Our final day began with a delicious breakfast buffet in the hotel, we then walked in the rain to the Anne Frank Museum.
Anne Frank's house was heart-wrenching, and moving. The story, the layout of the museum, they way the story was conveyed, and walking through the rooms, really has an impact. It was amazing that she wrote in her diary, that she "hoped to become a famous writer". Her actual diaries are on display, along with the German attendance sheet, checking her in to Bergen-Belson Concentration Camp. She died 1 month before the liberation. Her diary was actually a series of notebooks, which she then re-wrote and edited on 300+ individual looseleaf sheets.
After the Anne Frank Museum, we went to RijkMuseum, which is a very large building, but is rather small inside. They do have an amazing array of Rembrandt works, Rembrandt was from Amsterdam, and was a very famous and wealthy artist by the time he was in his early 20's, a big contrast to Van Gogh, who never knew success during his lifetime. Highlights of the Rembrandt exhibit were the "Night Watch", his masterpiece, and "The Jewish Bride", about which Van Gogh himself said he would give up 10 years of his life if he could sit in front of that painting for "2 weeks with a stale loaf of bread".
Rembrandt made over 80 self portraits, largely because he used himself as the test whenever he wanted to try a new technique, or something new with light, texture, etc.
We saw our second Academy Award of the trip, the first was at the Imperial War Museum for a documentary produced about D-Day, the second was Shelly Winters for the 1959 movie version of "Diary of Anne Frank".
After RijkMuseum we headed next door to the Heineken Brewery, we skipped the tour, since we already know how Arthur Guinness makes beer, and spent some time in the Heineken Gift Shop.
We've been to the Hard Rock Cafe four times in three days, Tom said it is the "Most American Place I've Ever Been". The weather today has gone back and forth between hard rain and very sunny. We are now on our standard afternoon break, we'll be out again soon for our final European Dinner, then home in the AM.
This may be it, maybe one more post from the Airport tomorrow if we have time.
Thanks for your support, and your comments, we've had a GREAT, GREAT, GREAT time together, but we are still ready to come home.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Venice of the North-the Weather is Here.
The forecast was for low 60's and light rain, and it did rain briefly this morning, but since 1pm it has been high 70's/low 80's and sunny here in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is a beautiful city, and is called Venice of the North because of the vast canal system. Tom and I have been taking the Canal Bus all day to various sites. Believe it or not, they played ABBA music on the boat. We started our day with traditional Dutch Pancakes, with powdered sugar. We rode through the canals to downtown, walked around a bit, and went through the Red Light District, not sure I've ever seen more long-haired American college aged kids. The Red Light District is really a few side streets between 2 main roads right in central Amsterdam near the train station. Outside of that area it is very nice, and even there during the day it is pure tourist attraction, I have read that it definitely gets shady at night. (We won't be going back).
After that we again took the canal bus past Anne Frank's house, but the line was long, so we will head back there first thing in the morning. Instead we visited the Van Gogh Museum, which was great. They have 200+ of Van Gogh's 800 paintings, inlcuding the famous masterpieces, "The Bedroom", "Wheatfield with Crows", "Self-Portrait", "Sunflowers" and many more. They also have more than 600 of his roughly 1,000 drawings.
Along the canals, there are many houseboats, we've been told there are about 2,500 in Amsterdam, but they currently have a freeze on any new houseboat moorings. There are bikes, bikes and more bikes. At the train station there is a four story parking deck- for bikes. It is also the most challenging place to cross the street, there is a sidewalk, a bike lane, a car lane, and a tram lane. So to go across 1 street you need to look for bikes, cars and trams one way, then you are in the middle of the street and you need to now look for trams, cars, and bikes. There are almost no curbs, so most of the time I end up in the bike or car lanes while I still think I am on the sidewalk. Tom, of course, has this mastered and thinks I have some sort of street-crossing disability.
We just enjoyed a late afternoon snack at the Hard Rock Cafe, directly across from our Hotel, and are now taking our afternoon break. Later we may walk through VondelPark, their Central Park, which is right next to the hotel.
Tomorrow we head to Anne Frank's house in the morning, and Rijkmuseum in the afternoon, then a good nights rest for our trip home on Tuesday.
See You All Soon,
Kevin and Tom
Amsterdam is a beautiful city, and is called Venice of the North because of the vast canal system. Tom and I have been taking the Canal Bus all day to various sites. Believe it or not, they played ABBA music on the boat. We started our day with traditional Dutch Pancakes, with powdered sugar. We rode through the canals to downtown, walked around a bit, and went through the Red Light District, not sure I've ever seen more long-haired American college aged kids. The Red Light District is really a few side streets between 2 main roads right in central Amsterdam near the train station. Outside of that area it is very nice, and even there during the day it is pure tourist attraction, I have read that it definitely gets shady at night. (We won't be going back).
