Trip Report: Amsterdam/Bruges/Paris May 2009
Jun 23rd, 2009, 10:52 AM
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Trip Report: Amsterdam/Bruges/Paris May 2009
I have never written a Trip Report before, but have benefited greatly from reading ones on Fodor’s so thought I would make a stab at it. Here goes:
The travelers: My husband and I and another couple, good friends with whom we have traveled with before. (Prior trips with them were to Italy, Spain/Portugal, and Thailand/Hong Kong). It has been almost ten years since our last trip together, not because we hated the trip or anything, but because our children as they got older always wanted to go with us. Now, our children- teenagers – don’t mind if mom and dad go off for a week or two without them.
The itinerary: May 21st to June 1st, 2009 -Amsterdam 3 nights; Bruges 2 nights; Paris 5 nights. We chose our destinations based on our never having been to Amsterdam or Bruges before, and having been to Paris before (10 plus years ago) and wanting to go back. We thought Bruges would be a good place to stop between Amsterdam and Paris in order to break up the train journey and stay in a smaller city for a couple of days.
The planning and preparation: I planned the trip and booked hotels and restaurants with limited input from my fellow travelers, partly because they don’t have the time (I do.) and they don’t have the interest (I do.) I love reading guide books and the forums here on Fodor’s. I got so much good information that made our trip better. Thank you fodorites!
The packing issue: We are not light packers and neither or our friends. We are trying to do better and have improved over the years, but it is highly unlikely we will ever be carry-on only people. We do all tote our own stuff; that is the rule. For that reason I bought an Eagle Creek combination backpack-bag with wheels, which I have now used on several trips and love. You can stuff it unbelievably full, roll it most of the time, but place it on your back when you need both hands free, like when getting on and off trains. It serves as my “I can live out of this bag if my checked suitcase gets lost” on the way to my destination and provides a bag for my most prized souvenirs for the return home.
With regard to travel clothing, my favorite items for daytime wear were actually made for golf. I don’t play the game, but I love the clothes, because they are lightweight, easy to wash out, and dry overnight. I like Addidas brand for pants and Tehama for shirts. For shoes I alternated between a pair of black Ecco ballet flats (but with more support) and a heavier Keen mary jane type shoe. Both were very comfortable and I had no blisters after miles of walking. I also took a dressier black shoe (taxi cab only). I had one basic ensemble for night time wear: black pants; dark blue jacket (Liz Claiborne, cotton/poly/spandex blend, very comfortable, didn’t wrinkle, and looked good! Or so I am told.); white, black, or pink sleeve-less shirt; and some nights a scarf. I usually buy at least one scarf a trip, usually at a museum because they usually have such pretty ones. I also buy a coffee mug at one or more of the museums we visit because I like starting my day with a reminder of Amsterdam, or Paris, or Marathon. Good Memories.
The flights over/back: We flew Continental out of Austin and our friends flew Delta out of Atlanta and we both had uneventful flights, arriving at Schiphol Airport as scheduled a little after 8am. We met up in baggage claim and were on our way. At the end of our trip we left Paris in the early morning and they left mid-afternoon. Neither of us left as early as we would have for the airport because June 1st is a French holiday, Pentecote, so there was very little traffic to worry about causing a delay. Our flights left on time and were once again uneventful, just like you want.
Amsterdam
The train from the airport into the city:
We tried purchasing train tickets from the automated machines, but none of our credit cards worked in the machines (we had read this might happen) so we went to the sales desk and bought tickets for the next train and were told to go to Platform 3, which we did. We then had our first (so soon!): “We are so confused” incident. A train came and we asked the attendant if it was the train we should get on to go to the center of the city and he said no we should be at Platform 1, so we dutifully went there only to be told that we should be at Platform 3, so we returned there only to be told….. Thankfully, a fellow traveler who had a schedule showed us how trains were scheduled about every 10 minutes, Platforms 1, 2, or 3 and our timing was simply off. We stayed put, got on a train, and had an easy, inexpensive 4.40E pp, 15 minute trip.
The cab to the hotel:
We took a cab from the central train station to our hotel, the American Hotel in the Leiseplein area, which is about 2 miles. The cab fare was 18E, which was considerably more expensive than the return fare, which was 13E. I don’t know why there was a price difference; it was for all four us both times.
The American Hotel:
We stayed at the American Hotel at the recommendation of some friends who have been to Amsterdam multiple times and said it was a comfortable hotel in a fun area. True. We booked the 21 day advance internet rate (210E) for a deluxe double room, which included breakfast.
My husband does not normally eat breakfast and I like to, so that is one of the benefits of being the trip planner. It was the normal buffet of meats, cheeses, fruit, cereal etc., but they did offer made-to-order omelets and champagne. A good way to start a vacation day! Having breakfast together also gave us a chance for our foursome to talk about our plans for the day. We all had cell phones so we could go our separate ways if we wanted to and meet up later, which we did on several occasions.
Our room had a balcony which overlooked the plaza in front of the hotel, which made a great people-watching spot. It meant that we did not have total peace and quiet (our friends opted out of having a balcony for that reason) but we figured it was worth it and the noise really wasn’t an issue- especially the first night when after arriving in Amsterdam so early (8am) and then going all day (no naps!) we were exhausted when we got into bed around 10pm. The hotel only had one room ready when we checked-in, so we stashed all the luggage in it before heading out.
The Sights:
In my younger years I was one of those with a list who rushed around to see everything. It worked for us then and we actually found it fun (Europe as a big scavenger hunt) but being older now (50!) I still have the list and we try to see an important item on it first thing in the morning and then just wander or see whatever we come across for the afternoon.
I Amsterdam Card
You can buy an I Amsterdam Card for 24, 48 or 72 hours for 38E, 48E, and 58E respectively, which entitles you to transportation on trams and buses, entrance to many museums, discounts on stuff, and free gifts. I liked the idea of getting on the trams with no fuss (when we were in Italy a couple of years ago we got on a bus only to be asked to get off because we didn’t have a ticket or the correct change or something, there were no taxis in sight and my feet were tired) but we never rode a tram or bus. And I liked the idea of being able to pop in different museums for a short visit that we might not otherwise visit. That we did do. There is a Tourist Information kiosk directly across from the American Hotel, which sells the cards, museum tickets, postcards, etc. and that is where we purchased our cards.
Canal Boat Tour
The first thing we decided to do was take a canal boat tour figuring it would be a good introduction to the city and not too strenuous on our travel- addled brains. You could catch the boat directly next door to the hotel, which also played a part in our decision. It was a fun and relaxing introduction to the city and since it was beautiful, sunny day I got some wonderful photos of the quintessential Amsterdam: Canal Houses, houseboats, and flowers. We also saw a good view of the huge bicycle parking garage by the central train station. I remembered seeing it on the Amazing Race, my favorite show and there it was!
