Looking for Something "Light" in Berlin - 9/18/2010





Amsterdam Centraal Station

High Speed Trains all the way to Berlin. Once you get all of your luggage on board and stowed and find your seats, it is very relaxing. Apparently not a lot of people travel on Saturdays so there is no need for reservations. These trains have plenty of areas to stow your luggage. There is no checked baggage, you just find a spot that is not in the way (behind seats, in little niches) and stow it. When you get on the train, there are digital signs above the seats that indicate whether they have been reserved. We took the ICE from Amsterdam to Duisdorf which lasted about two hours, changed trains, and then proceeded from Duisdorf to Berlin, which took another four hours during which time we had a picnic of salad and prepared foods that we had purchased in Amsterdam. Cruising along at a little over 150 miles an hour, we arrived in Berlin's Central Train Station a little after 3:00 . . . right in the midst of a large nuclear protest rally so the station was pretty chaotic. Having boned up on Berlin's mass transit system the day before, via the internet (we learned our lesson in Amsterdam), we knew that we would be taking both an elevated (S-bahn) and underground (U-bahn) train to our hotel. We purchased a few day passes, found our train and hopped aboard.





Picnic on the ICE



Every transportation system has been different. In Paris, provided you travelled within a certain large area of Paris proper, you could travel anywhere for the same price. Purchase a ticket at a kiosk or ticket booth, send it through the ticket machine, board and ride your train, then send your ticket through again to exit the train station. In Belgium's northern coast you can purchase tickets at a kiosk or on the tram. We never quite figured out the system, sometimes you had to check your ticket in at a yellow box when you boarded the tram, sometimes you didn't. Seemed that the system operated on an honor system, because there appeared to be no way to prevent people from boarding the tram who hadn't purchased a ticket and we witnessed no monitoring. In Amsterdam, you could purchase one ticket from the conductor or at a kiosk for one price and it was good on any metro, bus, or tram for one hour. If you stay for at least a day and plan on using the mass transit system, it makes sense to purchase single or multi-day passes. You flash the pass in front of an electronic reader when entering and exiting the tram, bus, or metro station and a little electronic chip in your pass communciates that you are legit. Pretty nifty system once you figure it out. Here in Berlin, we've purchased day passes. Before entering the train the first time using the pass, you must validate the pass at a small machine on the platform which stamps the date and time on the pass. You can then use that pass all day until 3:00 the following morning. I imagine you can purchase individual trip passes, as well. Like in Belgium, there is nothing preventing you from entering the trains and possibly buses if you don't have a pass or ticket, however, the guidebook warns that the trains and buses are frequently patrolled and if you are found without an appropriately validated ticket, you will be fined 40 Euros, no small chunck of change. It will be interesting to see what Prague has in store for us.



Belin Central Bahnhoff



We managed to get to our hotel by 4:00, checked in, very nice but no Amstel Canal House, and then decided to go investigate a little. Our hotel is centered on the southern border the Tiergarden, a large 412 acre park and we are about a mile west of where the Berlin wall was once located. In search of food, we went to a place just down the street called "Pa De Wa," recommended in the guidebook, which is a seven-floor department store. On the seventh floor is a cafe, but it was the sixth floor that we were seeking which was an upscale market selling all sorts of items. The place was huge, kind of like a Whole Foods on steroirds (but no free samples). It was "organized" into a confusing and chaotic maze by food type, meats/cured meats, fish, chocolate, breads, wine (over 2400 different bottles), cheese (guidebook says 1300 kinds - thank god there were no free samples), prepared foods, veggies, and so on. Once the tour groups cleared out, it became a little less confusing but we never did get a handle of the layout. Within each food group there was often a space where you could sit down and purchase and eat some of the food. Often times these areas had their own open kitchens where you could watch your food being prepared. We found the sausage section, which sold bavarian pretzels so we sat down and had a couple of pretzels with mustard to take off the edge before we went in search of dinner.

Our hotel is situated in a rather quiet part of town. It reminds me of the business sector of most American cities which is almost a ghost town in the evenings and on the weekends. After being in the vibrant hearts of Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, surrounded by little eateries and shops, this was a new experience for us. The guidebook recommended a number of up and coming trendy areas in what was formerly East Berlin for food and shops so we hiked on down to the U-bahn and took a 20-minute train ride into East Berlin and got off in the Prenlauzer Berg area, in search of a little restaurant called, Gugelhof, known for its Alsatian food and a favorite of locals and tourists alike. The guidebook warned us that this was a sketchy area and walking through the heavily-graffittied area in twilight we agreed. But there were quite a few families out and about with their kids so it may be that these neigborhoods are in transition to becoming safer and gentrified.


