On our way home from our Tanzanian project we took advantage of a plane change in Amsterdam to stay for four days. It was our first visit to Holland and we were particularly impressed by the intelligent ways in which the Dutch are handling such modern problems as pollution, traffic, and energy. And the friendliness and helpfulness of the people we asked for directions or just greeted casually was greater than any other country we’ve visited.

We were hosted by a charming couple, Elio and Mia Lo Conte, who are members of the Affordable Travel Club. Once again, we were thankful for our ATC membership. (See link at upper right for ATC information.)

The Lo Conte home was actually in the Hague, a few minutes by fast and frequent trains, from Amsterdam. Obama and other leaders were gathering in The Hague at the time for a nuclear summit, and the security caused some traffic problems.

[Click on a photo to enlarge it. To return to this page press the back button on your browser.]