Robyn's Wanderings

Amsterdam I have arrived!

“You were out late last night. I did not think you would be up so early.”

“Uh……”

My summer trip was turning into a comedy of B&B’s! In Bruges, Belgium I met an owner who threw a tantrum when I asked about the garden and now in Amsterdam I found myself transported back in time.

I was 18-years-old again and my parents questioning my whereabouts the night before!

Only difference? Well, two differences. I wasn’t 18 and I was paying my “mom” for the questioning.
As you may know, I have been traveling around Belgium and the Netherlands for the last two and a half weeks for my Rock Fever Column.

To start this summer trip, I had flown into Amsterdam, but I decided to wait to experience the Netherlands’ capital when I was joined by my travel buddy a week into my three abroad.

Now with travel buddy in tow and four days left on the continent, it was time to experience the city well known for coffee shops, canals and boisterous pedal bikers! First on my list?Escape my Dutch mother.

Amsterdam is the perfect, little city that is filled with water, quaint houses and with a laid-back atmosphere, that might fool you into thinking you are sitting in St. George’s, Bermuda. That is until you encounter a gang of pedal bikers who play loose with their bells! At least they’re not flying by you on motorbikes!

Sailing through Amsterdam's canals

Which brings me to reason one for visiting this sinking city: there is very little traffic. With the large network of canals and pedestrian streets, the locals appear to take to their boats or bikes or trams to navigate the city. It helps that the city is relatively small, so it takes little time to get from one place to another and made it perfect for the last four days of my trip to Europe with a travel buddy.

My favourite way to “see” Amsterdam, however, is on-foot because the wandering through random little streets and happening across the grand, green expanse of Museumplein offer all sorts of unique finds like an open-air concert or a hole-in-the-wall sumptuous lunch. So here’s reason two: small, Amsterdam may be, but filled with little crevices of finds for you to discover, this city is perfect for the independent traveler. Take the chance to wander through the Jordaan neighbourhood, which has transformed from working class into one of the most sought-after residential neighbourhoods filled with all the necessary restaurants and cafes. After we left “mom”, though, me and my travel buddy found a free, five-stage open-air concert on Museumplein!

Reason three is located next to Museumplein and is one of the busiest locations in Amsterdam: the Van Gogh Museum. Four floors of this colourful artists’ work will keep you entranced for hours and definitely make the entrance fee worth it! A helpful tip: pre-purchase your tickets online otherwise a long line will wait for you!

And really reason four (which really should have been an all-encompassing three) should have been Amsterdam’s museums. Once you finish with Van Gogh, there is a stunning modern art museum with glass walls and the infamous Rijksmuseum that offers architecturally as much as the Dutch art that fills it, nearby. Brace yourself for other museums like the Sex Museum and the Hemp Museum, which are nowhere near Museumplein, but you are likely to pass! The Heineken factory is also based in Amsterdam and a €15 ticket will give you a tour and a free beer at the end!

It's a factory for...beer!

Finished the museum tour? Then take a chance to stretch those legs and fill your lungs with fresh air with reason five, Vondelpark! This park that dates back to 1864 posses more than 100 species of trees, a rose garden, a bandstand and miles of paths for walking, running or riding. It’s the perfect place to lose those cobwebs.

Following the park-run it was time for reason six, Anne Franks’ house, where we were offered a sobering, historical view of Amsterdam. The house on Prinsengracht is where the Jewish, Frank family hid for two years during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. In 1944, betrayed by Dutch collaborator, the Frank family was arrested and sent to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived and he decided to publish his daughter’s diary, which depicts everyday life during those difficult years. The book and Anne Frank Museum have since turned into symbols of fighting oppression and racism in particular.

It would be hard to walk out of Anne Frank’s house and not feel the weight of what happened during the Holocaust. Her diary and the events that transpired there, however, have provided inspiration for the likes of Nelson Mandela.  A tip for visiting, the lines can be intense, but the museum is open until 9 p.m. in summer months and 7 p.m. in the winter, so plan your visit for the evening when the crowds dissipate.

Afterward, walk to the canal edge and jump onto one of the many tour boats for my reason seven to visit Amsterdam. Enjoy the historical tour in French, English and Spanish as you rest your legs from all of the walking and get a chance to see the three main canals: Herengracht, Keizergracht and Prinsengracht, which were dug in the 17th century and are lined with rich merchants’ homes!