Gugelhof Interior - Bill Clinton ate here:-)

 As is often the case, we were disoriented coming out of the U-bahn, so took the wrong street and had trouble finding any decent eatery let alone the recommended restaurant. We were about to pack it in and head back for hotel when, upon turning a corner we came upon the correct street and a few blocks down, found our restaurant, which, at 8:00 pm was PACKED. We walked in and the bartender who looked uncannily like Morgan Freeman welcomed us. No tables were available, everything was reserved for the evening (as usual), but, with a huge grin, he said the bar was always open. There happened to be two availabe barstools, and, unable to refuse his invitation, we had a seat. The establishment was quiant with stuccoed walls, and simple wood furniture. Waitstaff dressed impeccably in black trousers, vests, and ties, and white shirts. We were handed the menu which took a while to understand because it was translated into four different languages, German, French, English, and something else, perhaps Dutch.

Hoping beyond hope for something light, we found it. Though sorely tempted by the cheese fondue (this late in the evening it would have been painful, Ooofta), I ordered the trout with veggies in an herb and reisling broth and Rick ordered a stew of beef and lamb and vegetables. We asked the bartender, Omar, to recommend a dry white, and he gave us a wonderful reisling. Reislings can be dry depending on the time of harves.


The Bar at Gugelhof

 We then settled in, observed, and chatted with the very charming Omar, fluent in many languages, and quite proficient behind the bar. While waiting for our food Rick taught me German and we could tell that Omar and the other waitstaff were bemusedly listening in so we enlisted their aid and they gladly helped out when we got stuck on a word. Embarrassed that our food was taking such a long time (only took an hour) Omar refilled our wine glasses and kept us happy. This was quite the local joint. Sure there were tourists like ourselves, but usually as a party was leaving, they'd stop by and chat it up with Omar, clearly familiar with each other, and often Omar would pour them a little champagne before they left.



Neat Bottles Containing Who-Knows-What



Our food was well worth the wait. I had a whole trout, skin and all, swimming (pun intended) in a broth of chicken stock, reisling and herbs. Apparently, I was suppose to let Omar skin, behead, and debone the critter for me, but he was occupied at the time I received my plate, and, unaware that he was suppose to do this me, I dug in and skinned, beheaded, and deboned the guy myself. Omar was impressed, though a little put out that I did not wait for him to do his job. I apologized, which he accepted provide that I promised that next time I would wait for him. Agreed. Rick's meal was a wonder. It came out in a pot with the lid on and protruding through the cracks between the pot and lid was a huge ring of bread/biscuit/pretzel which had to be carefully cut off and placed on the plate, looking like a humongous doughnout. Open the lid and the delectable smell of the stew, really a broth with cubed meat and vegetables, wafted out and made the mouth water. It seemed almost like a bourgoungoine but made with white wine instead of red and bay leaves were prominent in both dishes but not overpowering. We slowly savored our food, quiet accept for my occasional mouthful mumble of "This is so good."



Omar at the Bar



Unfortunately plates become empty and stomachs become ffull and the meal came to an end. Omar asked if we would like anything else and in my fledling German I asked for an apertif of his choosing. He corrected me and said I meant "digestive". Rick asked for a port, which Omar slightly disapproved of because it really is meant to be an apertif, something for before dinner. Rick said that in the US we generally drink it after. Omar replied, in German, "I know, THAT is the problem." He, like a patient father, conceded in providing Rick a port and then set to work on figuring out what to give me and asked whether a I preferred clear or tawny. I replied tawny. He grinned and poured me what turned out to be a 30-yr old cognac. I thought to myself, well there goes the bill (and it was my turn to pay) but given the wonderful evening, I just didn't care. We savored our drinks for another 45 minutes and then finally had to ask for the check. Omar bemoaned us leaving him and took awhile getting us the check. We chatted a little more and learned that he was originally from Sudan. At 62 years old, he is "retired" but likes to bartend Saturday nights. It helps keep him fit and his mind sharp. No kidding. He was quite the one-man show behind the bar showing considerable physical and mental stamina, cleaning dishes, filling orders, delivering food, keeping everything neat and clean and in its place, and making every customer feel special. I commented that we were fortunate to come in then tonight because it has been quite the gift to meet him. He smiled. He handed me the check which had missing from the tally most of the wine and all of the port and cognac. We just handed him the payment along with, in European terms, a very large tip. He kissed my hand and shook Rick's, we said Guten Nacht, and he pronounced that he has the premonition that we will see each other again. I replied that was good and I'm looking forward to it.

