, charicature artists and ice cream trucks. Amazing! (Will post pics of this later. I forgot my camera cord at home so I can't transfer them.)

I also had a really great meeting with the editor in chief of one of our key publications, ITJ, and was able to procure some new information for planning our advertising program in Europe..... while eating a pink slushie and dodging soccer balls from the soccer ball kicking contest they were having. :)

Favorite food moment at the event (besides the toffee ice cream from the ice cream truck) was the Scandinavian port authority's yummy appetizers with assorted Nordic meats, veggies and cheeses. To die for. They even had little flags.

Amsterdam & Munich

Today I landed in the Netherlands at 1:00pm. I rarely slept throughout the night, which was unfortunate, so today I was a bit groggy through everything. However, the flight itself was not bad. In fact, I sat next to someone who is in the transportation TMS technology sector, who knows Robinson very well, and we had a lot to talk about. :) How random!

After landing, I was whisked away in a waiting car by a 6'5" tall Dutchman to take me to the corporate office in the business district of Amsterdam. They aren't kidding about Dutch people being tall. It's a bit ridiculous. I feel like a very short person in comparison. And somehow they don't seem to have trouble finding tall clothes that fit. I might have to investigate that this weekend when I am back in Amsterdam.

I spent the afternoon touring the corporate office, meeting everyone and having meetings. The office was recently remodeled and looks amazing! Europeans are so trendy and their office space has so much light. The views from the 10th floor are spectacular! You can see the whole city, the soccer fields, and a bit of the old town.

This evening Sophie, Mark (my boss) and I traveled to Munich. We had a 30 minute drive on the Autoban in a brand new Mercedes taxi. At one point I looked at the speedometer and realized it said "160 kilometers per hour". Sophie translated that as roughly 100 mph! Apparently speed limits are completely optional. Did I also mention it was raining? Yikes.

Yummy bread balls with assorted cheese at Schiphol airport

We made it safely, took our 2 hr flight to Munich, and checked in to the beautiful Eurostars Grand Central hotel. I will definitely enjoy my stay here. :) Even though I will be spending most of my time at the trade show during the day, I will not regret coming back to this amazing room. Ahhhh......

Well, it's about 12:30pm, so time for bed!

Europe Trip - We have lift off! (almost)

Well, I am excited to be blogging again about my travels! It's been over 6 months since I went to Poland, which is hard to believe, and I definitely feel the itch to get on another 8.5 hour flight across the Atlantic.

This trip will be 14 days and consist of a 3 day event in Munich (Transport Logistic trade show - one of the largest in Europe), followed by a whirlwind tour of several branch offices: Munich, Amsterdam, London, Manchester, Caen and ending in Paris. I will be travelling with my European marketing coordinator, Sophie, who speaks 3 languages and has lived all over the world. I know that I am in good hands. :)

This week has been absolutely nuts preparing for two weeks being gone: cooking and freezing food for the husband and kiddos, delegating projects & prepping for all my office meetings, shopping for necessities, freaking out cause I forgot many important things, shopping again, and finally packing about 1.5 hours before leaving. Alfredo thinks I'm crazy, but I have to make several checklists just to keep my chaotic life in order. I think I had at least 4 checklists for this trip. :)

Despite the odds, I did make it on time and was able to enjoy a quick meal and figure out how to track my suitcase on the new Delta app (love it!). I also snagged economy comfort class seating at the last minute - row 11, with lots of leg room!

Right now, I am waiting with a bunch of chilled out folks who are speaking Dutch. I feel like I'm in Amsterdam already. :)

See you on the Dutch side!

Ps. For those airplane aficianados, I am flying on Airbus tonight, not Boeing, but I can't tell the difference at all. Sorry Boeing.