Anne Frank House
We arrived in Amsterdam on Friday and we planned to visit the Ann Frank House on Saturday morning. Friday afternoon we used the hotel’s computer to get on-line to book the tickets (they also provided a printer so you could print off your tickets). All times for Saturday were sold out (May 22), as was Sunday and Monday. So, we had no choice but to stand in line, which we were told that unless we got there early for the 9am opening, the wait could easily be over an hour, sometimes two. So, Sunday morning we got there at about 8:45am, we were behind about 20 people, and we got in at 9:20am. It is not covered by the I Amsterdam Card.
It is very well done. We spent about an hour watching the short movie, going through the living quarters, and reading the exhibits. It is hard to believe it really happened: so many people, in such small rooms, no sunlight, having to whisper, walk lightly as possible, living in continual fear and then their fear being realized. People always ask what is a must-see; well this is one for Amsterdam, which explains why the museum has already had almost half-a-million visitors in the first six months of the year. (Last year they had 913,000 visitors total).
Van Gogh Museum
We bought our tickets on-line the day before and we had no problem getting the time-slot we wanted. There was a line at the museum when we arrived for our designated time (11am-12pm) so we were glad we already had tickets. The museum is covered by the I Amsterdam Card, but not the special exhibit which was there when we were (It ended June 1). We did not have to check our backpacks which were small and we carried them like purses rather than on our backs. I love Van Gogh so I expected this museum to be a trip highlight for me and it was. It was so enjoyable to be able to look at the painting and then often read what he was thinking when he painted it. He wrote about his paintings in letters to friends and family, so you can read his own words rather than art critic speculation. Two out of our foursome spent about an hour-and-a- half “arting” before joining the rest of the group in the museum café for a beer and a bite before proceeding to the Rijksmuseum next door.
Rijksmuseum
The museum is under a huge renovation, so only one wing is open which works well for the traveler who wants to go to the museum and see the highlights in an hour. We are and we did and we enjoyed every minute of it. It is covered by the I Amsterdam Card.
Amsterdam Historical Museum
We did pop in here when we might not otherwise because of the I Amsterdam Card. While two of our foursome drank beer and people watched nearby, we took a quick tour of the museum for the main purpose of seeing the “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Jan Deijman” by Rembrandt.
Red Light District
We walked around the Red Light District both in the daytime and at night. It was not as seedy as I expected. We always felt safe, even at night, but we didn’t stay later than about 11pm.
Hash Marihuana and Hemp Museum
This museum is not covered by the I Amsterdam Card, but we went in out of curiosity. It is described in guidebooks as small and it is very. The exhibits are interesting with information on the history of how marijuana has been view in the U.S, -not favorably, as we know. And there are some rather large pot plants on view in a grow room. That isn’t something I see every day, at least since college. The museum is 9E which is way high, sorry couldn’t resist, for the experience.
Amstelkring Museum/Our Lord in the Attic
We were at a café nearby and we saw this museum and since it took the I Amsterdam Card we popped in and it was a good way to spend a half hour. You got to see a restored 17th century canal house and a Catholic church that was built in the 1600s (when the city became Protestant) in the attic of the canal house, thus “Our Lord in the Attic” church.
Transportation
I had planned for us to use the trams and buses, a benefit of the I Amsterdam Card, to get around because although it a very walkable city there was a lot of ground to cover between our hotel and the various sights we planned to see. My husband is not a mass transit kind of guy, so when he saw scooters for rent sitting outside our hotel, he asked about renting them for the day and the desk clerk suggested we go to Gilex Motors down the street and rent from them, since it was cheaper and they had more of a selection. So that is what we did. We rented a scooter for 2 days for 80E, as did our friends. We enjoyed having our scooters to hop on and we found it fairly easy to get around and it was fun to do so. Of course having sunny, clear weather helped in that regard.
Restaurants
One of the reasons we travel is to eat. We love eating at nice restaurants, hole-in-the-wall places, and from street vendors. We did all three in Amsterdam. We tried the French, excuse me, Belgian fries at both Manneken Pis near Central Station and Chipsey King near Dam Square and thought they were equally good, no preference. We ate hot dogs, “Real American” ones according to the sign from a street vendor near the Van Gogh Museum and we ate at three very good restaurants:
Envy Restaurant
I had read about Envy Restaurant, “Mediterranean tapas, in a casual atmosphere” in the Zagat Guide amongst other places. I made reservations early for 7pm figuring we’d be tired and might only want a small bite before heading to bed. We all said that was exactly what we wanted, but when we got there the food was so good, we ate large. We sat at a table outside, - in Amsterdam, next to a canal- how could it get any better. (In the Eiffel Tower, perhaps? But, that came later in the trip.)
We started with a platter of Dutch cheeses and a platter of salame ventricina, prosciutto di parma, mortadella, and jamon iberico, served with warm, rustic bread and a couple of different dipping sauces and an olive spread. It was so good we moved on to risotto, tuna, crayfish, and halibut, accompanied by a bottle of Brunello.
Nevy Restaurant
We probably would not have gone here if we did not have the scooters we rented. It is off the beaten path, back behind the Central Train Station. It is on the water and we thought it would be a good lunch spot to go chill for a bit. It was and we did, drinking a bottle of chardonnay and eating some Dutch dim sum (shrimp dumplings and tuna croquettes).
Bordewijk Restaurant
I selected this restaurant to be our fine dining experience in Amsterdam, since it is suppose to be one of the city’s best restaurants. It was good, with the “Death by Chocolate” being the most memorable to me. When I asked my husband what had been his favorite part of the meal, he couldn't remember the meal or the restaurant at all. Oh well. I think that is partly because we ate so many wonderful meals during our trip. But, he could remember Envy and what he ate there.
Next up, Bruges.
The travelers: My husband and I and another couple, good friends with whom we have traveled with before. (Prior trips with them were to Italy, Spain/Portugal, and Thailand/Hong Kong). It has been almost ten years since our last trip together, not because we hated the trip or anything, but because our children as they got older always wanted to go with us. Now, our children- teenagers – don’t mind if mom and dad go off for a week or two without them.
The itinerary: May 21st to June 1st, 2009 -Amsterdam 3 nights; Bruges 2 nights; Paris 5 nights. We chose our destinations based on our never having been to Amsterdam or Bruges before, and having been to Paris before (10 plus years ago) and wanting to go back. We thought Bruges would be a good place to stop between Amsterdam and Paris in order to break up the train journey and stay in a smaller city for a couple of days.
The planning and preparation: I planned the trip and booked hotels and restaurants with limited input from my fellow travelers, partly because they don’t have the time (I do.) and they don’t have the interest (I do.) I love reading guide books and the forums here on Fodor’s. I got so much good information that made our trip better. Thank you fodorites!
The packing issue: We are not light packers and neither or our friends. We are trying to do better and have improved over the years, but it is highly unlikely we will ever be carry-on only people. We do all tote our own stuff; that is the rule. For that reason I bought an Eagle Creek combination backpack-bag with wheels, which I have now used on several trips and love. You can stuff it unbelievably full, roll it most of the time, but place it on your back when you need both hands free, like when getting on and off trains. It serves as my “I can live out of this bag if my checked suitcase gets lost” on the way to my destination and provides a bag for my most prized souvenirs for the return home.