A Bike Ride through the Countryside - 9/17/2010

Woke to downpouring rain this morning which did not bode well for our plans to take a bike tour into the countryside, but the ride was not until 11:00 and the weather here seems to be as capricious as the weather in Denver so we thought we would wait and see. In the meantime we had a leisurely morning and then set off to the train station to figure out our train trip to Berlin the following day.

This Eurrail Pass certainly has its advantages, but it does take some figuring out, which we are still doing. With the pass you can travel many, if not most trains and routes, without paying an additional fee. Sometimes, though, you must make reservations (particularly for high speed trains called ICE), and for that you pay a fee. Sometimes reservations are recommended but not required and often times there is no need to reserve, you can just hop on and hop off. When you purchase the Eurrail Pass, you are sent a schedule of train schedules for all of Europe (though in small font and on thin paper it is still an impressive booklet), that indicates when reservations are required. What we did not realize was that this book does not reflect all of the options available to us and we discovered that many routes, including those using the ICE, are not identified. So we find it useful to check in at the train station ticket desk to ask specifically for ICE trips as the trains are faster and very comfortable. It seems that almost always we are presented with options preferable to those not found in our booklet. I think the Eurrail can be easy if you just go by the booklet, but for high maintenance folks such as ourselve,s it can get a little more complicated and confusing, by our choice of course.

As mentioned in a previous post, Amsterdam Centraal Station is confusing. We went to an information booth and after standing in line for 20 minutes, we were informed that we needed to go to the international information booth. We stood in line and then when we walked up to the first available window, were informed that we needed to take a number, for which needed to, you guessed it, stand in line because a woman was handing out the tickets and before doing so had to quiz us to ensure that we took the right ticket. I was losing my patience while Rick remained wonderfully calm. At least when we finally got to the right window it was pretty straight forward and we managed to find an ICE route from Amsterdam to Berlin with only one transfer in Duisdorf.

Pete, our Fearless Guide

By that time, the sun had come out so we took a tram to the bicycle tour place where we met up with our tour guide Pete, a Canadian expat, and 10 others from Australia, US, and Canada, for a bicycle ride in the countryside. A word about the bikes. The most popular brand seems to be Townies. In the city you see none of your fancy touring or mountain bikes. The bike is strictly intended to be a form of reliable transport that is plain enough that no one would want to steal it. So the bikes are like those of my and perhaps even my parent's childhood, the ones where you sit upright (no leaning forward). Rick noted what wonderful posture the bike riders have. You might have gears, you might not, you might have brakes, you might not. I noticed that when we went biking with the group, must of us were slouchers. Anyway, I like these bikes (despite the constant grinding gears on my own rental).  The ones I've had during my adult years had me leaning forward and it seems that ever since I developed hips, I couldn't balance myself well. On these Townies, it was a breeze.

You know what this is

The bicycle ride in the country was a great respite from all of the walking we've been doing. Along with the tour, Pete gave us an overview of Dutch history and provided enough detail about dikes and the pumping system to please an engineer but not so technical that us non-technical types couldn't understand it. We visited a windmill, no longer in use, and had to stop for some tourist kitch at a cheese AND clog making factory. How efficient, all of Netherland's stereotypes, minus the cannabis, rolled into one. I guess Pete needs to get his

You also know what this is

kickbacks in some way. Despite the feeling of getting sold a bag of goods, it was educational nonetheless. Before long we were back on the road, in the rain this time, making our way back to the city. We passed through a protected hardwood forest, and a number of parks. In total it was about four hours long and our biking mates were all good natured and fun. Good luck to Karen from North Carolina on her ascent to Mt. Kilmanjaro!

And you know what these are

After the bike ride, we went in search of stamps for postcards (Elena, Michael, and Matthew, you each should be receiving postcards from me from every country though you might not receive them until after I get home) and an afternoon snack, then it was back to our B&B, where found Ken playing with the neighbors next door kids, to organize, pack and prepare for our trip to Berlin the following day.

