Andiamo in Italia, to YVR and Beyond!

Aliana, Gioia, Antonio, Viola, Matteo and Gemma
standing in front of aquarium in International departure lounge.

YVR,  Vancouver’s airport, has one of the most beautiful, comfortable and clean International departure lounges that I've ever been in. It has gorgeous First Nations artwork displays, an interesting aquarium with local sea life, and an atrium with wishing pond full of  international coins where many before you have tossed in a coin to become the keeper of an untold secret wish for all time to come. You'll have to go yourself to see the gorgeous tile work in the bathrooms as it was just a little too weird to take photos in there, even for me. They may have taken me in for a security check for being a strange pervert and I may have missed my flight. We were still on the Puritanical side of the Atlantic after all.

Atrium with wishing well pond full of coins, each holding the secret wish of an unknown traveller. 

This was us taking for granted the functional, fast WiFi and electrical outlet access. Little did we know how precious WiFi was to become in the weeks ahead! Terrible internet when it wasn't non-existant, and only 2 computers for 7 people are my combined excuses for writing this post about our departure day over 3 weeks after departing!

Free, functional  WiFi. Are you listening, Italy?????

In retrospect I consider this gorgeous "Leaving Vancouver" departure day to be an omen of the good weather yet to come. We could see West Van, North Van, Stanley Park, UBC, English Bay, etc. Gorgeous views! Leaving one gorgeous place and heading to another! Life IS good!

Leaving Vancouver, you could see West Van, North Van, Stanley Park, UBC, English Bay, etc.

Thank goodness it wasn't July 24th (ignore that date reference if you don't know what it means) because we learned something important! If you can’t tell if the airplane food being offered is an omelette, a crepe, a piece of bread, or maybe a piece of cardboard, EVEN AFTER TASTING IT, it might just be best to skip that meal. They called this "Salmon Pasta" but they should have clarified the choice by calling it mushy salmon mush with mushy noodles. At least we would have been able to make an informed choice. Never did other people's lentils look so good!

 "Salmon Pasta" Alla KLM. Yuckity yuck.

Check out the look of the Boss, after discovering that leaving the Puritanical shores found west of the Atlantic Ocean, the drinking age on KLM flights was sixteen for beer and wine! Didn't take long to get used to it, getting off at Schipol airport in Amsterdam Matteo found a stool at the bar and ordered himself a Heineken and a yummy panino. And guess what, the devil didn't appear, and no confessions were to be made!

Drinking age for beer and wine on KLM flight....SIXTEEN! Matteo is BOSS!

Matteo at Schipol Airport bar ordering beer and a panino!

One last exciting (to me) fact about our flight. I was preparing for having Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Spencer Reed withdrawal upon departure, however it was delayed as I got to watch two unseen episodes during the flight over! 

Sheldon on a trans-Atlantic flight with ne!

And Criminal Minds kept me happy for 40 mins, too!

View of Dutch countryside while landing at Schipol, Amsterdam's International Airport.