With regard to travel clothing, my favorite items for daytime wear were actually made for golf. I don’t play the game, but I love the clothes, because they are lightweight, easy to wash out, and dry overnight. I like Addidas brand for pants and Tehama for shirts. For shoes I alternated between a pair of black Ecco ballet flats (but with more support) and a heavier Keen mary jane type shoe. Both were very comfortable and I had no blisters after miles of walking. I also took a dressier black shoe (taxi cab only). I had one basic ensemble for night time wear: black pants; dark blue jacket (Liz Claiborne, cotton/poly/spandex blend, very comfortable, didn’t wrinkle, and looked good! Or so I am told.); white, black, or pink sleeve-less shirt; and some nights a scarf. I usually buy at least one scarf a trip, usually at a museum because they usually have such pretty ones. I also buy a coffee mug at one or more of the museums we visit because I like starting my day with a reminder of Amsterdam, or Paris, or Marathon. Good Memories.
The flights over/back: We flew Continental out of Austin and our friends flew Delta out of Atlanta and we both had uneventful flights, arriving at Schiphol Airport as scheduled a little after 8am. We met up in baggage claim and were on our way. At the end of our trip we left Paris in the early morning and they left mid-afternoon. Neither of us left as early as we would have for the airport because June 1st is a French holiday, Pentecote, so there was very little traffic to worry about causing a delay. Our flights left on time and were once again uneventful, just like you want.
Amsterdam
The train from the airport into the city:
We tried purchasing train tickets from the automated machines, but none of our credit cards worked in the machines (we had read this might happen) so we went to the sales desk and bought tickets for the next train and were told to go to Platform 3, which we did. We then had our first (so soon!): “We are so confused” incident. A train came and we asked the attendant if it was the train we should get on to go to the center of the city and he said no we should be at Platform 1, so we dutifully went there only to be told that we should be at Platform 3, so we returned there only to be told….. Thankfully, a fellow traveler who had a schedule showed us how trains were scheduled about every 10 minutes, Platforms 1, 2, or 3 and our timing was simply off. We stayed put, got on a train, and had an easy, inexpensive 4.40E pp, 15 minute trip.
The cab to the hotel:
We took a cab from the central train station to our hotel, the American Hotel in the Leiseplein area, which is about 2 miles. The cab fare was 18E, which was considerably more expensive than the return fare, which was 13E. I don’t know why there was a price difference; it was for all four us both times.
The American Hotel:
We stayed at the American Hotel at the recommendation of some friends who have been to Amsterdam multiple times and said it was a comfortable hotel in a fun area. True. We booked the 21 day advance internet rate (210E) for a deluxe double room, which included breakfast.
My husband does not normally eat breakfast and I like to, so that is one of the benefits of being the trip planner. It was the normal buffet of meats, cheeses, fruit, cereal etc., but they did offer made-to-order omelets and champagne. A good way to start a vacation day! Having breakfast together also gave us a chance for our foursome to talk about our plans for the day. We all had cell phones so we could go our separate ways if we wanted to and meet up later, which we did on several occasions.
Our room had a balcony which overlooked the plaza in front of the hotel, which made a great people-watching spot. It meant that we did not have total peace and quiet (our friends opted out of having a balcony for that reason) but we figured it was worth it and the noise really wasn’t an issue- especially the first night when after arriving in Amsterdam so early (8am) and then going all day (no naps!) we were exhausted when we got into bed around 10pm. The hotel only had one room ready when we checked-in, so we stashed all the luggage in it before heading out.
The Sights:
In my younger years I was one of those with a list who rushed around to see everything. It worked for us then and we actually found it fun (Europe as a big scavenger hunt) but being older now (50!) I still have the list and we try to see an important item on it first thing in the morning and then just wander or see whatever we come across for the afternoon.
I Amsterdam Card
You can buy an I Amsterdam Card for 24, 48 or 72 hours for 38E, 48E, and 58E respectively, which entitles you to transportation on trams and buses, entrance to many museums, discounts on stuff, and free gifts. I liked the idea of getting on the trams with no fuss (when we were in Italy a couple of years ago we got on a bus only to be asked to get off because we didn’t have a ticket or the correct change or something, there were no taxis in sight and my feet were tired) but we never rode a tram or bus. And I liked the idea of being able to pop in different museums for a short visit that we might not otherwise visit. That we did do. There is a Tourist Information kiosk directly across from the American Hotel, which sells the cards, museum tickets, postcards, etc. and that is where we purchased our cards.
Canal Boat Tour
The first thing we decided to do was take a canal boat tour figuring it would be a good introduction to the city and not too strenuous on our travel- addled brains. You could catch the boat directly next door to the hotel, which also played a part in our decision. It was a fun and relaxing introduction to the city and since it was beautiful, sunny day I got some wonderful photos of the quintessential Amsterdam: Canal Houses, houseboats, and flowers. We also saw a good view of the huge bicycle parking garage by the central train station. I remembered seeing it on the Amazing Race, my favorite show and there it was!
Anne Frank House
We arrived in Amsterdam on Friday and we planned to visit the Ann Frank House on Saturday morning. Friday afternoon we used the hotel’s computer to get on-line to book the tickets (they also provided a printer so you could print off your tickets). All times for Saturday were sold out (May 22), as was Sunday and Monday. So, we had no choice but to stand in line, which we were told that unless we got there early for the 9am opening, the wait could easily be over an hour, sometimes two. So, Sunday morning we got there at about 8:45am, we were behind about 20 people, and we got in at 9:20am. It is not covered by the I Amsterdam Card.
It is very well done. We spent about an hour watching the short movie, going through the living quarters, and reading the exhibits. It is hard to believe it really happened: so many people, in such small rooms, no sunlight, having to whisper, walk lightly as possible, living in continual fear and then their fear being realized. People always ask what is a must-see; well this is one for Amsterdam, which explains why the museum has already had almost half-a-million visitors in the first six months of the year. (Last year they had 913,000 visitors total).
Van Gogh Museum
We bought our tickets on-line the day before and we had no problem getting the time-slot we wanted. There was a line at the museum when we arrived for our designated time (11am-12pm) so we were glad we already had tickets. The museum is covered by the I Amsterdam Card, but not the special exhibit which was there when we were (It ended June 1). We did not have to check our backpacks which were small and we carried them like purses rather than on our backs. I love Van Gogh so I expected this museum to be a trip highlight for me and it was. It was so enjoyable to be able to look at the painting and then often read what he was thinking when he painted it. He wrote about his paintings in letters to friends and family, so you can read his own words rather than art critic speculation. Two out of our foursome spent about an hour-and-a- half “arting” before joining the rest of the group in the museum café for a beer and a bite before proceeding to the Rijksmuseum next door.
Rijksmuseum
The museum is under a huge renovation, so only one wing is open which works well for the traveler who wants to go to the museum and see the highlights in an hour. We are and we did and we enjoyed every minute of it. It is covered by the I Amsterdam Card.