Pretty Tree in Amsterdam Park

Dinner was taken in another part of town, the West Canal District, in the form of tapas and Sangria. Tapas has been a great way to eat dinner given that, because we often each lunch so late, we aren't so hungry for a full meal, but need to eat a little something otherwise we'd be pretty hungry when we go to bed. The restaurant we picked was Duende and it started off sleepy enough, but come 7:30 pm it was packed. We swear that the bartender must have been pretty high because he was continuously messing up our order and we had quite a few plates delivered to our table that we hadn't ordered, but we ate nonetheless because we weren't sure as to what we had ordered and it was hard to place orders given how packed it was. You could tell that the waitresses and chefs were getting a little PO'd about this, but, as it turns out, he owns the establishment so there isn't much that they could do. He then delivered to us our bill which was about half of what it should have been. We sorted things out, paid our full bill, fools that we are, and appear to have made friends for life. The food was good and the Sangria delicious.

Happy Me on a Bike

We came back to our room around 9:00 pm when Ken appeared and asked us what he thought of the new painting that he had just finished and place in our room. It was a beautiful modern style painting of cherry blossoms against a red background. Ken said that he wanted someone's honest opinion of the work. Despite our not being art afficionados, we both raved about it. Honestly, if I wasn't already struggling with our baggage as it is, I would have offered to buy it on the spot. I'm upset with myself for having forgotten to take a photo. Ken seemed satisfied with our response and then said that we were the best guests ever (of course) and that he feels like he should be doing more for us. We assured him that he more than exceeded our expectations and that we would stay with him should we come to Amsterdam again and that we would recommend him to all of our acquaintances. I almost feel sad leaving him.

Final thoughts on Amsterdam:
- Bikes have the right-of-way, pedestrians, cars, trams, and busses duke it out for second place.
- Amsterdam businesses do not like taking credit cards and many won't. Good idea to have a bit of cash with you when you visit . . . and know the location of the closest ATM.
- Had no luck finding a post office but was able to buy postcard stamps at a grocery store. Mailboxes are red but small and inconspicuously located along the streets.
- Coffee shops are where marijuana is openly smoked. Cafe shops are where you drink coffee.  It is, however, illegal to smoke tobacco in these "coffee" shops. Only cannibis is permitted. We do NOT know this from personal experience. Our bike guide, Pete, told the group about this. We got a sense that he likely came by this knowledge first-hand.
- Couples of all ages firmly believe in public displays of  affection.

Walk and Tram about in Amsterdam

Amstel Canal

Flowermarket

Had a great night sleep, which was good because what a day!  We began by hiking down to the floating flowermarket which took your breath away with the array of flowers and bulbs available.  There was even a beginner's cannabis kit that one could purchase.  Though tulips, lovely in their own right, have never been a favorite of mine, but there are many other bulbs that are available including calla lillies and crocus.   In amongst the flower market we stopped for breakfast where Rick had a Dutch pancake which is just a huge flat thin pancake that was more doughy and less cakey.  It was served with powdered sugar and molasses.  I helped him finish that off.

Dutch Breakfast

We then hiked on down to the museum district, dodging trams and bicyclists along the way, to check out the Van Gogh Museum.  There are many museums in this area including Hollands premier Rijksmuseum which contains over 7 million works of art.  Museums like that just overwhelm me and I prefer the niche museums which focus on one topic or artist.  The Van Gogh museum was excellent.  For those casually interested in the topic, like myself, one can work through the museum in a couple of hours.  It was well organized and led the visitor through his life and the evolution of his art.  It place his work in historical, cultural, and emotional context which lead to a comprehensive understanding of the artist and his work.  Van Gogh's effort to reach moments of transcendence through his work appealed to me and, I think Rick, particularly given Rick's work in photography.  Both Rick and I are glad that we took the time to visit the museum.

Afterwards we set off to figure out the public transportation which consists of buses, metro, and trams.  It turns out to be pretty easy but only after you figure it out.  To the first-time user it can be pretty darn confusing.  We decided to just hop on a tram that we knew was going to Centraal Station.  As it turned out we could purchase a ticket directly from the conductor which allows us to travel on any bus, metro, or tram for an hour.  When we got to the Centraal Station, we hopped around amongst the many information offices until we found the GVB (don't know what it stands for) which administers the metro, bus, and tram.  There we found a map for 2.50 Euros which showed all the routes and stops.  Then we went to another office where we learned that we could purchase a 48 hour pass which would allow us to travel on all three of these forms of transportation for 11.50 Euros each.  Perfect.  So we picked two of these up and we have been public-transportation-using fools ever since.