Reason eight is then you need to eat! And if Amsterdam knows anything, it’s how to eat, drink and definitely be merry. With everything from Indonesian food to Peruvian and everything in between, this city is filled with choices. One of my favourites was the Cafe De Jaren (Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20, Amsterdam) which is located in an old bank building! With amazing fish, meat and salads as well as a beautiful view over the Amstel Canal, it was a perfect place for dinner.

Yum Yum!

Of course after dinner it was time for the night life which is reason number nine. I would start at Leidseplein, which used to be the end of the line for those traveling from Leiden. Jammed with bars, jazz cafes and restaurants, Leidesplein is crazy and chaotic, but also Amsterdam’s best. I would be remiss if I did not mention the city’s red light district, which is part of the night life for far too many bachelor parties. For others..well it’s interesting/sad wandering through this seedy part of town, where prostitution, which is legal, is flaunted in windows. Of course the other Amsterdam-draw for some are the coffee shops and no, these are not Starbucks. What you will find behind the counter is a list of hash and grass, but it is illegal to advertise cannabis, so hence “Coffee Shops”.

At the Heineken Music Hall!

Taking no part in these activities and after a dinner it was time to head to reason ten: the Heineken Music Hall and one of the best concerts I have ever attended: Arcade Fire. Of course that was just one concert, but this state-of-the-art music hall holds a variety of musicians all year round. Even better? It is only a tram ride away from the centre of Amsterdam! And the Heineken Music Hall is not alone. Amsterdam is filled with music venues and even has two, major orchestras!

Canadian band enjoyed, we returned to mom, spent one last night in Amsterdam and boarded our plane back to Bermuda. Of course I have missed parts of this city that is crammed with markets, more museums and restaurants than I could fit here. So, if you want more information I suggest this website: www.iamsterdam.com/.

Until next week, ciao.

No more chocolate....Bacon or otherwise

After wandering around Bruges for three days and before I had to book a second seat on the flight home (thanks to the chocolate), I decided to move-on.

It was time to head back to where I started: Amsterdam.

Yes, it had been three weeks since I first landed in the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, but I decided to make Amsterdam the last stop.

Why? Because for the last few weeks the Rock Fever column in The Royal Gazette (Bermuda’s daily paper) has been following me through the Netherlands and Belgium (I thought I saw that shadow in Bruges) for this years summer holiday. But why Amsterdam is going to be the last stop? Well I like to save the best for last and the truth is….I had to wait for my travel buddy. So with travel buddy in tow, we  boarded our train from Bruges to almost-Amsterdam.

Almost-Amsterdam? Sorry I’m just going to have to keep you waiting because we couldn’t resist the chance to stop along the way in Brussels.

I love how small Belgium and the Netherlands are! Train rides are a flash in the eye and a quick change to afternoon plans are as easy as arriving in Brussels. This week it took us only about an hour and a half to arrive in Brussels’ Gare du Nord from Bruges where a quick visit to a locker storage unit saved our backs from our bags and the convenient metro to the city’s centre meant we had an entire afternoon.

A perfect place to eat mussels in Brussels!

We decided on an afternoon in Brussels because I had been to the city before, and though I had been told otherwise, I personally think Brussels is an afternoon stop in anyone’s travel plans. Yes, the capital of Belgium is trying to pull-in designers, the young and hip, but I struggle with the lack of personality that is so rich in both Bruges and Antwerp (two of my previous stops).

What was more jarring, perhaps, were the greetings in French after two weeks of Flemish!

Belgium is a funny little state that divides itself along a line that bisects Brussels and essentially leaves Flemish speakers up North in Flanders and French speakers or Walloons in the south or Wallonia. Brussels, I guess, had to decide and went with French.

We had to decide what to do with an afternoon in Brussels and what could be better than mussels (besides my tummy was grumbling)?

No mussels for me! I'll take some shrimp, thanks.

So to start my top five things to do in Brussels (for an afternoon) are…..Number one: Eat mussels or moules frites as the locals refer to this dish! Even better? These shellfish come with a side of fries and a white sauce with parsley! You can find them at every restaurant in the city so sit down and savour them in Rue de Flandre, which attracts a happy hour crowd, as well as, plenty of restaurants.

Guildhouses in Brussels' Grand Place

After we filled-up on mussels in Brussels, it was time to walk to number two and the Grote Markt or Grand-Place (depending if your Dutch or French). It’s the main square in Brussels and it is busy with tourists, traveling Norwegian families playing music and others selling flowers.With the Gothic backdrop of the Hotel de Ville (town hall) and the gilded facades of the guildhouses, most tourists never know this space was actually marshland. In the twelfth century it was drained and by the middle of the thirteenth century it was covered in markets. In another transformation and during the religious wars of the sixteenth century it also became a place of public executions! With all that history, the Grand-Place echoes with a need to be seen.