Amsterdam Historical Museum
We did pop in here when we might not otherwise because of the I Amsterdam Card. While two of our foursome drank beer and people watched nearby, we took a quick tour of the museum for the main purpose of seeing the “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Jan Deijman” by Rembrandt.
Red Light District
We walked around the Red Light District both in the daytime and at night. It was not as seedy as I expected. We always felt safe, even at night, but we didn’t stay later than about 11pm.
Hash Marihuana and Hemp Museum
This museum is not covered by the I Amsterdam Card, but we went in out of curiosity. It is described in guidebooks as small and it is very. The exhibits are interesting with information on the history of how marijuana has been view in the U.S, -not favorably, as we know. And there are some rather large pot plants on view in a grow room. That isn’t something I see every day, at least since college. The museum is 9E which is way high, sorry couldn’t resist, for the experience.
Amstelkring Museum/Our Lord in the Attic
We were at a café nearby and we saw this museum and since it took the I Amsterdam Card we popped in and it was a good way to spend a half hour. You got to see a restored 17th century canal house and a Catholic church that was built in the 1600s (when the city became Protestant) in the attic of the canal house, thus “Our Lord in the Attic” church.
Transportation
I had planned for us to use the trams and buses, a benefit of the I Amsterdam Card, to get around because although it a very walkable city there was a lot of ground to cover between our hotel and the various sights we planned to see. My husband is not a mass transit kind of guy, so when he saw scooters for rent sitting outside our hotel, he asked about renting them for the day and the desk clerk suggested we go to Gilex Motors down the street and rent from them, since it was cheaper and they had more of a selection. So that is what we did. We rented a scooter for 2 days for 80E, as did our friends. We enjoyed having our scooters to hop on and we found it fairly easy to get around and it was fun to do so. Of course having sunny, clear weather helped in that regard.
Restaurants
One of the reasons we travel is to eat. We love eating at nice restaurants, hole-in-the-wall places, and from street vendors. We did all three in Amsterdam. We tried the French, excuse me, Belgian fries at both Manneken Pis near Central Station and Chipsey King near Dam Square and thought they were equally good, no preference. We ate hot dogs, “Real American” ones according to the sign from a street vendor near the Van Gogh Museum and we ate at three very good restaurants:
Envy Restaurant
I had read about Envy Restaurant, “Mediterranean tapas, in a casual atmosphere” in the Zagat Guide amongst other places. I made reservations early for 7pm figuring we’d be tired and might only want a small bite before heading to bed. We all said that was exactly what we wanted, but when we got there the food was so good, we ate large. We sat at a table outside, - in Amsterdam, next to a canal- how could it get any better. (In the Eiffel Tower, perhaps? But, that came later in the trip.)
We started with a platter of Dutch cheeses and a platter of salame ventricina, prosciutto di parma, mortadella, and jamon iberico, served with warm, rustic bread and a couple of different dipping sauces and an olive spread. It was so good we moved on to risotto, tuna, crayfish, and halibut, accompanied by a bottle of Brunello.
Nevy Restaurant
We probably would not have gone here if we did not have the scooters we rented. It is off the beaten path, back behind the Central Train Station. It is on the water and we thought it would be a good lunch spot to go chill for a bit. It was and we did, drinking a bottle of chardonnay and eating some Dutch dim sum (shrimp dumplings and tuna croquettes).
Bordewijk Restaurant
I selected this restaurant to be our fine dining experience in Amsterdam, since it is suppose to be one of the city’s best restaurants. It was good, with the “Death by Chocolate” being the most memorable to me. When I asked my husband what had been his favorite part of the meal, he couldn't remember the meal or the restaurant at all. Oh well. I think that is partly because we ate so many wonderful meals during our trip. But, he could remember Envy and what he ate there.
Next up, Bruges.
Jun 24th, 2009, 10:42 AM
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Thank you for replying and letting me know you would like to read more because after I started writing I realized I should have taken notes if I was going to write one of these. Next time, I will.
Leaving Amsterdam
The day before our planned departure I purchased our train tickets to Bruges, so our foursome would be ready to go at whatever time suited us. This was not really necessary, but we were riding our rented scooters by the Central Train Station and it was easy to stop and get them, so we did. Trains left hourly- at the “hour 54” as the ticket agent explained and then further clarified by stating 8:54, 9:54 accompanied with a dramatic eye roll. Hmmm, perhaps he sensed that my excellent “travel leader” skills had failed me earlier in navigating the train system. Of course, that would not happen again. We would leave at an hour54; two hours latter arrive at the Antwerp train station, where we had 20 minutes to make our connection, which practically gave us time to have a snack or better yet a beer, and then another hour and twenty minutes we would be in Bruges.
At breakfast the next morning we actually talked about eliminating Bruges from the itinerary and extending our stay in Amsterdam. I found this funny because the trip had originally been proposed as Paris only and one member of our group had not been interested in adding Amsterdam at all. Now, this person didn’t want to leave. But, after discussing it, we decided we’d spend the morning in Amsterdam, pick up picnic supplies, and leave on the 11:54 train to Bruges.
Traveling to Bruges
We had a cab pick us up at the hotel and take us to the train station and as stated previously it was 13E. We boarded the train and plopped in seats close to the door. There were only a couple of other folks in the train section with us, so we spread out considerably. We also put our luggage on the seat behind us. It was a lot. When the ticket guy came by he commented on it, saying it was an American trait. We laughed; we’d certainly heard that before! We offered him some of our food and wine. We had quite a spread with cheese, meats, olives, and crackers. I had out my mini-cutting board, folding knife, lexan wine glasses, and corkscrew. He declined, but with a very nice smile.
Upon arriving in Antwerp we schlepped our bags off the train and after some indecision as to which way to head (the station was rather large, who knew?) we located a departures board. It did not list Bruges. Uh, oh, I should have asked the final destination city for the Bruges train, but I had not. None of us knew the necessary Belgium geography, so we were momentarily stuck. I suggested we go to the platform noted for our scheduled departure time, which was up a level, but my group did not have confidence in their “travel leader” so they fanned out to find someone to ask. I headed to the track, which indicated the 14:21 (2:21pm) departure time and there a sign noted the stops the train would be making and Bruges was included. Fortunately, one of our foursome was right behind me, so he dropped his bag with me and jogged back to retrieve the others, which he soon did and we all got on the train with a good five minutes or so to spare.
We arrived in Bruges on time as scheduled at 3:40pm. The weather was mostly cloudy, but the sun was peeking through the clouds as we got in a taxi and headed to the hotel.
Hotel Prinsenhof
I couldn’t decide which hotel to book in Bruges. I considered several different ones, reading the Trip Advisor reviews and looking at the websites of each one before finally deciding upon the Hotel Prinsenhof. I decided since we were going to be in a charming city, I wanted an equally charming hotel, and it was. We all loved this hotel and completely understand why it is so highly rated on Trip Advisor.
