The Hobbit in Brugge

Had the most proper and good meal in Brugge since initial touchdown in the Europe continent. Not that we didn't eat, but it wasn't those sit down meal...if you get what I meant. Met up with Kimmie in Brugge and she brought to The Hobbit for dinner. I grabbed this photo from sis's facebook pic... I didn't take the pic, in fact my brother in law commented that why is that those food photos are always with me inside. Reason being I was the one assign to buy food and cos sis has this powerful lens we refer to as "food lens". She will bring out the food lens to take tempting picture of the dish.

Like this one....

There was also a chicken dish but I don't have the picture to show. After dinner, we took the train back to Brussels. I think it is way cool that they have a close heated waiting place at the platform :)

Have had the intention to also put up some Brussels night pic but this post is type using only the phone and I am stupidly sleepy.... will make another post. :)


Side note: night night

Brugge

We missed the train by a minute. Lucky for us, the train ticket was an open ticket, we could catch the next one. Unluckily, the next train was an hour away.

Before running for the tram, hurrying in the train station to the platform, we had heated up the green curry we bought the night before. Now, its like this, this green curry with rice dish was pre-packed and covered with a plastic film. To heat it up in the microwave, we had to poke some holes on the plastic allowing the curry to flow up. With all the hurrying, it ended up quite a mess to eat... especially when there are no seat to be seen in the Amsterdam Centraal station. We stood against a pillar and had green curry for breakfast... while waiting for the hour to pass.

3 hours later, we reached Brussels. The plan was to check in, dropped the bags and take another train to Brugge. Sis printed out some walking tours from the tourism website and we combined the tranquil and city of monuments walk.

That's the Belfry Tower at the end of it. Sis said there was a murder movie with Belfry as the location. Not sure which one though. First stop was at the Markt (Market Square).

We went up Belfry (entrance: 8 euro pp) and this is the first of many steps-climbing-monuments. Up we went 366 steps for this one... but unfortunately it is under restoration (as is many of the monuments) and only 2 sides is open for viewing, instead of able to go round 360 degrees.

from halfway up the tower

Sis also said that Brugge is the place to get laces. I thought it was suppose to be Burano (as I was to research for Italy, and Belgium is done by sis). Anyway, so there's a lot of shops selling laces and despite that, it is not cheap.

One can also take a boat ride on the canals. Of course, we didn't forget to eat famous Belgium waffle.

Side note: I'm such an idiot!

Volendam, the fishing village

After Kinderdijk, we decided to go to Volendam (Arriva bus 110, open ticket 7.50 euro per person) before calling it a day. After all, it was our last day in Amsterdam. Volendam is a fishing village not far from the Amsterdam.

The houses in Volendam are nicely decorated. We joked about houses in our neighbourhood, that if we want our neighbourhood to be popular, everybody must decorate their houses, also keeping it tidy and neat at all times :P

Side note: Of the stops we made, Amsterdam tops the list of favourite :)

Windmills in Kinderdijk

By the end of day 3, upon leaving Madurodam my shoes were on the way out. This is the only pair of covered shoes I brought and I don't fancy walking in the cold weather in sandals, not to mention wet. A little innovation way of tying the laces, and I'm back to walking comfortably... so long it doesn't rain again.

This is how my shoes looked all the way up to Brugge.

Happy with the soles not flipping when I walked, I braved out on day 4, to visit the windmills :)

We took a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Lombardjen. From there, out of the station, cross the road and waited for bus 90 in the direction of Utrecht. After about 30 minutes and keeping an eye for stop at Kinderdijk, the home to the 19 windmills.

According to the official website, windmills in Kinderdijk were built in 1740. It is said that Kinderdijk owes it's name to a special event during the flood. A cradle with a child on the waves was kept in balance by a cat and stranded on the slope of a dike. The spot where this happened was named Kinderdijk. Literally, Kinderdijk means "child's dike".

This place is absolutely beautiful with windmills lined up against serene nature. No entrance fee charged but entrance to the windmill museum cost 3.50 euro per person. The farm animals grazing the grass at the side, setting with background of the majestic windmills, a very scenic picture.

The pictures I took do not do them justice, you'll have to go and see for yourself. We decided not to retrace our step back, and chance on taking bus 90 to Utrecht Centraal, that took about 1 hour. From there, a train back to Amsterdaam Centraal.

Seeing the line up of windmills... It make the train ride, the change of bus... All worthwhile.


Side note: The game between Germany and Serbia... ummm

From tulips to miniatures

Donkey years ago, I remembered sis said wanting to go to the tulip garden in the Netherlands. At that time, I didn't even know the name of the place.
Many years passed, and on the first fine day in Amsterdam, we were at Keukenhof! (Ticket: 14 euro per person; Transportation: bus 58 from terminal B3. Strippenkaart 6 strips per person)

It was much much bigger than Floriade in Canberra and of course, more flowers.

But it was the tulip farm next to it that we spend much of the time snapping pictures. If you take train out from Amsterdam, you can see a few of tulip farms along the way.