A tired me at 1st Class Cafe

The "Python" Pedestrian Bridge

Since we were at the Centraal Station we decided to have lunch at the recommended First Class Cafe which was indeed first class.  Rick had the burger and I the quiche and I learned that bathroom in Dutch is "toiletten".  We then headed off to eastern Amsterdam, using Tram 26, to the constructed spits of Sporenburg and Borneo where there was suppose to be some interesting architecture. 

Interesting single-housing architecture

Wow!  The transportation and building architecture here was all carefully designed to work together in order to great a huge modern art canvas.  The two pedestrian bridges connecting the spits were a photographers dream and Rick and I spent a couple of hours photographing these subjects.  Some of the buildings, given names like pacman and the whale, also were photographically interesting.  Personally, I'm not quite sure what the overall objective of the architects and land use planners was here, I just don't know enough to appreciate their efforts.  But nevertheless, it has peaked my interest in the field and I plan to try to learn more about this area.  It good to get out of central Amsterdam into slightly more wide open spaces and obtain a realistic view of how people live.

We then headed back to Centraal Station, where, for 50 cents each, we used the bathrooms.  You know, I've decided that if paying a few cents keeps the bathroom this neat and clean then I'm all for it.  We decided to walk around for a bit heading in the direction of Dam Square.  On the way, we passed the sex museum and the torture museum.  I like my niche museums but frankly this was a little much.  Dam Square is the site of the Dam on the Amstel River around which the city grew.  I saw no evidence of the dam itself for the Dam Square is now like any other town square comprised of an open plaza surrounded by shops and government buildings.  We were a little disappointed in the area given that the main feature, the Koninklijk Palace was completed covered by scaffolding and protective cover.  We were amused to discover during our walks the presence of "Smart Shops" which sell a host of substances, illegal in the states, including many varieties of mushrooms. We wondered about the origin of the name "Smart". No, we did not purchase any.

We eventually wandered back to our B&B to be greeted our energetic proprietor inquiring as to whether we are enjoying ourselves. "Absolutely" we replied and the then said that he would like to offer us a bottle of wine, white, rose, or red? Of course red which he promptly brought up to us, a Chilean merlot. We invited him to join us but, perhaps, his English was not good enough (though it is leaps and bounds ahead of our Dutch) because he said yes, sure, and then left.

Amsterdam at Twilight

We unwound for a bit and then went out on walkabout before dinner, sightseeing, before ending up at a Country French Restaurant across the street from the Indian restaurant we visited the night before. The meal was >sigh< delcious, me a halibut in a white wine sauce that I could have had by itself, perhaps with a loaf of bread for sopping. Rick had a beef filet in a brandy cream sauce. We sipped on a nice French burgundy. But desert, oh, desert was divine. I ordered the cheese and port plate, where I received five types of cheeses and three ports. Bert, our informative waiter described the ports to me a young ruby and a young tawny and a 10-yr old tawny, and how they are made. The ports with the blue, camembert, and brie cheeses was a dreamy combination. Rick had ordered a nougat parfait, and Bert couldn't bear to seem him without a drink (the wine was all gone) with me surrounded by port, so Bert brought Rick a glass of muscat.

We made our way home in the rain (it has been raining off and on since we arrived) and collapsed into bed at around 11:30. It was a long but fantistic day.

Amsterdam - 9-15 to 16-2010

The Brown Bldg is our B&B

It was a little under a 3-hour ride to Amsterdam and we got in around 5:30.  It was chaotic in the train station and the 17-yr old at the tourism desk was, well, not the most useful in assisting us in finding our way to the bed and breakfast, so, with the imminent threat of rain, we elected to use a cab rather than public transport.  Not a good sign when your cab driver has no clue about the address you give him.  We did eventually make it through the maze of canals to the Amstel Canal Bed and Breakfast, though the accommodations themselves were not clearly marked so I had to get out and look at the addresses in the mailbox slots, and, sure enough, there was Amstel Canal House.  We ended up paying twice what we should have for the taxi fare and vowed to try to use public transport next time . . . though with the luggage it can be pretty challenging.

Narrow staircase!

Ken, the Chinese proprietor of Amstel Canal House, ENTHUSIASTICALLY greeted us and galloped down the hall with our luggage and hauled it up this most remarkable narrow,STEEP, spiralling, staircase that is about 24 inches wide.  The tourbooks warned us about this.  The books also warned us about quaint little bed and breakfasts right on the canals that end up being above or next to bars or clubs.  This B&B is certainly quaint and right on the canal, but the gods looked kindly upon us and ensured that we were in a nice quiet residential area, excepting for the occasional drunken group making their way home from the bars.  Amsterdam is definitely a City that lives for the night.