Sights/Activities
From everything we read we knew that Bruges was going to be beautiful and it was, the "fairy tale city" which having seen the movie "In Bruges" we had to say. Repeatedly. I love to take photographs and everywhere I looked was something that would make a good photograph. We strolled around the town stopping periodically to shop, eat, drink and chill.
Chocolate
Our group decided that our favorite chocolate shop was Dumon. We stopped in Galler where I bought some tins of milk-chocolate cat tongues for gifts, and Chocolate Line where I bought a small amount of the tobacco flavored chocolate for a gift, and a couple of other places I don’t remember the names. They were all good, but to us Dumon was the best, and we bought these nice Bruges tins filled with a mixed assortment of chocolates for gifts. At least that had been the plan when we purchased them, but we ate the chocolate out of two of the tins before they made it to delivery. Oh well.
I still have the tin. I collect tins from places we travel, hardware stores and groceries being a good place to get them. I then fill them with cookies or candy and give them as Christmas gifts to family members, who fill them with cookies or candy and give them to family members as Christmas gifts, so you may see your tin re-appear in later years.
Dumon also sold these amazingly thin and crispy almond cookies that I am sorry that I only bought two bags of and am now hoarding the last one in a kitchen cabinet, not sharing with my family. The shopkeeper at the Dumon store was very helpful explaining what was in the various chocolates and there were so many different ones and in so many different shapes, including swans, strawberries, pears, flowers, horses, and beehives. I was in the shop three times over two days and by the third visit the shopkeeper was motioning me to enter the store like an old friend. Speaking of which, she has a photo of Rick Steves and family on the wall and a woman commented on the photo and asked if she gave him free chocolates, so he would recommend her shop. I wanted to smack the lady. The shopkeeper informed this rude woman that no, Rick would not do such a thing, that she had no need to do so either, and that he was a good, kind friend.
Beer
We sampled beer at several different places around the town, trying several brands such as Brugse Zot, Ename, and Leffe. I am not a beer connoisseur, so I cannot extol the virtue of one brand over the other. I simply enjoyed them all. As far as the actual drinking establishment was concerned, it was fun to sit and sip at one of the many places around the Grote Market, the city square. We also enjoyed our visit to Cambrinus, which boast 400 beers and is just off the square. It is a cozy place, and well, it has 400 beers.
Lace
There seem to be as many lace shops in Bruges and ones for chocolate, meaning there is a bunch. One of my travel companions wanted to buy some lace for gifts and I tagged along to check it out. Not being a lace person I had no intention of buying anything so you can imagine my surprise when I came out of a shop with a bag, a rather full one at that. Oh well. I bought a Christmas themed table runner, one for me and one for my mom, and some of these small, neat travel pack size tissue holders – for gifts, and some pillow covers, needlepoint, not lace.
While we were in the shop we had another encounter with a rude tourist. A man rushed in to the store interrupting our transaction. He was all red in the face and asked in a huffy tone of voice how to get to the Chocolate Museum. The shopkeeper started to explain and the man interrupted her to say that the woman in the shop next door had told him to go the opposite direction, which was the wrong way and wanted to know why she did not know the correct route in her own town. Again, a shopkeeper showed remarkable restraint by saying she did not know and apologized to him! After he left we talked about him, of course, saying he needed a vacation from his vacation because it was obviously stressing him out. He needs to read the forums here.
Fry Museum
We were walking to the Chocolate Museum and we saw the fry museum and decided we might as well take a quick look-see; it was only .40E and included fries. Having visited the Potato Expo in Idaho (“free tater to every out-of-stater”) I felt my potato knowledge was complete, but I wanted some fries. So while my companions perused info on all things potato,I headed to the basement for beer and fries, which were delicious.
Chocolate Museum
The Chocolate Museum, 6E, also covers the topic in great detail and I had no idea had little I knew about chocolate until reading about it. I had never even seen a “chocolate” plant (cacao bean) before and didn’t realize it is much bigger than I thought, about the size of an eggplant and similarly shaped. In addition to all the information about how the plant is grown, processed etc. and the silly displays of “does chocolate make you fat”, there is also a chocolate making demonstration and tasting, which we opted not to attend. I did stop in the gift shop and buy some chocolate lip balm for a gift and a wooden cacao bean for me.
Groeningemuseum
We went to the Groeningemuseum because I wanted to see the painting attributed to Hieronymus Bosch that is now being disputed as having been painted by someone else. I have seen Bosch work, find it fascinating, and was curious. It was not on display. There was a special exhibit, Charles the Bold, which was very interesting and we spent about an hour looking at the artwork and ogling the jewelry (those folks loved gold, and rubies and pearls, wow). Some of the museum’s permanent collection, such as the famous “Judgement of Cambyses” was on display, but no real or fake Bosch in sight. a reason to return! One of our foursome, not a big museum fan, said it was his favorite museum he had been to. Ever.
The Tower
I had to go to the top and I did, climbing all 366 steps. My travel companions opted not to make the trek, but I could not pass up an opportunity to see Bruges from on high and the weather cooperated. I got in line, first person to do so, about 10 minutes before the doors opened. We were let in promptly at 9am only to be told that the attendant who manned the top of the tower was sick, so they could not allow us to go up until his replacement arrived from across town. So we waited and waited and after about 20 minutes someone politely inquired the status of his arrival and was told he was getting lunch, but he would arrive shortly. I debated getting out of line, but we were leaving for Paris in a couple of hours and I hated to have waited for naught, so I decided to give it 15 more minutes which would be about 45 minutes total and with that deadline set, he appeared and within moments I was on my way to the top. The line had steadily built behind me and I knew there were probably about 20 folks or so heading up too,so I didn’t dilly dally, but went all the way to the top, not stopping to the view the exhibits, or take photos along the way. I got to the top and was able to enjoy the beautiful view quietly for a very few minutes before others started streaming in. I snapped some photos, enjoyed the view a few more minutes and then headed down, this time stopping along the way.
Restaurants
Rockfort
I had read about Rockfort and they received such glowing reviews I thought we must go there, so we did and the place lived up to all the hype. The food was every bit as creative, as it was touted to be, but most importantly it was tasty. I opted for the tasting menu (48E), a seafood extravaganza of fish, shrimp and lobster, as did one other member of our foursome and the other two were soon lamenting their choice not to follow suit. But we kindly shared our courses, as they did with us. We had the reverse situation when it came to dessert, because we received a strawberry dessert which was excellent, but the guys ordered the chocolate, which was well, chocolate. It also won the award for creativity, even though it was very simple.
Cafedraal Bar Restaurant
We didn’t have restaurant reservations for our second night in Bruges so we asked the front desk person at our hotel for one and she suggested Cafedraal. The place itself is worth a visit, for its romantic atmosphere, and the food is good, but perhaps we had such an outstanding meal the previous night it was hard to not make unfavorable comparisons.
