Wednesday

Today, Grant and I headed North out of the city central to Brupark, which was the site of the World's Fair in the '58, which was the first World's Fair after WW2.

We took the train into the city, and then took the metro north (2nd to last stop...). We started by getting some lunch in a courtyard next to a huge movie theater complex. There was a playground and a charming two story merry-go-round. After we ate, we went to see Mini-Europe, which is a display of over 300 monuments from all over Europe recreated in 1:25 scale. Lots of good photo opportunities. The whole place was a tribute to the European Union, celebrating all that has been accomplished since they've joined together and commenting a bit on some of the challenges they faced.

After mini-Europe, we went to the Atomium, which was the symbol of the World's Fair (like the Space Needle in Seattle.) The Atomium is basically a huge model of a molecule that you can go inside, with the tallest "sphere" acting as a panarama deck. Some of the spheres were connected via stairs while others were connected through escalators in long tunnels - kind fo like the beginning of Space Mountain. The highest one was connected with an elevator - the fastest one built at the time.

Next, we took a stroll through an adjacent park, before heading back to our hotel. After resting a bit, we went out to decide what to do for dinner, and found a pizza place that gave you 2 euros off if you carried your pizza out - well, we're pretty tired so that sounded good to us! Grant got Hawaiian and I got Margarita and we went halvsies - and the pizza was SO delicious!

Tomorrow, we fly to London for one more quick day before heading home on Friday!

 

Amsterdam - Brussles - Tuesday

Tuesday

Gary woke up early Tuesday morning in order to catch his flight back to Paris to meet up with Kathy.

Grant and I slept in a little bit, then got up, finished packing and cleaning up the houseboat, and then departing Amsterdam. We caught the 11:56 train to Brussles, which had us arriving at about 2:30. We had to make one quick connection in Brussles to get to our stop - Brussles-Luxemburg. We wexited the train station into the courtyard of the European Union!

Our hotel is right across the street. We checked in at the Renaissance, even though we were staying next door at the Marriott executive apartments. Apparently, all of the one bedrooms were filled (or not ready when we checked in,) because we have a huge two bedroom suite. It has a big sitting area and dining area, and a nice sized kitchen. Down the hall on the right are two bedrooms, one with a flat screen tv. The bedrooms are kind of small, but with the sitting room it doesn't much matter. On the left of the hall is a small room with a toilet, and at the end of the hall is the bathroom with two sinks and a shower/tub (with the half glass, as is standard here!) Also, by the door there is another small room with a toilet.

The Internet situation works like this - high speed is ridiculously expensive, but they do have dial-up/modem for free. However, we found a nice signal from a nearby neighbor that we can get fairly well if we sit out on the balcony, so that is what we've been using.

That evening, we headed into downtown Brussles. Our guidebook says that you can see a large portion of it in jst three hours as a stop over on a train, and we did just that. We went to the Grand Place, which is a huge square surrounded by these incredible buildings. The tourist information is here, and lot of people just come here to talk, rest, socialize, and soak in the atmosphere. At various times throughout the day and year you can find stalls with stuff for sale, musicians, etc.

We walked through an outdoor mall, past St. Nikolas church and the ruins of an old convent, and pass the Mannekin Pis, a cute little statue of a young boy taking an eternal piss. This little statue is one of the biggest draws in Brussles, and he actually has something like over 700 outfits that have been presented to him from visiting dignitaries and guests of different countries. When we saw him, though, he was not wearing any of his outfits - just his birthday suit. Nudie-Patootie!

We had a waffle with chocolate that was incredible filling, and Grant had some ice cream. We found a grocery store to get some beverages and , of course, some chocolate, and then headed back towards home.

With one minor delay - we got on the wrong train. The good news? Thanks to the conductor, we founf out when we were only a few stops out. The bad news? The stop we got off at only had a train that picked up there every hour - and it wasn't due to arrive for 40 minutes. Plus, it was 20 minutes late!

We did, eventually make it home, about an hour later than we planned!

Tomorrow - mini Europe!

Amsterdam - Monday

Today, we explored the town some more. The first thing we did was return our bikes. The last thing I wanted to do was get on my bike - but we needed to get them back, so the sooner, the better. Gary, for his part, had ridden his bike around town that morning. Meanwhile, my ass screamed in tender pain when I settled it back on the bike seat.

Next time, I think I'll rent a bike for around town - and pass on going North - at least by bike!

From Centraal, we went to the Anne Frank House, but it had a long line (as we knew it would,) si instead we went to do a walking tour of the red light district, complete with views of sex shops, live sex shows (we didn't actually go in to see one), and of course, the prostitutes in the windows. It was a very surreal experience. It was funny watching to hookers, and funny watching the uys knock on the windows and negotiate... but when you saw guys walk out and look around, well, that's when it was weird - like - dude, that guy just totally got some.

It was very different in the day time as I had always imagined it at night - but seeing as how it doesn't get dark until 11 ish, and that is when it is supposed to get more seedy and dangerous. Plus (and I don't want to sound like a complainer, although I probably will to some,) my legs are SO SORE right now, they feel like they are constantly on the verge of cramping. I don't think I could walk to the trolley stop, much less into the red light district tonight!