After that we again took the canal bus past Anne Frank's house, but the line was long, so we will head back there first thing in the morning. Instead we visited the Van Gogh Museum, which was great. They have 200+ of Van Gogh's 800 paintings, inlcuding the famous masterpieces, "The Bedroom", "Wheatfield with Crows", "Self-Portrait", "Sunflowers" and many more. They also have more than 600 of his roughly 1,000 drawings.
Along the canals, there are many houseboats, we've been told there are about 2,500 in Amsterdam, but they currently have a freeze on any new houseboat moorings. There are bikes, bikes and more bikes. At the train station there is a four story parking deck- for bikes. It is also the most challenging place to cross the street, there is a sidewalk, a bike lane, a car lane, and a tram lane. So to go across 1 street you need to look for bikes, cars and trams one way, then you are in the middle of the street and you need to now look for trams, cars, and bikes. There are almost no curbs, so most of the time I end up in the bike or car lanes while I still think I am on the sidewalk. Tom, of course, has this mastered and thinks I have some sort of street-crossing disability.
We just enjoyed a late afternoon snack at the Hard Rock Cafe, directly across from our Hotel, and are now taking our afternoon break. Later we may walk through VondelPark, their Central Park, which is right next to the hotel.
Tomorrow we head to Anne Frank's house in the morning, and Rijkmuseum in the afternoon, then a good nights rest for our trip home on Tuesday.
See You All Soon,
Kevin and Tom
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Guttentag, Schweinwunds !
Tom and I had a great day. We traveled by train from Brussels to Cologne, Germany to start. Right outside the Cologne Train Station is the Cathedral, which is beyond massive, it took 623 years to be completed, and was a major pilgrimage site during the middle ages. At least 2 saints (Felix and Christopher) are reputed to be buried here, and the bones of the Three Magi are here as well, in a suspended, solid gold box.
The train ride was about 2 hours, mostly farmland, with a few small towns. The landscape did change dramatically though. Initially it was flat and open, and then it became very hilly, and wooded.
Once we arrived in Cologne, Tom and I had lunch, there are alot of shops, bars, etc. near the train station. Cologne is the 4th largest city in Germany and is very industrialized. The city is divided by the Rhein River, and the oldest part of their Botanical Garden in known simply as Flora.
We managed to find very nice German Beer Steins, and a UPS Store which was officially closed, but the owner was inside working, so she let us in, turned on her computers, put our stuff together and was a superstar for us, especially in light of the service we received in Brussels.
We wandered past a wedding, at a church that would be considered unbelievable, if it wasn't 1/4 mile from the Cathedral. As we were watching the wedding, a group of people rode by on a bicycle/bar/keg, singing and chanting loudly. Tom thought this was great, and plans to have the beach crew build him one of these contraptions, with a Bear Bryant hat on top for homecoming games.
Tom didn't want to smile for pictures until I told him the only words I knew in German were "Guttentag" and "schweinhund" which would be the same as someone coming to New York and only knowing "Good Afternoon" and "S---Head". Tom loved this and from that point on, we greeted each other all day with that classic German phrase.
We were only in Cologne for a few hours, then we took another train to Amsterdam. It was a good walk from the station to our hotel. The city is built around outward rings of canals, we are 3 canals out from the central train station in a relatively nice area of town. The Heineken Brewery is just down the street, as is the Rijkmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. Anne Frank's house is also nearby.
We are doing well and are well adjusted to European life, but still we are tired and ready to come home. More about Amsterdam tomorrow.
Kevin and Tom
The train ride was about 2 hours, mostly farmland, with a few small towns. The landscape did change dramatically though. Initially it was flat and open, and then it became very hilly, and wooded.
Once we arrived in Cologne, Tom and I had lunch, there are alot of shops, bars, etc. near the train station. Cologne is the 4th largest city in Germany and is very industrialized. The city is divided by the Rhein River, and the oldest part of their Botanical Garden in known simply as Flora.
We managed to find very nice German Beer Steins, and a UPS Store which was officially closed, but the owner was inside working, so she let us in, turned on her computers, put our stuff together and was a superstar for us, especially in light of the service we received in Brussels.
