Amsterdam, Netherlands & Altitude Chamber

A few posts ago I wrote, "I have to go to Amsterdam, Netherlands the weekend of 15 Nov to attend training in the altitude chamber. If you remember way back to a post of mine in early 2004, we did altitude training in the beginning of pilot training; it's required every three years, and I have to get it done before moving to Korea." Aviano doesn't have an altitude chamber, and the nearest one is at Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, which is about 45-50 minuets southeast of Amsterdam. Lana and I flew out early Saturday morning and enjoyed Saturday afternoon looking at art works from famous painters, one of them being Rembrandt. We also went by Anne Frank's house, where her family hid from the Germans during WWII before being captured and taken to a concentration camp. From there we found a theater and watched the new James Bond movie, Solace of Quantum. By the time it finished, we grabbed a quick dinner and called it a night.

Sunday morning we did a Google search for an Evangelical Church in town and found one a short tram ride away. The service was in English and Dutch and encouraging to worship with Christians from another culture. After church, we wanted to get out to enjoy the nice weather, so I went for a run in a park near our hotel while Lana walked. At mid afternoon, we took a boat tour through the city and then went to an Indian restaurant for dinner...great food...so good we went back the following night after the altitude chamber!

Monday, I drove to Soesterberg for the altitude chamber with another guy from our squadron who needed to update his currency. While sitting in the cafeteria, in walked my good friend Matt Chapman from officers training school...the same one I visited during my cross-country to Britain. We hadn't coordinated anything prior; small world we live in. Tuesday morning I caught an early flight back to Italy ready to finish out the week of flying.

Before Lana and I leave Italy, we have more plans to travel and snowboard. Over Thanksgiving weekend we're going back to Zermatt, Switzerland and then the weekend before we leave we're going on our squadrons ski trip to Tirol, Austria. Only 23 more days left! Oh yeah, November is "no hair November" in a fighter squadron.

More Pictures:

Amsterdam, Netherlands