Thanks to Aviodrome in The Netherlands, I did obtain a photo from KLM's Boeing 747-300 as it still was in use over 1987 when Mom & Dad made their FIRST Flight EVER; together with us!
On April 20, 1987 we left together with husband Pieter, who had circled the globe, from Atlanta via Seattle to Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei to Amsterdam for some business in Europe, following his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program; both for Campbell Soup.
During the three weeks that Pieter was in the Far East, I went to Europe.
So togethe we went back to Schiphol Airport in Pieter's rental car and relaxing in the Van Gogh Room (for Business class and Royal class only).
On March 24, while Pieter was in Beijing, China, I had gone to the bank for handing Mom & Dad 1,000 Dutch Guilders, approximately US $ 500.00 as part of the ticket price.
Sister-in-law Wilma, seen on the left, did take care of the tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Photo taken by brother Jan Van den Munckhof.
Pieter would be back in Europe by April 10, on April 20 all four of us flew to Atlanta...
The next day while at home in Dublin, Georgia/USA, Mom & Dad were welcomed over the radio by 'Uncle' Bo Whaley during his talk show!
In previous posts you could read about some of our trips or just Mom & Dad with me, as Pieter had to work for Campbell Soup.
Above photo shows the final evening of Tuesday, May 12, that we sat together at table, with Pieter (who took this photo) before he had to travel to Dallas, Texas next day...
Our final Friday evening together at home... We just had gotten back from visiting some friends and Mom had received a nice hand painted cloth from India, to take back to The Netherlands.
With my KLM Courtesy Card, I got all three of us checked in at the Business Class counter and also access to the Business Class Lounge AND A BUSINESS CLASS SEAT!
Mom & Dad had seat 11A and 11B and I had 11D.
Business Class in the Boeing 747-300 was in the upper deck and also in the lower deck where the 3 of us were seated.
The only disadvantage was that I was in seat 11D, about 'half-a-row' behind their seats 11A+B, contrary to other seat rows in the center and on the right side in this Boeing.
But I happily accepted that, as it gave more leg room and seating space, complete with dinner served on china and so on.
It was a night flight so one ought to sleep as much as possible...
My brother Harry with his wife Elly did pick us up in Amsterdam and I had to do consulting work in Germany the next day...
Dad had insisted towards Pieter, that I'd use their car instead of renting me a car for the 2 weeks of work in the Bremen area, Germany.
On June 3, I did travel back home from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Atlanta, USA with business friend Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands who gave me a ride to the airport.
In return for that ride, I could share the privilege of checking in at the business class counter and access to the business class 'Van Gogh' room with my KLM Courtesy Card. Just as we could with Mom & Dad in tow. You were allowed to bring a guest...
During the three weeks that Pieter was in the Far East, I went to Europe.
So togethe we went back to Schiphol Airport in Pieter's rental car and relaxing in the Van Gogh Room (for Business class and Royal class only).
Sister-in-law Wilma, seen on the left, did take care of the tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Photo taken by brother Jan Van den Munckhof.
Pieter would be back in Europe by April 10, on April 20 all four of us flew to Atlanta...
The next day while at home in Dublin, Georgia/USA, Mom & Dad were welcomed over the radio by 'Uncle' Bo Whaley during his talk show!
Above photo shows the final evening of Tuesday, May 12, that we sat together at table, with Pieter (who took this photo) before he had to travel to Dallas, Texas next day...
Mom & Dad had seat 11A and 11B and I had 11D.
But I happily accepted that, as it gave more leg room and seating space, complete with dinner served on china and so on.
It was a night flight so one ought to sleep as much as possible...
My brother Harry with his wife Elly did pick us up in Amsterdam and I had to do consulting work in Germany the next day...
Dad had insisted towards Pieter, that I'd use their car instead of renting me a car for the 2 weeks of work in the Bremen area, Germany.
On June 3, I did travel back home from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Atlanta, USA with business friend Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands who gave me a ride to the airport.
In return for that ride, I could share the privilege of checking in at the business class counter and access to the business class 'Van Gogh' room with my KLM Courtesy Card. Just as we could with Mom & Dad in tow. You were allowed to bring a guest...
Those were the days of classy travel with lots of privileges!
So grateful for having been able to let Mom & Dad share in it.
So grateful for having been able to let Mom & Dad share in it.
Related links:
Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue | read about our insane schedule before taking Mom & Dad home with us...
St. Augustine, 1st Florida city with Mom & Dad in 1987 | previous post by me
Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue | read about our insane schedule before taking Mom & Dad home with us...
St. Augustine, 1st Florida city with Mom & Dad in 1987 | previous post by me
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with Mom & Dad and again with Pieter | previous post by me
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | previous post by me
{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} | previous post by me with Mom & Dad's words in guest book
{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | previous post by me
{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} | previous post by me with Mom & Dad's words in guest book
{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me
Dearest MAriette,
ReplyDeleteit is wonderful to have so many lovely memories oft those times you could spend together with your dear parents!