We wandered past a wedding, at a church that would be considered unbelievable, if it wasn't 1/4 mile from the Cathedral. As we were watching the wedding, a group of people rode by on a bicycle/bar/keg, singing and chanting loudly. Tom thought this was great, and plans to have the beach crew build him one of these contraptions, with a Bear Bryant hat on top for homecoming games.
Tom didn't want to smile for pictures until I told him the only words I knew in German were "Guttentag" and "schweinhund" which would be the same as someone coming to New York and only knowing "Good Afternoon" and "S---Head". Tom loved this and from that point on, we greeted each other all day with that classic German phrase.
We were only in Cologne for a few hours, then we took another train to Amsterdam. It was a good walk from the station to our hotel. The city is built around outward rings of canals, we are 3 canals out from the central train station in a relatively nice area of town. The Heineken Brewery is just down the street, as is the Rijkmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. Anne Frank's house is also nearby.
We are doing well and are well adjusted to European life, but still we are tired and ready to come home. More about Amsterdam tomorrow.
Kevin and Tom
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Best Bed, Waffles, and TV
Belgium is Tom's favorite so far. We took a 2 hour train from Paris to Brussels and arrived just after noon. It was raining, so we took a taxi to the hotel instead of our usual subway or walking. We are staying at a Marriott, as soon as we got to the room Tom said, "These are the best beds, Ever!", as soon as he turned on the TV, he said, "YES, seven channels in English!". His next sentence was, "OK, where are we going to get waffles ?" (When we got to a waffle stand-there are several, he changed his mind). The hotel definitely caters to American guests and even has a New York Style Steakhouse. Tom still had a Club Sandwich.
Brussels is by far the most old-style European city we have visited. Tom said he likes it the most because it is the least like New York. It is relatively small, with lots of winding, cobblestone roads. There are cafes, markets, etc. all outside, and lots of chocolate shops. The Grand Place, town center, is amazing. We visited the Church of Saint Nicholas, and the Royal Palace- just as good, maybe better than Buckingham Palace.
We took a short detour to the Post Office, this was not the highlight of our day. The Brussels postal workers set new standards in slow/inept service. Not just as an American, everyone in line was upset at the workers. It was slow, by any Caribbean, European, 3rd World, or Linda at the Acme standard. Tom survived by eating his small stock of chocolate (shaped like the statue described below) which we had purchased.
Another highlight of Brussels is the Mannekin Pis, a statue of a little boy going to the bathroom. He has over 650 outfits, and his likeness is on every postcard, and souvenir in Town.
More than likely, we are in for the night now. We have an 8am train to Cologne, Germany where Tom is looking forward to buying a big, German Beer Stein with a flip up lid.
Tot Ziens (See You Soon in Dutch)
Brussels is by far the most old-style European city we have visited. Tom said he likes it the most because it is the least like New York. It is relatively small, with lots of winding, cobblestone roads. There are cafes, markets, etc. all outside, and lots of chocolate shops. The Grand Place, town center, is amazing. We visited the Church of Saint Nicholas, and the Royal Palace- just as good, maybe better than Buckingham Palace.
We took a short detour to the Post Office, this was not the highlight of our day. The Brussels postal workers set new standards in slow/inept service. Not just as an American, everyone in line was upset at the workers. It was slow, by any Caribbean, European, 3rd World, or Linda at the Acme standard. Tom survived by eating his small stock of chocolate (shaped like the statue described below) which we had purchased.
Another highlight of Brussels is the Mannekin Pis, a statue of a little boy going to the bathroom. He has over 650 outfits, and his likeness is on every postcard, and souvenir in Town.
More than likely, we are in for the night now. We have an 8am train to Cologne, Germany where Tom is looking forward to buying a big, German Beer Stein with a flip up lid.
Tot Ziens (See You Soon in Dutch)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
C'est notre dernière nuit à Paris
We've had perhaps our most fun day yet. We made it to the Louvre just as it was opening, and went in without any line. We went straight to the Mona Lisa, checked that off, and then went straight to the Venus da Milo. Tom really loved the museum and knew way more about certain art than I did, and way more than I would have expected. He is also a European Street Crossing Savant. I have yet to figure out when to cross the street safely anywhere, Tom has performed better than a local in every city within an hour.
We spent more than 3 hours in the Louvre, and could have easily spent 3 days. We went in at 9:30am (the opening) and by 11am it was packed, but it was not really crowded except at certain spots, because it is so huge. We wandered through along with the other million people, barely noticing the art, or the building itself because we are all looking at maps trying to figure out where we are in the Museum.
They have a DaVinci Code Audio Tour of the Museum, we used the regular audio tour, but Tom pointed out the significant DaVinci Code items to me as we went.
