Amsterdam

May 18, 2009
We arrived at Central Station and our jaws dropped at the sight of the multi-story 'bicycle flat.' Amsterdam definitely is a city of bicycles. After all, in a city that is built for pedestrians – sporting such car-unfriendly features as narrow streets and canals, far too few parking spots (at premium fees), and single-lane one-way only traffic mazes – a bicycle is the most logical form of transportation. We navigated our way through the maze and checked into Hotel de Stern which is located right next to Rembrandt Square. The hotel still has the original steep Dutch stairs and no elevator, so we got our workout. There are also tonnes of cafés and restaurants lining the square, so we stopped for dinner at a little Italian place called Isola Bella. No meal is complete without a Heineken. In the evening, we explored around the Wallen also known as the Rossebuurt to Amsterdammers or to us as the (in)famous Red Light District. We discovered that most stereotypes about this area are true: there are plenty of sex shops, peep shows, brothels, an elaborate condom shop, a sex museum and of course prostitutes in red-lit windows. We even got offered a free spanking with the purchase of a sex show…what a tempting offer! The Wallen is the oldest part of Amsterdam and the neighbourhood is chock-full of interesting shops, pubs, restaurants, leaning gabled houses and the city’s most charming canals. We looked up and noticed that many of the gables are adorned with a hook. It was interesting to see that it is not just a decoration, but that the hook is there to enable residents to pull large, bulky objects up and into a window at the proper floor. The Red Light district is also home to the Oude Kerk (Old church). It is both the oldest church and the oldest building in Amsterdam. It dates back to around 1250.


May 19, 2009

We woke up early and had an overpriced and very small breakfast at one of the restaurants in the centre. We walked toward central station and walked through the lively Dam Square which is flanked by the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and to the west the National Monument, commemorating the victims of WWII. Beyond the heart, lies the rest of Amsterdam: a series of concentric and bisecting canals, known as the Grachtengordel (canal ring). Lined with centuries-old gabled canal houses, the area has remained beautifully intact and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

For an entirely different perspective, we decided to see Amsterdam from the water. We did a one hour canal cruise and were able to see beautiful views of the bridges, merchant's houses, 17th century gables, houseboats, and the old harbour. The canals are punctuated with churches and other sights that can be used to navigate the city. We spotted the Singel flower market. It is unique in that the merchandise is displayed on floating barges. We also saw the widest and oldest bridge, the Torensluis. It was completed in 1648 and is 39 metres wide. It used to be part of a moat around Amsterdam, and we noticed that you can still see the barred windows of a former prison under the bridge. We also saw the narrowest home in Amsterdam. It is located at Singel 7 and is one metre wide. This three-story slice of space is crammed pretty tightly between its taller and wider neighbours—rich red brick gives it a bold presence despite its slight dimensions. We also noticed “De Poezenboot” which provides shelter to stray and abandoned cats - on a houseboat.

Housed in an eye-catching green building on the water, and shaped like the bow of a ship is the NEMO, the Netherlands’s largest science centre. We were also fascinated by the Sea Palace which is the first floating restaurant in Europe.


Maastricht

May 19, 2009

We got on the train and made our way to Hostel Oh Là Là Mosae Maastricht. It is a cosy and trendy hostel in the city centre and offers a view on the Maas River. Markt Square is only a 5-minute walk away and is surrounded by historic buildings such as the 17th century town hall as well as the elegantly modern Council offices. It offers everything a thriving city centre should – from authentic weekly markets to the hustle and bustle of shops, cafés and other enterprises – guarded by Minckeleers and his eternal flame. We stopped for supper and had a great “salad filled” wrap at the Grand Café Malle Babbe.

May 20, 2009

We woke up early and had a great breakfast at the bar in the hotel. We explored a little more of the city. We were surprised to see a market on a Wednesday morning. Apparently, every Wednesday and Friday there is a general market in Market Square. Local farmers, bakers, and butchers set up shop on the square to sell you whatever is currently in season. The food is fresh and the prices are comparable or better than the prices at the grocery store. We picked up some fresh fruit for our train ride. We then browsed the wide variety of clothing, fabric, flower, and plant dealers that also set up during this market. We walked through Vrijthof which is one of the best-known squares in the Netherlands. We saw the St. Servaas Basiliek (Basilica of St. Servatius) and the monumental St. Janskerk (Church of St. John), and then wandered over to the ‘Zaate Herremenie’, a fantastically colourful group of figures created by the local artists Han van Wetering as a tribute to Carnival.
We explored Jekerkwartier, which is a lively part of town surrounded by the municipal park and the old city walls. This district is characterized by the Jeker stream that winds its way, above as well as below ground, through the neighbourhood. We checked out the Bisschopsmolen (Mill of the Bishop) and followed the alleyway to the back of the building where we saw the mill’s waterwheel. In 2005, the old water mill was reunited with the adjoining traditional bakery. We then hopped on the train and headed to Luxembourg.