Manneken Pis!

From the overwhelming and historic it was time to add a little humour to our lives with a walk to number three and a statue of a little boy peeing…water don’t worry! Surrounded by an iron fence, the Manneken Pis attracts crowds of tourists all the time even though when you arrive, the size of the tiny statue might make you wonder why you bothered. The Belgians, however, love this little guy and often dress him for the seasons; a Santa outfit for the Christmas holiday for example. When he is in an outfit, here’s a fun fact, he actually pees beer! Why is he there? No one knows for sure, but the most likely explanation was that Jerome Duquesnoy cast the original bronze statue to capture the city’s irreverent spirit.

The Manneken Pis visit only takes a minute, which left us time to enjoy number four on our Brussels visit and that is the chocolate shops. Yes, I know Bruges was packed with these sweet treats, but did they make their pralines by hand? Ok, then you know you have to visit the shop, Neuhaus, which sits on the Grand-Place. Sure it might set you back on your exercise routine, as well as, your pocket-book, but how can you resist their handmade Caprices (pralines with nougat, fresh cream and soft-centred chocolate). If you have time, there is even a chocolate museum sitting in the same Grand-Place that can give you a bit of a history lesson.

My final suggestion for your visit to Brussels is the bus tour. What!! Yes, I said a bus tour. How can I call myself a travel writer? Well, because the one thing I do find interesting about Brussels is the fact that it was the founding place of the European Union and is the currently the administrative centre. It also has some beautiful buildings, but they are spread-out, could take some time to wander too and most do not let you in for a tour. So if you only have an afternoon (well, you might even run out of time like us) you will want to jump onto a bus tour. With a history lesson of this interesting town and a decent view, it’s a nice way to wrap-up Brussels.

And once we threw the wrappers away on our last chocolates, it was time to return to the Gare du Nord, find our train to Amsterdam and take two hours to arrive at the beginning of the trip.

Next week? Next week I promise to deliver on Amsterdam. I mean all good things are worth waiting for, right? Until next week Au Revoir.

Heading to Bruges!

“Sorry I thought the room was on the garden?”

“I don’t want any trouble. If you don’t like the room you can go. Just go, I don’t want any trouble.”

Whoa! I had not realized I had been so offensive, but I did realize I had met the one person in Bruges, Belgium who should not be in tourism – the hostess at the B&B I had booked.

I didn’t want to stay, but I knew how dangerous it was to arrive in Bruges without a place to rest my head. When I tried to visit in 1999, I was told by the Tourism Office all of the rooms were full!

Unlike Antwerp (where we were last week in the Rock Fever Column), Bruges with its canals and medieval vibe, is built into every travel agency’s European package.

And, though I hate to do this for the Rock Fever column….we’re going to join them (ok, not really on a tour, but tourist mecca) and we are going to book ahead!

Am I getting old? Perhaps. I usually plan my trips along the way i.e. with two-day’s notice and I usually try to stay away from the tourist traps.

Unfortunately Bruges, evil hostess aside, is not a place to show-up unprepared and it is definitely a town everyone should visit.

Luckily, with the booked B&B not an option and with bit more money than my college years’ visit 12 years before, the tourism office (which is near the centre) could book me and my travel buddy a place.

And just for future reference, the Bruges tourism office is also available online to book rooms for you, so even with bustling Bruges you can find somewhere to stay before arriving!

Why is this place so busy? Well that’s all history. After Bruges witnessed it’s economic peak in the 1300’s, anyone could understand if the town lost some of it’s medieval luster.

Instead, as the Zwin channel, which had provided Bruges access to the sea started silting up and the economy turned to Antwerp, people left the city. Without people to mess with the architecture, Bruges maintained its medieval looks, is now home to about 120,000 people and could easily win a European city beauty contest.

Cruising the Canals of Bruges. Photo by Robyn Skinner

Which really brings me to the crux of this column this week’s column:

Bruges is a destination for couples. Honestly, without the pomp of Paris (or the price tag), Bruges is just so darn cuddly with it’s tiny cobblestones, canals, brick bridges and shops that’s all you will want to do there.

How long should you stay?

Well after extricating ourselves from the poor introduction to Bruges, me and my travel buddy decided to stay for three nights. Honestly, Bruges can be “done” in a day or three (like us), but it just depends on your travel style. Me? I prefer to travel slower, take-in the city, get some shopping done and truly enjoy all of the gastronomic benefits on offer i.e. be able to have dinner in that cute, candle-lit restaurant I kept passing all day.