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Love and hugs, Claudia xo
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteIndeed a sweet memory of all our time and effort invested in family! We did it with love and those memories last a life time.
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, We are lucky to live in an age with airplanes that makes so much travel possible (although I am not looking forward to that long flight back to Taipei). The ticket you show dates itself, however, by admitting the existence of a smoking section!
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteThanks to modern technology indeed for being able to fly across the oceans.
You are right about dreading those long flights. For us the 13 hours non-stop from Amsterdam to Singapore, after a night flight across the ocean, was quite a challenge too. Or flying to Australia with a 15-hour non-stop flight.
Can you imagine those years before 1990 when smoking still was allowed inside the cabin? So glad that belongs to the past!
Hugs,
Mariette
I love seeing your photos from way back when! What an incredibly exciting and fulfilling life you and Pieter have experienced. How wonderful to have this blog journal story for all of time.
ReplyDeleteLove, Helen
Dearest Helen,
DeleteGuess we both always have tried to make the very best of our life and time and also for including our loved ones in sharing in it. Writers are fortunate for having always written history at hand and if your profession has been photographing aspects of life, it works well together! Later we could add video as a written letter so to speak!
Hugs,
Mariette
It's been many years since I flu on a big plane in this blog. Domestic flights are often small planes. Sounds like a memorable trip for parents and offspring alike.
ReplyDeleteDearest Debbie,
DeleteWe have literally circled the globe on those Boeing 747-300 and most of our 1,500,000 miles was accrued on them! It sure did make quite an impression on my Parents!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOhhh.. you have many memories. Circling the global...such a great experience.
I like to see those photos you have shared. Your mother and Father look so happy with you,Mariette.
Have a lovely day.
Dearest Tomoko san,
DeleteYes we both are fortunate for having been writers and thus our lives well documented! That's the story that remains forever after one of us is gone...
My Mom & Dad were very happy while here and that is something to treasure forever inside our hearts.
Hugs,
Mariette
Avere così tanti bei ricordi .
ReplyDeleteBuona serataè bello
Caro Giancarlo,
DeleteHai ragione e questa è la ricompensa di investire nei ricordi dando...
Un abbraccio,
Mariette
Reading all the places you and your husband Pieter traveled gives me jet lag, lol :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's very cool your parents were welcomed over the radio! And so nice you got them business class seats. Great photos with them.
Have a wonderful day, Mariette xo
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteWell, it does indeed make you tired by reading it NOW; how in the world did we all do it?!
Yes, that welcome over the radio was very cool and they were quite surprised. Wish I had it on video...
Oh, it felt like Christmas to me when my Courtesy Card yielded us 3 upgraded seats! Kudos to KLM.
Photos and their letters are the memories that live on forever.
Hugs,
Mariette
Mooie herinneringen en foto's van het eerste bezoek van jouw ouders. Fijne dag, lieve groet
ReplyDeleteBeste Willy,
DeleteJa, dank je, we kunnen nu nog nagenieten er van. Een pracht beloning voor het investeren in herinneringen door te GEVEN!
Liefs,
Mariette
Hi Mariette! How wonderful to read about your past time. It's like reading an interesting book. Greetings
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteThank you and it sure is a kind of book, the love story of our lives... how we treated others and can now reap the sweet memories!
Hugs,
Mariette
Mariette mile wspomnienia. Mariette czy kiedy kiedy kolwiek byłaś w Polsce?
ReplyDeletePozdrawiam serdecznie.
Drodzy Małgorzata,
DeleteTylko Pieter został krótko przez polską granicę, ale nigdy nie odwiedził. Mieliśmy zarezerwowane raz na wycieczkę autobusem i że został odwołany. Smutno, jak wyglądaliśmy tak dużo do przodu. To była bardzo lubiła pamięć dla moich rodziców.
Uściski,
Mariette
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteDearest R's Rue,
DeleteIndeed, beautiful memories forever!
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletejetzt bin ich gerade aus meinem Blog Deinem Link hierher gefolgt.Business Class sieht wirklich geräumiger aus. Aber in unserem Flugzeug war es auch weniger eng, als ich vorher annahm. Für eine kurze Strecke jedenfalls vollkommen ausreichend.
Deine Mama sieht auf einem Bild müde aus. Reisen kann - trotz allen Komforts - auch anstrengend sein für ältere Menschen.
Viele liebe Grüße und Euch auch noch eine schöne Adventszeit!
Sara
Liebe Sara,
DeleteJa, eben auch in die normale Stühle gab es da mehr Raum wegen lange Strecken!
Meine Mama war hier nur 63 Jahre aber die Ärzte hatten damals noch nicht gefunden woran sie litt. Also geschwollen und auch müde sind typische Anzeichen von geschwächten Nieren. Es war leider nicht anders, sie hätte viel früher in ein gutes Universitätskrankenhaus behandelt werden sollen...
Auch dir liebe Grüße zum Adventszeit!
Mariette