After the red light district (at that point, my legs were still feeling okay) we went to the Van Gogh museum and spent about an hour and a half there.

Finally, we went back to the Anne Frank House. There was still a line, but it was not too long. Gary opted to head back to the boat, while Grant and I did the Anne Frank house. It was very interesting to see what the houses were like on the inside. Every room was illustrated with quotes from Anne's diary. You start out walking through the offices of Otto's business, and then walk through the hallway and behind the bookcase that led into the secret annex. The rooms were raided after the occupants were arrested, and Otto wished them to stay that way, rather than be refilled with furniture to recreate what it was like when they lived there. Furniture would have helped visualize how tight the quarters actually were, but in retrospect, with so many people walking through every day, there would be very little room to move - you probably wouldn't get to walk into the rooms, but rather just walk by them behind a rope, so this way was much better. After the annex, you walk through a glass tunnel that was built to connect the Anne Frank house to the one next door, and then you move through a room which talks about Auschowitz, Bergen-Belson, and the fate of the 8 who hid in the annex (only Otto, Anne's father, survived.)

All in all, it was a neat experince, but it was hard to get too emotional - I think because the quarters were so tight and there were so many people moving through it. It felt too busy to give me any time to reflect. I can't wait to reread the book with all of these images fresh in my mind. I was in the rooms she lived in and wrote the diary in!

Now we are back at the houseboat. Grant and I ordered Dominos and had it delivered. Now, before you chastise us, you should know that pizza is one of the most popular foods here in Amsterdam, so we WERE eating like locals. I took a bath to help my legs (didn't help much,) and were doing laundrey and getting ready to pack. Tomorrow, we leave our houseboat and head to Brussles!

Amsterdam - Sunday

Today, we rented bikes at the Macbike rental shop adjacent to Centraal station, took the ferry North, and rode 14 miles to a village called Monnickendam. On the way, we passed only one old fashioned windmill, and miles of farmland. We also went through a cute little village called Broek in Waterland. The houses were adorable, decorating the edges of lakes and canals, life seemed so simple and unreal. I mean, are there really villages like this? It felt like it was out of a story book!

In Monnickendam, we had lunch at an outdoor cafe on the edge of a canal. As we ate, we watched the residents who had taken their boats out to see for the day pull back in to the canal and greet each other. This town was bigger than Broek-in-Waterland, with a downtown that felt charmingly crowded.

We decided to take another route back and headed to a bike route that went along the edge of the ocean. After about five minutes, the wind started picking up. The trail we were on was elevated, and Gary estimated that the winds were 40 mph. Consulting the map, we found the most direct route back, which was still about 12 more miles straight through the open farmlands directly against the wind. It was hard. Gary was able to ride all the way. Grant and I were not - several times we had to stop and walk our bikes. It was hard and very tiring! Gary kept saying that it was more tiring to walk the bikes then to just push through and ride, but there were times when I swear I couldn't pedal anymore and I had to stretch my legs and walk. The wind was blowing my face like I was on a rollercoaster and I couldn't keep my bike moving! (Also, we saw MANY locals having trouble, and some of them walked, too, at times!)

By the time we got back, Grant and I were sore and tired. But we were hungry, too, so we found a place to eat and had a nice dinner, although I wouldn't have minded just staying home and getting pizza!

Amsterdam - Saturday

This morning, Grant and I slept in. But that is okay, because Amsterdam happens to be a city that likes to sleep in. When we got up, we went out to the street market that is a block south of where we are staying. Gary had checked it out earlier. The market was very crowded by the time we had arrived - it was like a swap meet but only along one street - Albert Cuyp (also the name of the market.) It had food, clothes, accessories, shoes, dvds, you name it! I had a yogurt smoothie, and Grant had fresh squeezed orange juice and we shared French fries - with mayo of course! Also, Grant decided to try a raw herring sandwich - he took one bite and decided that it was exactly how you would imagine it - which was not good at all (he had thought there must be something to it - they seemed so popular....) As for me, I just tried to not throw up from the smell of the thing!

We went to the grocery store and then brought our purchases back to out houseboat and met up with Gary. We took the trolley to central station and then went to the Nemo (Science Museum.) They have a terraced roof that you can hang out on, with a snack bar.

After that, we did a self-guided walking tour of Amsterdam. We started by walking up Dam street to Dam square. After that we turned down a super-crowded, pedestrian only walk way lined with stored and restaurants. The very beginning was super crowded - this was caused by two women in nothing but underwear and body paint handing out orange balloons in honor of tonight's football match - Holland versus Russia.