Other benefits to traveling slower? How about chocolate? Yes, Belgium is filled with it, but Bruges seems to take it to a new level. Here, chocolate shops are like Starbucks anywhere else in the world; one on every corner and if you travel slower…..well you get to eat more.

Chocolate with bacon? Bruges has everything!! Photo by Robyn Skinner

Bruges is also home to a chocolate museum! The Choco-story is more than a room where they charge you eight euros to enter and offer you a piece of chocolate. The four-story building offers a guided tour of the beginning of chocolate both historically and manufacturing wise. And then of course a free chocolate at the end after you watch the chocolatier make it! How cool?

If that is not cool and salty is, have no fear! Bruges is also the home of The Friet Museum (French Fries of course!) If it’s not chocolate or fries, then waffles are a must-have and Bruges like other Belgium cities, has no shortage of any of these indulgent choices. The best place to enjoy them is the Markt (market) square with its Stadhuis (town hall) and milling crowds.

After my travel buddy indulged in a waffle and me in chocolate, we decided a tour of the Belfry Tower, which also overlooks the Markt square, was needed for the exercise agenda. With 366 steps to the top, a checkered past that included the tower burning down and then being hit by lightening, the Belfry also offered us a chance for an amazing view of the entire town.

Bruges' Belfry Tower providing exercise and an amazing view!

Afterwards we found our dizzy way down the stairs and ourselves looking at the equivalently confusing constructions by Salvador Dali in the random, little, Museum-Gallery XPO below the tower.

After Dali, we had to find the next interesting spot in Bruges, the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Originally the chapel was built for the residence of the Count of Flanders and now it houses a relic of the Holy Blood. Whatever your religious leanings, it was definitely a different type of visit in a slightly spooky setting.

Which brings me to the beauty of visiting Bruges: beyond the enchanting cobblestones, hidden alleys and eating chocolate, the town also provides canals, which invoke the sense of Venice, Italy and further enforcing why Bruges should be visited.

Of course if you don’t have time to visit Belgium’s next door neighbour, then Bruges also offers windmills right on its edge.

Watching the windmills outside the centre of Bruges

About a ten minute walk from the centre will bring you to these symbols of the Netherlands. Peaceful lying outside of the tourist trap, the Coelweymolen windmill sits next to the St. Janshuismolen windmill and both are across from a pub aptly named Windmill! This old pub was also the perfect way to watch the sunset on Bruges before traipsing back to the centre for yet another gourmet dinner at another of Bruges ubiquitous, ten-table eateries.

Honestly if we had not headed back to the hotel (evil hostess forgotten) I would not have moved on to next week’s Rock Fever Column: Amsterdam! It’s more than just coffee houses….I promise.

Antwerp's Stadhuis (town hall)

Ships forced to pay a giant’s fee?

That giant’s hand being chopped and thrown into the river Scheldt?

Gruesome? A kid’s tale?

Both and Rock Fever’s destination this week: Antwerp, Belgium and visit my photo gallery here.

According to the city’s legend, a giant called Antigonus used to exact tolls from all ships passing the city along the Scheldt river. Tired of this toll, a Silvius Brabo tore-off Antigonus’ hand and threw it into the river and thereby naming the city “hand-throw” or Antwerp.

There is now a statue to Brabo in the centre of Antwerp and, though the giant may be of legend, Antwerp was, in fact, the city that managed to end taxes along the river.

The River Scheldt flows through Antwerp

It was just as tax-less to arrive in Antwerp from the Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. Why was I coming from the Schiphol Airport?

As you may, or may not know, I am traveling through the Netherlands and Belgium for three weeks and after finishing one week divided between Haarlem and the Hague it was time to visit Belgium (don’t worry I wouldn’t dream of leaving without visit Amsterdam!) My travel buddy was arriving from Bermuda, so we met at Schiphol where we could jump on a train to Belgium. Easy.

Only have a week to travel? Enjoy speaking Dutch before crossing the border for all the chocolate and beer you can handle. What more can you ask for?

So why Antwerp? I had been to Brussels before. I wasn’t impressed. Logistically, Antwerp, which is Belgium’s “second” city and the de facto capital of Belgium’s Flemish North, was also 50 km north of Brussels i.e. closer to Schiphol.

Two hours by train from Amsterdam and sitting on a river and prime trade spot, Antwerp had attracted many of the well-known trading families such as the Habsburgs, in the 15th Century. Antwerp, which was a protestant city, also survived the onslaught of Catholic Philip II, who inherited Spain and the Low Countries, the rebuilding of the port by Napoleon and WWII where both sides bombed the city.