Wednesday Market
I specifically planned for us to be in Bruges for the Wednesday market because my husband loves farmers’ markets and he often goes to the one in our town. Bruge’s version was on a whole different level and my husband’s considers it a trip highpoint. While I was climbing the tower he was loading up on food purchases, getting roast chicken, potatoes, bread, and strawberries for the train trip to Paris. And it was time to head on to our next stop. We all agreed that we were glad that we had not opted to stay in Amsterdam, but had made the trek to Bruges.
Next Paris
Leaving Amsterdam
The day before our planned departure I purchased our train tickets to Bruges, so our foursome would be ready to go at whatever time suited us. This was not really necessary, but we were riding our rented scooters by the Central Train Station and it was easy to stop and get them, so we did. Trains left hourly- at the “hour 54” as the ticket agent explained and then further clarified by stating 8:54, 9:54 accompanied with a dramatic eye roll. Hmmm, perhaps he sensed that my excellent “travel leader” skills had failed me earlier in navigating the train system. Of course, that would not happen again. We would leave at an hour54; two hours latter arrive at the Antwerp train station, where we had 20 minutes to make our connection, which practically gave us time to have a snack or better yet a beer, and then another hour and twenty minutes we would be in Bruges.
At breakfast the next morning we actually talked about eliminating Bruges from the itinerary and extending our stay in Amsterdam. I found this funny because the trip had originally been proposed as Paris only and one member of our group had not been interested in adding Amsterdam at all. Now, this person didn’t want to leave. But, after discussing it, we decided we’d spend the morning in Amsterdam, pick up picnic supplies, and leave on the 11:54 train to Bruges.
Traveling to Bruges
We had a cab pick us up at the hotel and take us to the train station and as stated previously it was 13E. We boarded the train and plopped in seats close to the door. There were only a couple of other folks in the train section with us, so we spread out considerably. We also put our luggage on the seat behind us. It was a lot. When the ticket guy came by he commented on it, saying it was an American trait. We laughed; we’d certainly heard that before! We offered him some of our food and wine. We had quite a spread with cheese, meats, olives, and crackers. I had out my mini-cutting board, folding knife, lexan wine glasses, and corkscrew. He declined, but with a very nice smile.
Upon arriving in Antwerp we schlepped our bags off the train and after some indecision as to which way to head (the station was rather large, who knew?) we located a departures board. It did not list Bruges. Uh, oh, I should have asked the final destination city for the Bruges train, but I had not. None of us knew the necessary Belgium geography, so we were momentarily stuck. I suggested we go to the platform noted for our scheduled departure time, which was up a level, but my group did not have confidence in their “travel leader” so they fanned out to find someone to ask. I headed to the track, which indicated the 14:21 (2:21pm) departure time and there a sign noted the stops the train would be making and Bruges was included. Fortunately, one of our foursome was right behind me, so he dropped his bag with me and jogged back to retrieve the others, which he soon did and we all got on the train with a good five minutes or so to spare.
We arrived in Bruges on time as scheduled at 3:40pm. The weather was mostly cloudy, but the sun was peeking through the clouds as we got in a taxi and headed to the hotel.
Hotel Prinsenhof
I couldn’t decide which hotel to book in Bruges. I considered several different ones, reading the Trip Advisor reviews and looking at the websites of each one before finally deciding upon the Hotel Prinsenhof. I decided since we were going to be in a charming city, I wanted an equally charming hotel, and it was. We all loved this hotel and completely understand why it is so highly rated on Trip Advisor.
Sights/Activities
From everything we read we knew that Bruges was going to be beautiful and it was, the "fairy tale city" which having seen the movie "In Bruges" we had to say. Repeatedly. I love to take photographs and everywhere I looked was something that would make a good photograph. We strolled around the town stopping periodically to shop, eat, drink and chill.
Chocolate
Our group decided that our favorite chocolate shop was Dumon. We stopped in Galler where I bought some tins of milk-chocolate cat tongues for gifts, and Chocolate Line where I bought a small amount of the tobacco flavored chocolate for a gift, and a couple of other places I don’t remember the names. They were all good, but to us Dumon was the best, and we bought these nice Bruges tins filled with a mixed assortment of chocolates for gifts. At least that had been the plan when we purchased them, but we ate the chocolate out of two of the tins before they made it to delivery. Oh well.
I still have the tin. I collect tins from places we travel, hardware stores and groceries being a good place to get them. I then fill them with cookies or candy and give them as Christmas gifts to family members, who fill them with cookies or candy and give them to family members as Christmas gifts, so you may see your tin re-appear in later years.
Dumon also sold these amazingly thin and crispy almond cookies that I am sorry that I only bought two bags of and am now hoarding the last one in a kitchen cabinet, not sharing with my family. The shopkeeper at the Dumon store was very helpful explaining what was in the various chocolates and there were so many different ones and in so many different shapes, including swans, strawberries, pears, flowers, horses, and beehives. I was in the shop three times over two days and by the third visit the shopkeeper was motioning me to enter the store like an old friend. Speaking of which, she has a photo of Rick Steves and family on the wall and a woman commented on the photo and asked if she gave him free chocolates, so he would recommend her shop. I wanted to smack the lady. The shopkeeper informed this rude woman that no, Rick would not do such a thing, that she had no need to do so either, and that he was a good, kind friend.
Beer
We sampled beer at several different places around the town, trying several brands such as Brugse Zot, Ename, and Leffe. I am not a beer connoisseur, so I cannot extol the virtue of one brand over the other. I simply enjoyed them all. As far as the actual drinking establishment was concerned, it was fun to sit and sip at one of the many places around the Grote Market, the city square. We also enjoyed our visit to Cambrinus, which boast 400 beers and is just off the square. It is a cozy place, and well, it has 400 beers.
Lace
There seem to be as many lace shops in Bruges and ones for chocolate, meaning there is a bunch. One of my travel companions wanted to buy some lace for gifts and I tagged along to check it out. Not being a lace person I had no intention of buying anything so you can imagine my surprise when I came out of a shop with a bag, a rather full one at that. Oh well. I bought a Christmas themed table runner, one for me and one for my mom, and some of these small, neat travel pack size tissue holders – for gifts, and some pillow covers, needlepoint, not lace.
While we were in the shop we had another encounter with a rude tourist. A man rushed in to the store interrupting our transaction. He was all red in the face and asked in a huffy tone of voice how to get to the Chocolate Museum. The shopkeeper started to explain and the man interrupted her to say that the woman in the shop next door had told him to go the opposite direction, which was the wrong way and wanted to know why she did not know the correct route in her own town. Again, a shopkeeper showed remarkable restraint by saying she did not know and apologized to him! After he left we talked about him, of course, saying he needed a vacation from his vacation because it was obviously stressing him out. He needs to read the forums here.
Fry Museum
We were walking to the Chocolate Museum and we saw the fry museum and decided we might as well take a quick look-see; it was only .40E and included fries. Having visited the Potato Expo in Idaho (“free tater to every out-of-stater”) I felt my potato knowledge was complete, but I wanted some fries. So while my companions perused info on all things potato,I headed to the basement for beer and fries, which were delicious.
