Tulips

Dreaming of: Schiphol Airport

After spending a week in Amsterdam – including that touristy classic, a stay on a houseboat – I was actually pleased that bad weather in the U.S.delayed my flight home.

Because that gave me more time to hang out in Schiphol Airport, where I was really temped to buy these (somewhat corny, I know….) souvenirs.

The ginger cake would have been a nice gift for my neighbor (I bought her a tote bag from the Cat Cabinet – shh, don’t tell her..) and those wooden tulips – spotted for sale everywhere in Amsterdam that by the end of week I was tired of them – would have been a long-lasting spot of color in the gray Seattle winter I’ve returned to.

I know… just another reason to go back. Soon.

AMS WOODEN TULIPS

AMS Ginger Cake

Souvenir Sunday: treats from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Until my most recent visit, I’d spent much more time at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport than I had in the city itself.

That was fine with me.  Schiphol, with its wide array of art, entertainment, services and amenities, is a great place to spend a few hours.  In addition to hundreds of lounge chairs, there’s a casino,  seafood bars, the bite-size branch of the Rijksmuseum (more on all that later in the week), and plenty of opportunities for shopping.

The shopping is especially fruitful for Souvenir Sunday, when Stuck at The Airport focuses on fun stuff for sale at airports for about $10.

Here are some of my classic finds:

In among the real (very expensive) and knock-off Delft-ware, there are these cute cow creamers:

Tulips (and some other flowers) are everywhere, of course,  but I’m not sure how fresh flowers would survive on a 10 hour plane trip;

A better choice: wooden flowers, which are colorful, easy to carry and, available singly or in bunches.

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport? If it’s around $10, fun, offbeat and “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along.  It may be featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.