Now, the city is dripping in diamonds and decorated by the innovative fashion designers that inhabit the varied old and new houses. I’m not a fashionista nor do I care much for diamonds, but I had also heard it was a gritty and impressive city so I needed to check it out.

Antwerp's neo-Baroque train station

Still not buying my reasons for Rock Fever’s destination this week? Well I can give you another ten! And I will start with Reason one: the Antwerp City Card, purchased from the tourist office (though it can be purchased online), cost us about €31 and gave us free access to museums, churches and great discounts to various attractions (including the Zoo)! What could be better?

How about a discount on chocolate? Oh, yes the card does that too from various stores. Before I could consider indulging in the sweet that Belgians go through by the kilos every year, however, I have to give you reason two: a visit to the gothic Cathedral of our Lady (or Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal). The Cathedral, the spires of which can been seen from most places in Antwerp, was also right next to the tourist office in the centre. Inside, the seven-aisled nave offers enough room to four paintings by Antwerp’s homeboy, Pieter Paul Rubens, so religious or not, the Cathedral offers a beautiful viewing.

Reason three: Antwerp’s Grote Markt, which has the Brabo Fountain, a pile of roughly sculpted rocks and surmounted by a bronze Silvius Brabo.  Remember him from the intro? The Grote Markt is also home to the Stadhuis or city hall, which offers a counterpart to the Cathedral opposite.

Rubens hanging inside Antwerp's Cathedral

Around the Grote Markt are also the restored Guild houses with sixteenth century reliefs with finely cast, gilded figures and reason three: cafes after cafes, where you can sit and enjoy an overprice coffee while watching the crowds and carriages carrying fellow tourists. The view is worth the extra Euros.

From the Grote Markt it is time for reason four and the journalist in me to visit the Museum Plantin-Moretus. This is the mansion of the printer Christopher Plantin, who rose to fame during the 1500’s when he was awarded the printing missals for the entire Spanish Empire by King Philip II. The mansion also includes some of the oldest printing presses and the famous 36-line bible of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the moveable type printing. I’m a print geek.

Old Printing Presses

Of course Antwerp is more than old buildings and printings, which is reason five and the four-day Bolleke de Konnick Beer Festival! This festival held outside in front of the Royal Fine Art museum honours Belgium’s well-known beer, while also offering cuisines from around the world to soak it up. The festival is an annual event in August that brings city dwellers out for one last, summer party!

After indulging in corn and not beer at the festival, (being a celiac in Belgium is not easy) it was time to find some food. Luckily, Antwerp is nothing if it’s not reason six and filled with lovely restaurants, cafes and bars (even for celiacs).

Of course you could take your pick in Groenplaats, the open square that is behind the Cathedral and used to be the municipal graveyard (though hopefully all the bodies have been removed), but I found the history slightly off-putting.

Luckily reason seven is the twisting corridors of Antwerp’s tiny streets stretching from the Groenplaats to the river Schedlt that are filled with everything from expensive cafes to homey restaurants filled with Belgian specialties including beef cooked in beer and veg with mashed potatoes.

Entrance to Antwerp's Zoo

Reason eight to visit this lovely town, is there is not enough time to visit everything! There is so much to do that the three days I spent in Antwerp were barely enough time to visit the Zoo (so large and filled with everything from gorillas to elephants, I almost forgot I was in a city) to the Meir (a pedestrian street filled with shops) to Rubens’ house (actually successful during his living years, Ruben had a beautiful house/studio in the centre of Antwerp), this city is spilling-over with things to do.

Which brings me to reason nine and the innovative edge of the city. It starts with the designers everywhere to the recently built, the Museum aan de Stroom (MAS). A modern, red-brick building with a facade that is interwoven with clear waved walls throughout to offer a stunning view of Antwerp, it also offers a historical tour of the city. The panoramic view of Antwerp from the top of the MAS, however, was the best part of the entire visit.

MAS

Finally, Antwerp is fantastic because it does not have tourists! Ok, it does have tourists and a great B&B offering if you want to go, but it is not Disneyland. People actually work and live in this thriving city as is clear by the designer clothing stores, the gourmet restaurants and innovative architecture. The locals are building things for themselves, and not to attract tourists!

After throwing-off the “gritty” title usually afforded Antwerp, it was time to head to somewhere that does, unfortunately offer the tourist everything they want: Bruges. Enjoy photos on www.robynswanderings.com and until next week I say: Tot ziens.

The centre of Haarlem in North Holland

What is the difference between the Netherlands and Holland?