(Ok, I know, and I know you know, how crazy Europe is about football (soccer.) I mean, I've experienced it before - in a world cup no less! - so I get how insane it all is. But knowing it, even experiencing it once or twice, well, you don't realize what it is like until you are actually in it. And you forget how all consuming - and crazy it is! Last night, Holland didn't even play, and people were driving by well past midnight honking their horns at the bar across the street! And today, with Holland actually playing? Forget it! The streets were packed today, and at least half of the people you saw were wearing orange. When JK Rowling writes about the craziness of the Quiddich matches, it is because of the hysteria you see here with soccer. In fact - I knew in my head that it was orange every where because Holland was playing soccer, but in my head I kept thinking it was the Chuddley Cannons getting ready for a Quiddich match, with everyone decked out in orange shirts, hats, feather boas, etc. I know. I am a nerd.)

Anyway, the other thing I noticed at various times (whether we were by a "coffee shop" or not, was that you could occasionally get the distinct smell of pot wafting off of people. Not often, but every once in a while.

Back to our walk. Halfway down the pedestrian walk, there was a "hidden church." There are actually many hidden Catholic churches which date back to when the Protestants were in charge and would not allow Catholics to practice. It is so odd - there was a modern store, a tiny church and another modern store.

A little farther down, we entered the Begijnhof. This was a secluded courtyard where Catholic lay women who did not want to be nuns but lived extremely pious lives lived. Throughout the centuries it has been a haven for religious women. In this area, there is a 500 year old wooden house - rare because most of these were burned down before city builders began using brick - another hidden Catholic church, which is opposite (like, maybe 10 yards across from) a protestant church where the Pilgrims were allowed to worship while waiting to sail on the Mayflower to America.

After this, we walked through a museum courtyard ant continued down the rest of the pedestrian walkway, and along a canal lined with flower stalls known as the flower market. Among the many types of flowers and bulbs found here, you could also purchase your very own cannabis starter kit, which I am sure has huge sales considering you can't bring them across the border! (I wonder how many people are stupid enough to try?)

By this point, we were pretty tired, so we headed back to the houseboat, rested, watched the tour boats go by, and found a place for dinner.

Luden is a restaurant that Kathy suggested - it was a fixed-price three course meal. So as not to disappoint Dad by not having any food descriptions: I started with a smoked wild boar salad, and had beef tenderloins in a strognoff sauce for dinner. Grant started with the beef carpachio with Parmesan shavings, while Gary had a goat cheese with bacon pastry. They both had kangaroo steak for dinner (which was way better than mine - much more tender!) For dessert we all had chocolate mouse and chocolate tarts served with vanilla sauce. So delicious!

What is nice about Amsterdam is, if you want a long, leisurely meal - like in France, you can do that - but if you want to eat more quickly - you can do that, too. We left the restaurant at 8:30, just as the football game was beginning and the Russian National Anthem was playing. By the time we got to the end of the street, it was Holland's turn - as the street erupted in song as everyone began singing along.

We caught the 9:00 tour boat through the canals and enjoyed a tour cruise through some of Amsterdam's more famous sites. (The buildings all have hooks at the top - when people move, they bring the furniture up through the windows because the doors and stairways are too narrow!) About half way through the tour, we heard a collective groan throughout the town as Russia scored it's first goal. After the boat, we walked back to our houseboat - and the streets, which were teeming with people just an hour earlier, were now deserted - it was like walking through a ghost town! The entire population of the city were huddled in bars, gathered around tvs in tents, or at the game itself, which was played nearby. I do love the energy, though - when Holland scored, even though you couldn't see anyone watching the game, you could here the screams and shouts throughout the town.

Back at the houseboat, we joined the legions and watched the rest of the game. (Well, technically, I am sitting here blogging as the game played. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately if it prevents honking....) Russia won 3 - 1, and the town is eerily quiet as people head home....

Amsterdam!

Grant and I both arrived in Amsterdam late last night. Gary flew in from France, checking in to our Houseboat and checking out the area. Grant took the train - the first part on the TGV took him straight through to Brussles (including a pass through the Marne-la-Vallee station, where Disneyland Paris is, with no problems.

Once he hit Brussles, though, he had some issues. He missed his first train by about 2 minutes - knowing this was a tight connection, he wasn't suprised or bummed. However, the next train had engine problems, so he had to wait a total of three hours before he could finally get on a train to Amsterdam - and this train was so full that many people had to stand - even on a first class ticket! Luckily, Grant had a seat.

My flights were more or less uneventful. Both flights were delayed, but all in all I was only about a half an hour late arriving in Amsterdam.

Grant met me at the airport and we took the train into the city, and then the trolly to our the stop near our houseboat. Our hhouseboat is small but comfortable and atmospheric - with two bedrooms and a bathroom. Grant and I have a bedroom that is more like a studio, with a kitchenette and a table and a little "porch out the back. Gary's is more just like a one bed bedroom.

We can sit at the table and watch the tour boars go by, and there is a little duck that likes to beg...

We were pretty tired, but it stays light until 10:30, so we decided to head out to get a bite to eat. On the way there, I totally ate it on some "steps." In my defense, the steps were oddly spaced and I was tired, but still I tripped, and with my hands in my pocket, I couldn't catch my fall and I landed fhard on my elbow - I'm lucky I didn't break an arm! As it is, I banged up my elbow pretty bad.  We ate at an Indian restaurant that was pretty tasty. Then we came back and I pretty much fell asleep!

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