See the canal outside?

Our lovely room

Our room is large and spacious with a queen bed (score) that looks right out on the Amstel Canal.  Ken, an artist, is very proud of his establishment (as he should be) and showed us our suite of rooms including the bedroom, a sitting room and a bathroom. The bathroom is very small and you could pee, shower, and brush you teeth at the same time, but it is clean, neat and the tile floors are heated.   The only slight gliche in the room is that Ken, having only two rooms to let, does not take credit cards.  He also expressed a preference for the cash up front (hmmm) but easily conceded that we pay half now and half when we leave.

Canal at night

We settled in and then took off for a stroll in the rain looking for a Indian restaurant, which we found quite easily, and had a very good meal of chicken tikka and curry.   As the guidebooks warn, look out for the bicyclists for they really do have the right-of-way here.  Usually though they are very polite and ring their bells in warning.  Yes these are the bells that we girls had on our bikes when we were seven and even the manliest of men here in Amsterdam have hem and use them.

Zuiderkerk Chuch

We strolled around a little more and then stopped at a local grocery store for a bottle of port and chocolate and then headed off to wind down the evening in our lovely digs.  We have a lot planned for our visit here, so there probably won't be anymore posts until we get to Berlin on Saturday and I can use the 6-hour train ride to edit my photos and write the narrative.  Cheers!

Brussels - 9-14 to 15-2010

Tuesday morning we set off for the coastal resort town of Knokke to the east of Wenduine to see another piece of Belgium and do a little shopping.  Because of the weak dollar against the Euro, combined with the European 19.7% tax on goods (you can get this back on amounts of 126 Euros or more) nothing in any of the countries is inexpensive so we restricted ourselves to a breakfast and a thank you gift for Geert's parents.  Not that we weren't tempted.  Those of you who know me know that I am not a clothes-hound.  However, the clothes in the Belgium fashion districts are beautiful.  There were quite a few pairs of boots that looked quite appealing but the $300 price tag was just too much for me to stomach.

We then headed back to the apartment to get ready for Geert who was going to pick us up and take us to Brussels for the night.  However, first we stopped at a convenience store selling internet access and Rick quickly checked for the Steeler's score, happily discovering that they won in overtime.

European Union HQ

Geert showed up around 2:30 pm and we took off to check out Europe's financial center of Brussels (second to London ).  Waiting to pick up Misty after her work day ended, Geert took us on a quick tour showing us some highlights of the city including the Royal Palace, residence of the king (Belgium is a constitutional monarch), a number of churches, Brussels' equivalent of embassy row, Justice Hall, the Ministry of Defense (and we even saw the defense minister himself), ending at a bar just across from the headquarters of the European Union.  So Brussels is the headquarters of the European Union.  Did not know that.

Rick and Beer

Town Hall in Grand Square

I had a taste of Belgian beer, Stella and Leffe, both of which I liked but not as much as wine.  We met up with Misty, and Geert whisked us off to the Grand Market which contains the Town Hall and the House of the King.  It is truly a stunning area, especially when lit up at night.  Hard to believe that this is the "pit" of Europe as some call Brussels.  We then had a dinner of tapas, beer, sangria, and great Flaminco guitar.

Then it was back to our hotel, the Hilton Conrad, which is remarkably plush for just using Rick's accrued travel points to secure the room.   We luxuriated in the king bed, having been in doubles so far.  It was a little over the top in some ways (carrera marble bathroom, turn down service complete with a $10 bottle of water and slippers) but we definitely appreciated the space . . . and the wireless access.

Royal Palace

Old Town Brussels

Brussels seems more cosmopolitan than Paris because there is an astounding array of languages being spoken on the street.   Geert, in some ways, is a microcosm of Brussels, for, while conducting business over the phone, he can switch from Flemmish, to French, to English in a heartbeat.  You never know what you are going to hear or encounter.  Also, Old Town definitely has the old world feel much like Brugge, with narrow cobblestone streets, colorful housing facades, and box flowers.  Brussels does feel a bit grungier than Paris with seedier bars and establishments that I would take pains to avoid.  However, this might just depend on where I have spent my time in the two cities, so it is not a fair comparison.