Sorry, I know, you’ve had a three-day weekend and a test is not what you’re looking for, but seriously….do you know the difference?

Why am I asking, you ask? Cause we’re going to the Netherlands AND Holland in the Rock Fever Column this week.

Huh?

Exactly…ok, I will take pity. The Netherlands, which calls Belgium its southern neighbour and Germany its eastern, is actually comprised of a 12 provinces. North and South Holland are the names of two of these provinces.

So this week I flew to the Netherlands and then I visited North Holland (or Noord-Holland), which does consist of Amsterdam, but I’m not going to Amsterdam (yet).

Why not? Because Noord-Holland is so much more than Amsterdam and when I planned my trip, I did not realize I would have three, not two weeks, to fill.

What was I going to do with an extra week (tough life, I know) in the Netherlands? Well head to Haarlem of course. No, I didn’t buy a flight to New York. Instead, I flew to Amsterdam, jumped on a bus and took a half hour ride.

Once at Haarlem’s bus station, I then jumped on a second bus and found myself delivered to my youth hostel. Yes, I decided on a hostel because if there is one thing you will find tricky traveling through Europe in the summer is: prices! Everything is more expensive because, well, it’s the summer (I usually travel during the winter in Europe. Less expensive and plenty to do with Christmas markets).

Which probably brings you to your next question: why, Robyn, would you go to the Netherlands in the summer?

Beautiful sun while walking through the canals of Haarlem

Because I had a ticket and, though I had never thought about it before, it turns out that the Netherlands are absolutely stunning. Bonus and reason one? If you’re looking for a place with decent weather that fails to make you sweat the minute you leave the shower….you’ve found your spot.

Which brings me to reason two and Haarlem, because the Netherlands is more than Amsterdam! The capital of this country can feel overwhelming and intimidating. Haarlem, on the other hand, is a medium-sized town with about 150,000 people living in the shadows of some of the Netherlands most famous painters, who set-up a school here in the 17th Century. It is calm and close to the capital, making Haarlem a good choice for beginning a trip to this country.

Reason three for visiting this beautiful, canal-ridden town is its cobblestoned centre, filled with restaurants and meandering lanes that can deliver you to the famous Frans Hal Museum, which houses many of the Haarlem-inspired paintings.

Original printer in Haarlem's centre?

Perhaps reason four should be no matter how idyllic and quaint everything in Haarlem is, from the main square to the windmill on the canal, the town is also filled with some rather contradictory sites. These sites include the statue of Laurens Coster, in Haarlem’s centre, who claims to be the true inventor of printing to the Teyler’s Museum, which is the country’s oldest museum and it shows. Wooden cabinets are filled with fossils, crystals, medals and coins. It’s a beautiful building that houses these odd finds and, of course, who could give-up a chance to see the oldest museum of a country?

Maybe not the oldest, but the strangest kind of museum I have been to was the next visit: the Het Dolhuys. Housed in a converted hospital, this museum documents psychiatric care through the ages. Some seriously thought-provoking exhibits here!

Once you challenge your views on sanity and insanity, then reason five for visiting Haarlem and the history that is soaked into this town. The famous Corrie Ten Boom lived here with her family during World War II. The Ten Boom family were relied upon by the community as problem-solvers and generous caregivers. When the Nazis invaded, the family decided to hide members of the Jewish community in their home until one day when the Ten Booms were “ratted-out”. Corrie was the only one to survive the camps and spent the rest of her life advocating for forgiveness.

The Ten Boom Museum where the Ten Boom family hid Jewish members of the community during WWII.

After the heavy, history lesson, my next step was to enjoy some time in the wilderness. That’s the lovely thing about Haarlem. Everything is about half an hour away by public transport…even the national park Zuid-Kennemerland and reason six.

There are a number of paths through the park and I broke all of the rules and arrived at the starting-point without a bike!

Just a side-note here: no one and I mean no one walks! Everyone rides a bike in this country, which is reason seven for visiting! The country is flat, which makes it quite enjoyable to experience by bicycle if that is your thing. I, on the other hand, was the weirdo using my feet. I prefer feet; they offer a chance to really, take-in the scenery.

Wild ponies on my walk through the National Park Zuid-Kennemerland

Arriving at the park, I could have picked between two, 4km walks, but I decided to on the 9km walk. It was the right choice. My wandering began by passing some wild ponies grazing next to sand dunes and continued through countryside filled with cows lounging in lakes. My mammoth experiment in the Netherlands’ countryside finished with a coffee and juice overlooking a North Sea beach. I don’t think I could have asked for a more peaceful and scenic day, with a easy bus-ride back home.