After spending hours in the garden, on making out way to the last stop which was the windmill, I saw people queuing up to buy food. Umm.. like I always tell tour guide, I'm glutton and always looking at food. This time, I was lucky - we finally found the raw herring - haring. It was yummy!!

We were all happy after having the fish, and left Keukenhof for Madurodam. (Transportation: From keukenhoof, bus 89 to Den Haag, tram 9 to Madurodam; Entrance Ticket: 14.50 euro per person). The bus stop is near the roundabout, not where we hopped off the initial bus from keukenhoof.

Madurodam is a miniature city in Den Haag. To prove that it is little...

The models were very impressive... Not only there were buildings ....

there were also railway station, airport, etc

Side note: hmm.. better be good and start on the work I brought home :(

Anne Frank Huis and the Red Light District

Day 2 in Amsterdam and it was still raining with no sign of stopping. I put on a sweater and a jacket, carried the now in bad shaped umbrella and off we went again. Condition of the map after the downpour was a disaster. I was on the verge of throwing it but sis said due to contribution of the map, we should to bring it home :P

Took the usual tram no 4 to Amsterdam Centraal and walked about the city towards Anne Frank Huis (Ticket: 8.50 euro per person; Not locker for baggage storage. Have to carry small backpack on the front). Upon reaching, we note of a queue outside the building.

see those umbrellas...

Again, we joined the line, expecting the another 2 hour wait. Oh well, at least this round was better, we got in after an hour. Wished I have put on another sweater then.

Read the diary of Anne Frank when I was in Secondary 1 during English lessons. It tells the story of a Jewish girl who has to go into hiding with her family and another family in his father's warehouse till they were found. Anne passed away before the liberation. Anne Frank Huis is the secret hiding annex mentioned in the book.

Thereafter, we walked back in the city (yes, it was still raining). We found Febo, it is sort of a vending maching/fast food place, selling burgers and croquettes.

and that umbrella...

It so happened that Febo is nearby the Sex Museum, which I must say to my surprise look no other than a normal shop.

Before calling it a night, we went to the obligatory red light district. It is said that they will grab and smash your camera if you dare to take a picture of the girls at work. So, here's what I got.

Side note: Feeling lazy... wonder if winter is the cause...

Touched down in Schiphol Airport

Touching down in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam after a long flight from Sydney and a connecting flight in Singapore.Lucky to be able to meet up with Little P and Moo Moo Cow in Changi Airport. They have been really nice, and willing to travel to Changi to meet up with me. Thank you for the dinner and buns... helped heaps. I was able to go to sleep once boarding the flight and even skipped the supper on board while the buns held the hunger a little when we were looking for food on a very rainy day in Amsterdam.

Train ticket vending machines in Amsterdam does not take paper notes, only coins, debit card and credit cards. Purchase over the counter will incur a surchange. We looked up strippenkaart (which is now no longer on sale as a new OVChipkaart will replace the usage of the strippenkaart) which was sold in AKO bookstore. Bought a 45 stripes strippenkaartwith some loose coins change, we got our train tickets out of Schiphol Airport. Went to the platform and then… trouble came. We didn’t know which train will bring us to the station we wanted. While we were trying to make sense of the Dutch words, a fellow traveller told us it was the next train and even told us to get on the train when the said train came. Alas, we saw the train went straight pass the station we wanted to get off… the train is a fast train, and didn’t stop at that specific station. To cut the story short, we somehow manage to get to the apartment we made our booking, after 2 hours since the flight touched down when we were told we could probably there in less than an hour.

Day 1 in Amsterdam, after we reached the apartment, we were greeted with pouring rain. Rain that did not stop till night, in fact I dont think it stop till the end of day two. My umbrella which I had only used once, during the 7 bridges walk is now in bad shape. 2 days in rainy Amsterdam and I need a new umbrella.

rainy Amsterdam, but still beautiful :)

While trying to get our bearings in Amsterdam, in addition to walking in the rain and cold, cold weather, we finally reached the Van Gogh Museum (Ticket: 14 euro for adult; 5 euro for audio guide).

Outside Van Gogh Museum (of course, no photo allowed inside)

Blasted weather forecast, it was not 20 degree celcius, it was less than 10! The cold weather and rain did not deter anybody from paying tribute to the great artist, the queue was long. We joined the long queue as we did not get the museum pass. After approximately 2 hours of queuing up with my eyes closed intermittently and sleep creeping over, we finally reached the ticket booth. Got an audio guide to share between the 2 of us and marched on in. Don’t ask me since when I put so much effort to go in an art museum. :P


Side note: Actually type part of it on the train to Brussels :P

The Itinerary - how many can you guess?

Many years ago or how Little P would've put it when I was young and foolish (LOL) made a promise to sister that we will not travel to Europe without each other unless it is a business trip. Also the D-year is this year 2010.

Here's how it went, I know people have been commenting on the strange route but
1 - flight to and fro to Italy is expensive
2 - Keukenhof closes in mid May
3 - We wanted to take the Eurostar from London-Paris or Paris-London

So.. how many can you guess? Apologies for some of the pictures... as they are not obvious :P


Side note: It has been long since I last blog...