A Comfortable Flight on the Airbus A350-900
With the pandemic settling down, overseas business trips finally feel normal again. So, I took Lufthansa for the first time in a while, via Munich, to the Netherlands. The cabin felt a bit unfamiliar, and then I realized it was an Airbus A350-900. I usually fly Boeing 787s for European routes, so I think this might be my first time on an A350-900. I can’t complain, especially since I’m flying business class, but personally, I’m not a big fan of this diagonal, face-to-face seating arrangement. Things from the person’s footwell next to me can sometimes encroach on my space, you know?
When I drink during a flight, the alcohol hits me pretty hard, so I stick to non-alcoholic beer. As expected from a German airline, they had ERDINGER non-alcoholic beer! It’s a flavor that might not be for everyone, but personally, I prefer it over Japanese non-alcoholic beers.
The fried meat and potatoes, or whatever it was, served with a gravy-like sauce, was delicious. And those long, thin carrots? They felt very European and brought back some memories.
This time of year in Europe, depending on the location, you can see beautiful rapeseed fields. From above, they look like a stunning patchwork. It made me instinctively wish I could see the vast rapeseed fields of southern Sweden again.
As we entered Dutch airspace, a distinctive landscape I’d never seen before unfolded below. Looking closely, it seemed most houses owned boats, allowing them to venture out. With such scenery everywhere, it might be quite common to use boats here.
Beautiful Flowers Near Amsterdam Airport
Since the office is right near the airport, this business trip was mostly just shuttling between the hotel and the office without going into the city center. But along the waterways, various flowers were blooming, which really caught my eye. These red poppies blooming so naturally reminded me of the scenery I often saw in Sweden, a bit nostalgic.
On the other hand, there were these fluffy flowers I’d never seen before, blooming. That was quite interesting. What could they be?
eBike Test Ride to Westeinder Lake
After work, we decided to try out eBikes on our way to a lakeside restaurant, heading out around 7:30 PM. The days are long this time of year in Europe, which is great for enjoying activities. Along the way, a colleague who used to live nearby explained various things. In the foreground of the picture are floating houses, and it seems many homes in this area also have boats.
As we cycled, we occasionally crossed bridges over canals. Even small bridges usually have a slight incline up and then down. Everywhere, the road seemed to be at roughly the same height as the water, making the water feel incredibly close. In fact, in some places, it was clearly evident that we were cycling below the water level, which was surprising, and there were many houses built in spots that looked lower than the water surface. The network of canals, crisscrossing everywhere, is controlled by sluice gates in various places, leading to differing water levels here and there. I asked if they don’t flood when there’s heavy rain, and they said that water level control is supported by highly advanced technology, so that doesn’t happen. How does it work? It’s simply amazing. At the lake, perhaps after work, there were many people enjoying windsurfing and boating. I’m so envious!
We also put our eBikes aside for a short break. They had a somewhat rugged design, not really something you see often in Japan. But it seems this style is quite popular here.
Even past 10 PM, it was still quite bright, and the sky had that ‘blue moment’ feel, with the tranquil water surface looking absolutely beautiful. Everyone seems to own a boat; they really live such rich lives.
I’ve visited the Dutch office several times, but my schedule for business trips has always been too tight to explore Amsterdam city center… Still, I was happy to be shown such a beautiful place and to get a glimpse into the lives of the people here.
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