Chocolate Museum
The Chocolate Museum, 6E, also covers the topic in great detail and I had no idea had little I knew about chocolate until reading about it. I had never even seen a “chocolate” plant (cacao bean) before and didn’t realize it is much bigger than I thought, about the size of an eggplant and similarly shaped. In addition to all the information about how the plant is grown, processed etc. and the silly displays of “does chocolate make you fat”, there is also a chocolate making demonstration and tasting, which we opted not to attend. I did stop in the gift shop and buy some chocolate lip balm for a gift and a wooden cacao bean for me.
Groeningemuseum
We went to the Groeningemuseum because I wanted to see the painting attributed to Hieronymus Bosch that is now being disputed as having been painted by someone else. I have seen Bosch work, find it fascinating, and was curious. It was not on display. There was a special exhibit, Charles the Bold, which was very interesting and we spent about an hour looking at the artwork and ogling the jewelry (those folks loved gold, and rubies and pearls, wow). Some of the museum’s permanent collection, such as the famous “Judgement of Cambyses” was on display, but no real or fake Bosch in sight. a reason to return! One of our foursome, not a big museum fan, said it was his favorite museum he had been to. Ever.
The Tower
I had to go to the top and I did, climbing all 366 steps. My travel companions opted not to make the trek, but I could not pass up an opportunity to see Bruges from on high and the weather cooperated. I got in line, first person to do so, about 10 minutes before the doors opened. We were let in promptly at 9am only to be told that the attendant who manned the top of the tower was sick, so they could not allow us to go up until his replacement arrived from across town. So we waited and waited and after about 20 minutes someone politely inquired the status of his arrival and was told he was getting lunch, but he would arrive shortly. I debated getting out of line, but we were leaving for Paris in a couple of hours and I hated to have waited for naught, so I decided to give it 15 more minutes which would be about 45 minutes total and with that deadline set, he appeared and within moments I was on my way to the top. The line had steadily built behind me and I knew there were probably about 20 folks or so heading up too,so I didn’t dilly dally, but went all the way to the top, not stopping to the view the exhibits, or take photos along the way. I got to the top and was able to enjoy the beautiful view quietly for a very few minutes before others started streaming in. I snapped some photos, enjoyed the view a few more minutes and then headed down, this time stopping along the way.
Restaurants
Rockfort
I had read about Rockfort and they received such glowing reviews I thought we must go there, so we did and the place lived up to all the hype. The food was every bit as creative, as it was touted to be, but most importantly it was tasty. I opted for the tasting menu (48E), a seafood extravaganza of fish, shrimp and lobster, as did one other member of our foursome and the other two were soon lamenting their choice not to follow suit. But we kindly shared our courses, as they did with us. We had the reverse situation when it came to dessert, because we received a strawberry dessert which was excellent, but the guys ordered the chocolate, which was well, chocolate. It also won the award for creativity, even though it was very simple.
Cafedraal Bar Restaurant
We didn’t have restaurant reservations for our second night in Bruges so we asked the front desk person at our hotel for one and she suggested Cafedraal. The place itself is worth a visit, for its romantic atmosphere, and the food is good, but perhaps we had such an outstanding meal the previous night it was hard to not make unfavorable comparisons.
Wednesday Market
I specifically planned for us to be in Bruges for the Wednesday market because my husband loves farmers’ markets and he often goes to the one in our town. Bruge’s version was on a whole different level and my husband’s considers it a trip highpoint. While I was climbing the tower he was loading up on food purchases, getting roast chicken, potatoes, bread, and strawberries for the train trip to Paris. And it was time to head on to our next stop. We all agreed that we were glad that we had not opted to stay in Amsterdam, but had made the trek to Bruges.
Next Paris
Jun 24th, 2009, 03:03 PM
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I'm quite jealous you got to see the Charles the Bold exhibit. But too bad the permanent collection wasn't on view. Can you tell me more about the Bosch debate? Is there a link? I haven't read anything regarding a question of its authenticity.
Jun 24th, 2009, 04:39 PM
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On your Amsterdam trip, the train from the airport to Central station, is there a sign on the train? If so what does it say? We have a 6hr layover in Amsterdam and intend on take the train in to do the canal tour. Thanks for any information.
Jun 24th, 2009, 05:10 PM
#11
I would love to do a trip like this. I just need to get my office to let me out of their clutches for this many consecutive days...
I'm really enjoying your report and would love to see any photos you feel like sharing.
Thanks!
I'm really enjoying your report and would love to see any photos you feel like sharing.
Thanks!
Oct 29th, 2009, 02:00 PM
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I was searching for something else, and got this report, and couldn't stop reading! I love that (and how) T4 describes museums.
What I was searching for, is if somebody went to the museum of bags and purses in Amsterdam.
What I was searching for, is if somebody went to the museum of bags and purses in Amsterdam.
Apr 21st, 2010, 07:08 AM
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I started this and didn't complete it, sorry! Here is the rest of the report.
We traveled from Bruges to Paris by train, arriving Gare du Nord around 4pm. We took a cab from the station to HOTEL CARLTON, which we selected because it was in the Montmartre neighborhood, was recently renovated, and had a rooftop terrace.
After dropping our luggage in our rooms, very comfortable beds and lovely a/c, we headed straight to the rooftop where we were greeted with a wonderful view of the distance Eiffel Tower and the nearby Sacre Coeur. We sat and sipped some wine relishing our being in Paris again!
After a bit we headed out to check out the neighborhood, strolling down the blvd in front of the hotel down to the Moulin Rouge. On our previous visit to Paris we had not been in this area so we wanted to see how the Paris "Red Light District" compared to the one in Amsterdam. Very different-- no girls in windowboxes, but lots of girls, girls, girls, if that was your interest. Not ours, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We had reservations to dine at Moulin de La Galette, but on the recommendation of the noted Paris Gourmand: tall, hotel guy we switched to Bistro Poulbot. It was a decent meal, but nothing spectacular. Afterwards, we walked over to the Sacre Coeur and saw the Eiffel Tower twinkling and that was spectacular. We then went to Moulin de la Galette for champagne and dessert (creme brulee), delicious.
Out traveling companions opted for a visit to the Moulin Rouge area, whereas we opted to head to bed. The next day they reported that it was a very, very busy area with lots of tour groups disembarking from buses to check out the night life. They had fun.
We traveled from Bruges to Paris by train, arriving Gare du Nord around 4pm. We took a cab from the station to HOTEL CARLTON, which we selected because it was in the Montmartre neighborhood, was recently renovated, and had a rooftop terrace.
After dropping our luggage in our rooms, very comfortable beds and lovely a/c, we headed straight to the rooftop where we were greeted with a wonderful view of the distance Eiffel Tower and the nearby Sacre Coeur. We sat and sipped some wine relishing our being in Paris again!