On Wednesday morning, I did some sorely needed updating of the blog from the Hilton's business center.  Call me cheap but to access the wireless from our room at 25 Euros seemed  a little outrageous so in my pjs and slippers I hung out with the German, French, and English businessmen instead (not really).

St. Hubert Royal Galleries

Flower-boxes of Grand Market

We then headed down the Waterloo Blvd know as the fashion district resplendent  with Armani, Louis Vitton, and a host of other design stores as we made our way back to the Grand Market again which was well worth a second look.  We also checked out the beautiful St. Hubert Royal Galleries.  Curious how today it seemed as though everywhere we went, everyone spoke only French.  Then we headed on back to the hotel, checked out, and headed to Brussels Central Station to take a train to Amsterdam.   Much to our taxidriver's frustration, we incorrectly told him to take us to the Midi train station which actually refers to Brussels' South Train Station.  I thought it was an understandable error, wouldn't most people think of "midi" as "mid" or "center"?  Well the taxi driver, neat and tidy in his suit jacket and tie was not understanding and very annoyed at having to change directions in mid-trip.  Not sure why.  It wasn't as though we weren't going to pay him.

Anyway he got us there safe and sound and we managed to get on the correct train (not as easy as one might think), in the correct car and in the correct seats.  Score.

Belgian Chocolates in Royal Galleries

I'm beginning to get the hang of the Eurail Pass.  It seems to be that the general rule of thumb is that if you don't take the high speed rails (ICE), you can hop on anywhere at any time.  No need to stand in line and purchase tickets.  Just go straight to the correct, I repeat correct, platform.  There is a spot on the pass where you fill in the date, time, train number and start and stop locations, that is verified by the conductor in the form of a stamp.  You can do this up to the number of travel days and traveled countries that you purchased with the pass.  We purchased, for each of us, five travel days for four travel countries (Belgium and Netherlands is considered one country).  There are five date slots on our passes and once those are filled in, we are done using the pass.  Hope I get to keep the pass as a souvenir.

Brugges - 9-13-2010

On the Way to Brugges

OK, the apple beignets at 9:00 in the evening was a bad idea, but at least my lack of sleep allowed me the time to catch up with the blog.  Will need to wait until I'm in Brussels tomorrow to post the dailies.

Back Alleys of Brugges

Fortunately the rough night was not an harbinger of things to come.  Geert and Misty had to head back to Oodenarde for work so, upon Geert's recommendation, we took public transportation to the town of Brugges, about 10 miles south of Weindune. We took the local tram into Blankenberge and then from there a train to Brugges.  It was a breeze though I was taken by surprise at having to pay for the privelege of using the bathroom . . . and observe men using the urinals.  As it turns out, the washroom are coed and only the toilets are segregated . . . though if there is no door separating the rooms the men at the urinals are generally on display, NOT that I was looking very hard.

Canals of Brugges

Brugges is picturesque town that sits inland about 15 kilometers.  Much of the architecture of the town dates back tot he 14th, 15th and 16th, centuries.  Meandering through the Town are a number of canals, home of quite a few elegant swans that lend to the fairy tale feel of this town.  Though once upon a time in the 9th century this Town was a seaport for the Vikings, this identity was shortlived as the North Sea receded.

Architecture of Brugges

After that the town's economy over the centuries relied on trade in wool and cloth production.  When the industrial revolution occurred putting about half of the population out of work, the production of hand-made lace became the bread-winning activity.  Brugges now thrives on tourism as this has been called one of the most picturesque towns in Europe and because this Town is known as the capital of Belgian chocolate and arguably the chocolate capital of the world.  I wonder if anyone told Hershey this?

Chocolate Museum

This small town has 49 chocolatiers, a chocolate festival, and a chocolate museum which we did visit.  No we did not enter the Louvre or any of the other phenomenal French museums, frankly it was overwhelming, but by gosh we were going to visit the Chocolate museum.  Did you know that it was hot chocolate that generated the creation of the saucer to hold the cup, not tea or coffee?  The highlight was watching a patisserie chef make dark chocolate molds filled with praline (ground up hazlenuts, sugar, and butter).  We got to sample them at the end of the demonstration and even Rick, who is not a fan of nuts, regrettably ate his entire sample.  I picked up some chocolates made in Brugges from the chocalatier, Dumon, and the proprietor informed us that her chocolates came recommended by Rick Steves, the travel guide and proudly showed us the article.  That was good enough for us.