Can you imagine walking by here? Visit Haarlem then!

Of course if walking 9km in the country-side is not your thing, then the beauty of this country is, reason eight: it is small and everything is within a short train or bus-ride. Trains run on time, bus drivers will drop you at stops that are not their stops and every stop is documented; on the buses and trains they tell you and show you on a screen which stop you are on.

So, for my third day in Haarlem I decided to use this beautifully-easy transportation to go on a day trip to of all places: Hoorn (reason nine) and the place to go if wilderness is not your thing. During the 17th century this was one of the richest of the Dutch seaports. Today, it remains as attractive to the 21st century sailor, which was evident as I disembarked the train, wandered through the shop-strewn town to the port to watch the masts of hundreds of sailboats delivering themselves from the open ocean. After tiring of watching these beautiful boats navigate the harbour, I traced my steps back through the mansions that litter Grote Oost street and sell antiques or are filled with art galleries. These led me to the centre, or Rode Steen “red zone” which holds the statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen who was the founder of the Dutch East Indies Empire. Even better is on Thursdays, the centre holds a cheese market. Unfortunately, it was a Tuesday, but I could still enjoy a coffee while watching everyone wander-by with their purchases from the shops that lead the way back to the train station.

Back to the centre of Haarlem!

By 7 p.m. I was back in Haarlem and enjoying reason ten for visiting this country in the summer: the sun was still shining (it doesn’t set till almost 9 p.m. in the summer!) I could enjoy lounging in the centre of the city at one of the many restaurants on the square, watch life go by and prepare myself for the next day.

And the next Rock Fever Column: how to handle being sick while abroad! Stay tuned for next week and being sick in The Hague (and making the most of it)!

Travel Photos

“Did you ever get lonely?”

“No. I mean I always found people to travel with.”

And I did last year as I was traveling around the world. I almost always had someone around me as I traveled around the world solo.

In Thailand I went through a two girls who were returning home two days later, a Dutch couple, a British Boy, a Belgium Boy, and finally a California girl. I don’t remember every being alone.

So it was great for safety, sharing the bills, but also for photos.

Never thought of that did you? Well I did. It’s so awkward initially to ask people you just met to take your photo. I felt shy, indulgent, overzealous, silly, but I would still ask.

I wanted photos of myself in these new places.

Now I recently finished a month traveling through Europe. I didn’t have  a hostel to camp-out in to try and meet people. So I was basically on my own.

It was lonely, tiring and I had to take photos like this one above. Photos were are arm’s length.

And the worst part is I like to keep photos as my memories. They are cheaper and lighter than those souvenirs bought in a store.

But my question I pose in this random Sunday post is: does it matter if I am in them?

I don’t know, quite honestly. If you are traveling solo does it matter if you are in the photos? Aren’t photos supposed to remind you of events? Do you want to remember a time when you were on your own?

It’s something I have been thinking about. Does being in your travel photos matter?

I spoke with an artist today, actually, who said he tried to keep people out of his photos. He finds they date the photo with their clothes, hairstyles, etc…

It got me to thinking. Is this why we put ourselves in the photos? And by that I mean why take a photo of just me in Thailand? Is it to prove I was actually there? Does it add to composition?

Or is it a totally narcissistic venture that we indulge in?

I wish I could say I have the answer to these questions. Or maybe I don’t. Perhaps this is a post to think on. Or maybe it’s not that deep. Maybe I am simply wondering: Why put ourselves in our travel photos?

Combloux from above

When Bermuda resident Martin Williamson retired his route was not to the couch. Oh no, his wife, Kimberly, had other plans. Plans that included walking across every country in Europe. Their first? France. Their walking expedition took them through St Gervais Combloux and Megeve where they ended up buying a house. The house turned into five apartments. Martin and Kim have one, sold the other three and have one more for sale. Check out this new page for more information on the apartment.

But where’s Combloux, you ask? What is there to do there? Let Martin tell you in Bermuda Abroad.

Our first target country was France using the famous GR5 (Grand Randonee 5) which runs from the Hook of Holland to Nice. France has a huge network of long distance paths and this one was perfectly placed almost running through our village in Belgium.

At the end of September 1998 we were crossing the Col de Brevent north of Chamonix (about 2000 meters altitude) and the snow had already arrived. We were not prepared for these conditions and we knew that the GR5 route south only got higher so when we arrived in Chamonix we planned a reroute via Albertville and Grenoble that should be snow free.

Our reroute took us through a beautiful region of Haute Savoie via St Gervais Combloux and Megeve.