After a bit we headed out to check out the neighborhood, strolling down the blvd in front of the hotel down to the Moulin Rouge. On our previous visit to Paris we had not been in this area so we wanted to see how the Paris "Red Light District" compared to the one in Amsterdam. Very different-- no girls in windowboxes, but lots of girls, girls, girls, if that was your interest. Not ours, so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We had reservations to dine at Moulin de La Galette, but on the recommendation of the noted Paris Gourmand: tall, hotel guy we switched to Bistro Poulbot. It was a decent meal, but nothing spectacular. Afterwards, we walked over to the Sacre Coeur and saw the Eiffel Tower twinkling and that was spectacular. We then went to Moulin de la Galette for champagne and dessert (creme brulee), delicious.
Out traveling companions opted for a visit to the Moulin Rouge area, whereas we opted to head to bed. The next day they reported that it was a very, very busy area with lots of tour groups disembarking from buses to check out the night life. They had fun.
Apr 21st, 2010, 07:45 AM
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The next day we spent the morning walking around Montmartre, browsing the shops, looking at the street vendors wares, sitting at cafes, and just relaxing.
Around noon we checked out and headed to the other side of Paris to the St. Germain neighborhood, HOTEL LA PERLE, where we planned to spend 4 nights.
We selected HOTEL LA PERLE based on its location and stellar reviews on Trip Advisor. It met our expectations in every way and we would not hestitate to stay there again. The rooms were comfortable, the staff attentive and helfful, and it had a pretty interior coutyard, which served as a breakfast room and a bar.
When you are traveling with another couple it is nice to have somewhere especially pleasant to sit when making plans for the day or waiting for one or more of the party members to get ready to go.
Our first stop in our new Paris neighborhood was for lunch and we found a place right on our same street: PIZZERIA POSITANO. We looked in and saw the brick oven and couldn't resist the thought of a nice crispy pizza. It was excellent, as was the gnocchi.
Fortified we ventured on, exploring the neighborhood, stopping for a moment to sip a glass of wine and people watch at a sidewalk cafe when we tired of walking, which was oh- every few blocks.
After much wandering we took a short hotel break to rest and regroup for dinner. We had reservations at LE GAIGNE in the Marais neighborhood. It had gotten a really good review on a favorite food blog of ours (he had steered us right on previous occasions).
Although the food was not a highlight, the experience was. The place is tiny, only about a dozen tables. The owners are on-site, hands-on, with her running the front and him, manning the kitchen. She could have not been nicer. The food was good and would have been better if he eased up on the twee, and not try so hard: food foam was not a good invention imho.
I will not go into the details, but while at the restaurant we were subjected to a mass (such as it was) shushing (deserved) and the owner apologized to us! Wow.
We cabbed back to our hotel and when getting out of the taxi, our waiter from lunch at the PIZZERIA POSITANO saw us and motioned us over to the restaurant. We went and he treated us to a round of limoncello. We love the French.
Around noon we checked out and headed to the other side of Paris to the St. Germain neighborhood, HOTEL LA PERLE, where we planned to spend 4 nights.
We selected HOTEL LA PERLE based on its location and stellar reviews on Trip Advisor. It met our expectations in every way and we would not hestitate to stay there again. The rooms were comfortable, the staff attentive and helfful, and it had a pretty interior coutyard, which served as a breakfast room and a bar.
When you are traveling with another couple it is nice to have somewhere especially pleasant to sit when making plans for the day or waiting for one or more of the party members to get ready to go.
Our first stop in our new Paris neighborhood was for lunch and we found a place right on our same street: PIZZERIA POSITANO. We looked in and saw the brick oven and couldn't resist the thought of a nice crispy pizza. It was excellent, as was the gnocchi.
Fortified we ventured on, exploring the neighborhood, stopping for a moment to sip a glass of wine and people watch at a sidewalk cafe when we tired of walking, which was oh- every few blocks.
After much wandering we took a short hotel break to rest and regroup for dinner. We had reservations at LE GAIGNE in the Marais neighborhood. It had gotten a really good review on a favorite food blog of ours (he had steered us right on previous occasions).
Although the food was not a highlight, the experience was. The place is tiny, only about a dozen tables. The owners are on-site, hands-on, with her running the front and him, manning the kitchen. She could have not been nicer. The food was good and would have been better if he eased up on the twee, and not try so hard: food foam was not a good invention imho.
I will not go into the details, but while at the restaurant we were subjected to a mass (such as it was) shushing (deserved) and the owner apologized to us! Wow.
We cabbed back to our hotel and when getting out of the taxi, our waiter from lunch at the PIZZERIA POSITANO saw us and motioned us over to the restaurant. We went and he treated us to a round of limoncello. We love the French.
Apr 21st, 2010, 01:36 PM
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Ah, look how easily you are bought by a simple limoncello!
Thanks T4TX for this excellent report - I have one queston for you at the bottom of this posting. a few observations:
1. visitors to fodors are fovever asking where to stay in Paris and you have just answered that: why not stay everywhere? Any particular reason you decided to stay in two separate hotels?
2. I concur that the French in particular and Europeans in general will respond to rudeness with rudeness and to civility with even more civility. The most rude behavior I observed in France was from other Americans. (IR1)
3. Day trips to Brugge are inferior - if you are going to go, try to spend at least one night. We found we had much more luck and value shopping in Brugge than in Paris.
4. "I am not a beer connoisseur, so . . . . I simply enjoyed them all." Wait! does that mean being a beer connoisseur comes at a price of not being able to enjoy all Belgian beers?!?! LOL! God forbid!! Seriously, a trip to Brugge without a sampling of their beer is like . . . well . . sex with your clothes on. Enjoyable, but not the full experience.
5. Lots of people suggest going to the Eiffel tower at night - but as you have observed, the problem with that is that a nighttime view of Paris without the Eiffel tower in the view is a sub-prime view. Don't know when/if I'll be able to go back to Paris but I'll try to do Sacre Couer area at night.
AND NOW my question: How much documentation did you need for the scooters in Amsterdam? did you need an international driver's license?
Thanks T4TX for this excellent report - I have one queston for you at the bottom of this posting. a few observations:
1. visitors to fodors are fovever asking where to stay in Paris and you have just answered that: why not stay everywhere? Any particular reason you decided to stay in two separate hotels?
2. I concur that the French in particular and Europeans in general will respond to rudeness with rudeness and to civility with even more civility. The most rude behavior I observed in France was from other Americans. (IR1)
3. Day trips to Brugge are inferior - if you are going to go, try to spend at least one night. We found we had much more luck and value shopping in Brugge than in Paris.
4. "I am not a beer connoisseur, so . . . . I simply enjoyed them all." Wait! does that mean being a beer connoisseur comes at a price of not being able to enjoy all Belgian beers?!?! LOL! God forbid!! Seriously, a trip to Brugge without a sampling of their beer is like . . . well . . sex with your clothes on. Enjoyable, but not the full experience.
5. Lots of people suggest going to the Eiffel tower at night - but as you have observed, the problem with that is that a nighttime view of Paris without the Eiffel tower in the view is a sub-prime view. Don't know when/if I'll be able to go back to Paris but I'll try to do Sacre Couer area at night.
AND NOW my question: How much documentation did you need for the scooters in Amsterdam? did you need an international driver's license?