It is very hard to decribe in words just how lovely Brugges is . . . so there are plenty of pictures.  It is everything one might imagine an old style European town to be, cobblestone streets, flower boxes, buildings of brick and stone facades by lively colored trim, open air plazas, and lots of cafes, restaurants, and shops.  The main part of town is relatively small and we were able to walk the entire area in our daylong visit.

At Geert's recommendation, we ate lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in Brugges which was an amazing find.  In a country of filled with gastronomic delights containing potatoes, butter, bread, butter, waffles, butter, and cheese (and butter) this restaurant or maybe rather, teashop, bucked the trend, and served fresh vegetables and fruits as well as salads that don't contain meat or cheese.  We're not vegetarian but both Rick and I have been craving fresh produce.  Anyway, I ordered a Tartine (open-face sandwich) with heavy brown bread, a sun-dried tomato "fois gras," grilled vegetables, arugula and shaved reggiano parmesan.  It was so good, I was almost in tears.  The meal was accompanied by mint lemonade and Rick had a tartine with grilled chicken and veggies, and an herb spread.  We spent 2 hours savoring this food and then were ready to walk the rest of Brugges.

A little more photography and shopping and then we were on our way home.  We took a short rest and then walked the beach and ended up at another restaurant along the beach for dinner where I had the fish of the day, sole, Rick had a steak and we shared a fine bottle of wine out on the boardwalk, next to the beach. We ended the evening with 20-yr tawny port and our Dumond chocolates, watching on TV the documentary "British Underground" trying to learn Flemmish from the subtitles. 

Au Revoir Paris, Hallo Belgium - 9-12-2010

Smug Me on the Metro

Decided to take advantage of the laundromat across the street, and do laundry this morning.  There were a few other English-speaking tourists (Brits and Australians) in there at the early hour so fortunately I didn't have to puzzle out the directions and run the risk of shrinking Rick's shirts . . . again.  Then off to breakfast for a carmelized onion and potato omelette served by a waiter who saw it as his duty to ensure that I correctly pronounced my meal. :-)

Geert at the Louve

With four days of Parisian experience under our belt, we were, of course, fully

Misty at the Louve

qualified to play tourguide and took Misty and Geert to see the Louve and the Arch de Triumph.  We 've got the Metro down cold.  The challenge arises once you get off the metro and try to figure out where you are in relationship to where you want to go.  We ask for directions a couple of times (Geert fortunately speaks fluent French) and we told at least once (in French) "Why do you make this so difficult?  Of course you can see you proceed ahead and and turn right at Rue de Rivoli."  We just prostrated ourselves and apologized for being idiots.

Me and ? at the Louvre

After the morning tour we stopped back at a cafe for wine and coffee and then moved onto a Japanese restaurant for a meal of miso, salad, sushi, tempura, and edamame.  We were, as always, sitting at a table along the sidewalk and weren't reallying thinking about the risks of sidewalk dining, until an elderly Frenchman in short pants, while walking past our table, upchucked next to our table and then without missing a beat, continued on without a second glance.  We relocated to another table.  Aside from that, the meal went well except for the fact that the wait and cooking staff kept leaving the restaurant, our order for edamame seemed to keep getting lost, and we didn't get some of the food that we had ordered or we got food that we hadn't ordered.  I just chalk it up to the gods punishing us for eating something other than Fench food while in Paris :-)  Time to move on to Belgium for some mussels and pommes frites (fries).

Hand of God at the Louvre

The author of our guidebook says that you have to be nuts to drive in Paris and we agree.  Fortunately Geert, a Belgian native, is a wee bit nuts :-) and he efficiently and safely manuvered us out of the city and on our way to the very tiny town of Weindune on the North Sea Belgian coast where Geert's parents have a condo that they graciously offered for our use.  For you cyclist fans, we followed Lance Armstrong's Radioshack for a short distance before Geert left them in the dust.

Lovely Flower Boxes

The Belgian countryside near the coast is as flat as a pancake and very unlike Oregon topography, which has the coastal mountains heading directly into the ocean, hence the waterfalls.  You feel yourself to be in the midst of a far large seaside coastal floodplain.  Clearly there is an import/export business at the nearby ports, but it seems as though agriculture is the primary economy here It took about 3 hours to get to our destination (it would have been 4 if we had followed the speed limit) and so we got in around 8:00, went to beachside restaurant where we were served dinner of Belgian comfort food by quite the perky waitress and finished with a delicious dessert of apple beignets which are slices of apple rings, dipped in batter, deep-fat fried and then topped with powdered and brown sugar, served hot.  Belgian health food, I say.