After the Louvre, we headed towards the Paris Opera House, and stopped for lunch along the way. No we did not have Italian, we went to a famous Hemingway/Fitzgerald hangout- Harry's American Bar. They serve the best, most expensive and perhaps only Hot Dogs in Paris. The bar is decorated in American College Pennants, Alabama and Providence are both represented prominently- Sorry, No Monmouth or Rutgers.
The Paris Opera House was closed today for a a special event, so that was a bummer, (for me, when I read closed for the day, Tom read "Early Nap"). So in addition to not seeing the Phantom, we also haven't seen the Hunchback, Tom says he is either too busy ringing the bell, or only meets people on the VIP tour. Instead of the early nap, we wandered through the city and went past the American Embassy (#41 Rue St. Honorie), the French President's House, and several art/antique houses. Tom's trick for finding directions is to remember three Tabacs (diners) by name in a row, and then try to follow them back. It works surprisingly well, and better than me being "munsoned" on every corner.
We tried to get reservations for our train tomorrow, but the line was longer than any airport line I've ever seen. So the plan for tomorrow is to go to the station, and take the best available option without waiting in a huge line. We think the best option will be going to Brussels in the morning, and then going to Germany the following day, on our way to Amsterdam.
We went to dinner (Italian) on the Champs Elysee and then went shopping for Ice Cream and Twix bars at the MetroPrix(K-Mart) across from our hotel. After tiring of Der Prince Von Bel Air, Tom is now becoming a financial wizard, because CNBC is the only English Channel in the Hotel, we spent much of the day discussing various business, finance and economic concepts.
Thanks for all your comments,
Bonsoir !
We spent more than 3 hours in the Louvre, and could have easily spent 3 days. We went in at 9:30am (the opening) and by 11am it was packed, but it was not really crowded except at certain spots, because it is so huge. We wandered through along with the other million people, barely noticing the art, or the building itself because we are all looking at maps trying to figure out where we are in the Museum.
They have a DaVinci Code Audio Tour of the Museum, we used the regular audio tour, but Tom pointed out the significant DaVinci Code items to me as we went.
After the Louvre, we headed towards the Paris Opera House, and stopped for lunch along the way. No we did not have Italian, we went to a famous Hemingway/Fitzgerald hangout- Harry's American Bar. They serve the best, most expensive and perhaps only Hot Dogs in Paris. The bar is decorated in American College Pennants, Alabama and Providence are both represented prominently- Sorry, No Monmouth or Rutgers.
The Paris Opera House was closed today for a a special event, so that was a bummer, (for me, when I read closed for the day, Tom read "Early Nap"). So in addition to not seeing the Phantom, we also haven't seen the Hunchback, Tom says he is either too busy ringing the bell, or only meets people on the VIP tour. Instead of the early nap, we wandered through the city and went past the American Embassy (#41 Rue St. Honorie), the French President's House, and several art/antique houses. Tom's trick for finding directions is to remember three Tabacs (diners) by name in a row, and then try to follow them back. It works surprisingly well, and better than me being "munsoned" on every corner.
We tried to get reservations for our train tomorrow, but the line was longer than any airport line I've ever seen. So the plan for tomorrow is to go to the station, and take the best available option without waiting in a huge line. We think the best option will be going to Brussels in the morning, and then going to Germany the following day, on our way to Amsterdam.
We went to dinner (Italian) on the Champs Elysee and then went shopping for Ice Cream and Twix bars at the MetroPrix(K-Mart) across from our hotel. After tiring of Der Prince Von Bel Air, Tom is now becoming a financial wizard, because CNBC is the only English Channel in the Hotel, we spent much of the day discussing various business, finance and economic concepts.
Thanks for all your comments,
Bonsoir !
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Gypsies and Bread
We have discoverd Tom's two most favorite things about the trip. He is fascinated by Gypsies, who are all around Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, begging, doing tricks, selling stuff, whatever. They have homes in the subway, and under bridges along the Seine. He also loves the fact that people walk around eating huge loaves of bread for a snack. After this update I am instructed to go out to buy him several loaves.
We took the Subway to the Eiffel Tower first thing this morning, we got there 15 minutes before it opened and got in line right away. You can buy tickets to the first level, the second level or the Top. I would not recommend going to the top for anyone with claustrophobia or a fear of heights. We rode a small elevator, with A LOT of people, REALLY HIGH. The fun part was that the elevator is really a Wonkavator, it needs to go sideways and up along the legs. Oddly, there are very few souvenir shops in Paris, even in the tower they had one inside and one at the base of each leg, but they are the size of NY newstands, and don't have very appealing merchandise. It would be very different if Mr. Disney was in charge.
