San Francisco, city and port, coextensive with San Francisco county, northern California, U.S., is located at the northern end of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It is a cultural and financial centre of the western United States and one of the country's most cosmopolitan cities. Economic life in San Francisco is dominated by service industries, many of which are geared toward the city's large numbers of tourists. Finance and international trade also constitute important parts of the economy.
Serving as the constitutional capital and principal city of the Netherlands,
Amsterdam lies on the IJ (an arm of the IJsselmeer). It is divided by canals into about 90 islands joined by about 400 bridges. Almost the entire city rests on a foundation of piles driven through peat and sand to a firm substratum of clay. Amsterdam is Europe's second largest port and one of its most important commercial centers. Leading industries in the city include shipbuilding, sugar refining, publishing, and the manufacture of heavy machinery, paper products, textiles and clothing, porcelain and glass, aircraft, cars, and chemicals. Amsterdam has been an important centre of European cultural life since the 17th century.
The link between these two towns? A KLM direct flight plus 10 and a half hours journey.
I started flying a long time ago. One of the small pleasures that made time pass faster was the meal on board. At Air Baltic I had the surprise of a paid service! (On the one hand, such an approach is much better: you can see in advance what the menu is and decide whether to eat on the plane or not. Otherwise, thinking about the meals served years ago on board, you have the surprise of a piece check or a small package of biscuits.)