Luxembourg
May 20, 2009
We arrived in Luxembourg and checked into the City Hostel. We were lucky enough to get a private room. We then went to a very fancy Pizza Hut. We had a $27.56 meal which was unlike anything we could get at home. The dessert was amazing. We explored some of the city and walked all the way around the Casemates.

May 21, 2009 (Ascension Day)

It was pretty quiet on the streets as everything was closed for the holiday. The JoHos were out in full force. Amy and I had an encounter, while Trisha was “sleeping” on the bench. We did manage to wind our way through the network of several levels of underground fortifications dating back to 1644. These are known as the Bock Casemates and they are listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.


Brussels

May 21, 2009
We checked into our hotel and walked around. We saw the Grand Palace (UNESCO site). It was there, that we found a very creepy guy with a fixation for Amy. He told us that if we touched the gold statue we would have good luck in the bedroom…later we learned from the hotel clerk that rubbing the Everard 't Serclaes monument is said to bring luck and grant the wishes of all who touch it. We ditched him and continued on to the Manneken Pis which is Dutch for little man urinating. The famous statue was difficult to find and is located at the junction of Rue de l'Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat. The statue is dressed in costume several times each week, according to a published schedule (which is posted on the railings around the fountain). His wardrobe consists of several hundred different costumes.

Trisha and I went into a shop to buy shot glasses and postcards and the creepy clerk thought we were girlfriends and proceeded to ask whether we liked boys. Creep! We exit the store and immediately pick up a couple of other clowns. They wanted us to go to the balls of Brussels - the Atomium. We declined the offer, but they wouldn’t let us go without a picture first!

May 22, 2009

We woke up and immediately began our quest to find the Town Houses of Architect Victor Horta (UNESCO site). It was very surprising to find that NO ONE knew where it was located. It is actually a Hotel. We then headed to Bruges.


Bruges

May 22, 2009

We arrived in the historic city centre of Bruges (UNESCO site) and checked into our hotel at St. Christopher’s Bauhaus Budget Hotel. The city is gorgeous. We had lunch at a snack place. The waitress had zero personality and we didn’t even get what we ordered but it was edible…oh and the beer made the experience worthwhile. We had Jupiler Tavro 8.3% 33cl. beer. After that, I wasn’t sure if the Belfry really was leaning or I was seeing things. I was relieved to learn that the Belfry is 88 metres tall and leans a full three-feet to one side. Part of the reason might be the 27-ton carillon at the top. We did our own city walk around the centre of town and then began our quest for the perfect waffle. Unfortunately, a lot of the shops were already closed for the evening, but eventually we settled on a restaurant in the Markt called La Civiere D'Or.

May 23, 2009

We did another city walk of the north area of the city and saw some windmills. We then decided to climb the 366 steps of the Belfry to get a different perspective of the city. We avoided the overpriced chocolate shops and just went to Smatch, a supermarket, in the centre of Bruges. We also stocked up on other treats and booze for the rest of our journey. We went back to our hotel and dug through a monstrous mound of bags, we thought we were so smart getting up early…our bags were at the bottom of the pile!

Rotterdam
May 23, 2009

We arrived late in Rotterdam. The train ride was an adventure as the tracks were ripped up, so it was a longer journey then expected. Part way there, the train apparently splits. The front half goes to our destination and the back half goes to BFN. Guess which half we were on? Luckily, a local picked up on our mistake, so we hauled ass to the front of the train just in the nick of time. We got to where we were heading. Rotterdam is known for its world port. It is also know for its art and architecture. Everywhere we went there were weird sculptures and statues. We also stopped and saw the Kubuswoningen, or cube houses (AKA Paalwoningen - Pole Dwellings). The concept behind these houses is the architect tries to create a forest by each cube representing an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest.

Amsterdam
May 24, 2009

We met up with Astrid. We went and chatted at a café had a coffee and some Dutch snacks. We walked by the Anne Frank Huis at Prinsengracht 263. We had dinner at Mister Coco’s, Amsterdam’s only Australian pub and then went on our quest for a “real” coffee shop. We finished our trip with a bang.

This was the last trip I took in October with my good friend, Amber.  What fun!