I had visited Megeve many years ago but I had forgotten how unspoiled the area was.

In 2003 after moving to Bermuda we decided to go back to the area and spend some time during the ski season.

The three villages I mentioned are all linked by a ski area called ‘Evasion Mont Blanc’, so named because you have spectacular views of Europe’s highest peak from all over the ski area.

The area is relatively low compared to the major resorts with the highest point at only 2000 mts, however it benefits from a local microclimate caused by Mont Blanc which ensures good snow fall.

As a result of the altitude the villages remained relatively unspoiled when the ski boom of the 70’s and 80’s ruined some of the higher resorts. This is what gives the area it particular attraction.

Housing in Combloux

Admittedly the skiing is not too difficult with only about 5 black runs on the 450km of pistes but there is plenty of opportunity for avalanche free off piste if you are looking for adventure.

Skiing in this area is often about deciding where to go to lunch with an abundance of mountain restaurants. These converted ‘alpages’ are all family run and compete vigorously for the title of best cuisne.

Megeve is considered (by the people who live there) very chic and is sometimes described as St Tropez with snow. As a result the property prices are sky high and there is and very snooty atmosphere. Something that I doesn’t appeal to me. However the shops and restaurants are great and I occasionally succumb to the primary Megeve pastime; people watching from the coffee shop with the best chocolate in the world.

St Gervais is an attractive town which has recently undergone significant renovation of it’s old ‘Belle Epoch’ buildings. Has thermal springs and was quite a resort before skiing (for fun) was invented. However we found it a little claustrophobic nestled on the north-west side of Mont Blanc.

Combloux is a true mountain village with only about 2000 permanent residents and 4 or 5 working farms that still produce excellent cheese. The village sits on a natural plateau at 1000 mts. And has wonderful views of Mont Blanc.

We rented an apartment in Combloux for two seasons before we decided to buy there. Combloux is definitely not Megeve (but it is only 4km away) and as a result the property prices are much more reasonable. Combloux still has easy access to the pistes and if you want boutique shopping it’s only minutes away.

In addition to skiing the area offers fantastic walking and mountain biking and Chamonix, the epicenter of European mountaineering is only 30 minutes by car.

To find out more about Combloux click here and if you would be interested in buying a property in the area check out Bermuda’s Properties Page.

Netherlands. Because the Netherlands and NOT Holland are playing in the final of the World Cup this afternoon. Who are they against? Well if you have been living under a rock and not the one that the famous octopus has chosen, you know that it’s the finals today!

Spain vs. no, not Holland – The Netherlands. I didn’t know the difference either till yesterday. So I thought I would share a few facts to “excite” you with while you wait for the finals to start.

So why not Holland? Because there are twelve provinces in the Netherlands (Holland – North and South – are two of them).

2. The capital? Amsterdam.

But 3. the seat of government is actually in The Hague.

Of course those from the Netherlands have another terminology for themselves – Dutch. Actually it’s also for the language and anything pertaining to the Netherlands.

5. The adjective ‘Dutch’ is derived from the language that was spoken in the area, called ‘Diets’, which equals Middle Dutch.

But where is it? It borders the North Sea to, where else, the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and water borders with Denmark, Norway and United Kingdom.

This country also has a number of firsts for its seventh point- it was one of the first The parliamentary democracies.

8. It helped found the European Union (EU), NATO, OECD and WTO.

9. With its neighbours, Belgium and Luxembourg it forms the Benelux economic union.

There are no villains getting away with anything here, 10. The country is host to five international courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

BUT!!!! You say, what about their opponents? What about Spain? What don’t we know about this European neighbour?

Did you know it is the second largest country in Europe? Yep it is. After France. It is more than 500,000 square km!

2. Soccer (football) is the most popular spectator sport in Spain.

Which is surprising since sports, apparently, when three:  team sports are not part of school programs, so people join private clubs.

But 4. Bullfighting, considered an art and a popular attaction, is the biggest and most controversial sport in Spain and is an integral part of Spanish history, art and culture with bull rings in all major cities and quite a few minor ones.

5. In June 2005, despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church, Spain legalized gay marriage.

6. An incredible feat when 94 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.

7. Spain has 40,217,413 inhabitants.

And it joined 8. the Euro in 2002.

9. Castilian Spanish is the official language nationwide and is spoken by 74% of the population. Catalan is spoken by 17%, Galician is spoken by 7%, Basque is spoken by 2%. These languages are official regionally.

10. Spain did not participate in either the First or Second World War.

So let’s hope they can step-up to the plate today and offer a decent game against….you got it The Netherlands!