Gustav Eiffel actually had an apartment at the top of the tower, where he entertained prominent guests, including Thomas Edison.
After the tower, we walked the grounds of L'Ecole Militaire, the French Military Academy, and spent alot of time getting "Munsoned"- Tom's expression after watching the Movie "KingPin" last night. It means to be "up a creek without a paddle, to have everything in the palm of your hand, and losing it" Every time I open the Map, Tom says "Oh Great, we're Munsoned!" In addition to "KingPin", Tom has also discovered "Der Prince Von BelAir"- The Fresh Prince in German, even better than Irish Family Feud.
Cathedral of Notre Dame was spectacular. Tom particularly enjoyed the Gypsies (his word) outside doing various types of street performance. We walked back to the hotel past the Louvre, we plan to go there tomorrow as soon as it opens. Now we are on into our usual routine of Tom getting his afternoon nap, while I update our blog.
We will be heading back out in a bit for another delicious meal, and perhaps to see the Paris Opera House, which is only a few blocks away.
Bonsoir !
We took the Subway to the Eiffel Tower first thing this morning, we got there 15 minutes before it opened and got in line right away. You can buy tickets to the first level, the second level or the Top. I would not recommend going to the top for anyone with claustrophobia or a fear of heights. We rode a small elevator, with A LOT of people, REALLY HIGH. The fun part was that the elevator is really a Wonkavator, it needs to go sideways and up along the legs. Oddly, there are very few souvenir shops in Paris, even in the tower they had one inside and one at the base of each leg, but they are the size of NY newstands, and don't have very appealing merchandise. It would be very different if Mr. Disney was in charge.
Gustav Eiffel actually had an apartment at the top of the tower, where he entertained prominent guests, including Thomas Edison.
After the tower, we walked the grounds of L'Ecole Militaire, the French Military Academy, and spent alot of time getting "Munsoned"- Tom's expression after watching the Movie "KingPin" last night. It means to be "up a creek without a paddle, to have everything in the palm of your hand, and losing it" Every time I open the Map, Tom says "Oh Great, we're Munsoned!" In addition to "KingPin", Tom has also discovered "Der Prince Von BelAir"- The Fresh Prince in German, even better than Irish Family Feud.
Cathedral of Notre Dame was spectacular. Tom particularly enjoyed the Gypsies (his word) outside doing various types of street performance. We walked back to the hotel past the Louvre, we plan to go there tomorrow as soon as it opens. Now we are on into our usual routine of Tom getting his afternoon nap, while I update our blog.
We will be heading back out in a bit for another delicious meal, and perhaps to see the Paris Opera House, which is only a few blocks away.
Bonsoir !
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Walking Around Paris
Tom and I spent our afternoon walking around Paris, trying to see some sights, and get the layout of the City. it is very easy to get turned around, the streets are like a maze. Dublin and London were easy compared to this, but we've got the hang of it now.
Our hotel is in the Madeleine Neighborhood, so we walked to the Place de Madeleine, then on to the Place de Concord, through some parks along the Seine, to the Eiffel Tower, over to the Arc de Triumph, down the Champs Elysee and home.
We have decided that the best French food is Italian, we had pizza again for dinner at a sidewalk cafe. As is customary on vacation, we had an ice cream first, at the Eiffel Tower.
The line for the Eiffel Tower was immense, so we are going back tomorrow first thing. There is a lot of traffic, and there are a lot of people compared to London or Dublin.
Tom is taking a shower because he "feels French". He has also been using the only French phrase he knows, "Je suis une fille". The hotel didn't have any rooms with two beds for tonight, so for the first time on the trip (Not counting Tom sleeping on me on the bus) we must share a bed.
Bonsoir !
Our hotel is in the Madeleine Neighborhood, so we walked to the Place de Madeleine, then on to the Place de Concord, through some parks along the Seine, to the Eiffel Tower, over to the Arc de Triumph, down the Champs Elysee and home.
We have decided that the best French food is Italian, we had pizza again for dinner at a sidewalk cafe. As is customary on vacation, we had an ice cream first, at the Eiffel Tower.
The line for the Eiffel Tower was immense, so we are going back tomorrow first thing. There is a lot of traffic, and there are a lot of people compared to London or Dublin.
Tom is taking a shower because he "feels French". He has also been using the only French phrase he knows, "Je suis une fille". The hotel didn't have any rooms with two beds for tonight, so for the first time on the trip (Not counting Tom sleeping on me on the bus) we must share a bed.
Bonsoir !
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