twiggers

Day 4: Kroller Mueller Museum

Woke up this morning and was excited to make another trip out of town! Today I am heading to Arnhem to the Kroller Mueller Museum which is in a national park. When I explained what the trip would entail (train + bus + walking/bikes) DH emphatically declined. He said he'd rather watch paint dry, or sit in a coffee shop all day!

So, off I went! I had my train times all set. Arrived at Centraal Station and looked up at the screens. I found the exact time, but the terminating station didn't match where I needed to get off. I wanted to be 100% sure (especially after the airport fiasco) and so I went and asked at one of the help desks. Yup, I was right! I'm getting the hang of this train thing.

Grabbed some munchies for the train ride and off we went! The train ride was pleasant and I got off in Ede Wengingen (sp?). Now I needed to transfer to a bus. I had the bus # (from Rick Steves) and knew it only came once an hour. I thought I might get lucky with my timing, but no such luck. I ended up having to wait around for 50 minutes for the bus. Not so much fun...mostly just read my guidebook for upcoming things.

Hopped on the first bus and asked to be notified when we reached the appropriate stop. There was a cute couple with two dogs on the bus. It totally made me miss my little doggie back home. We talked for a bit, I was so impressed that you could take dogs on the buses out here. They really support a "no car" lifestyle.

Off the bus, and I was starting to follow the walking directions to the park. I realized that I needed to know the bus' return time. I ran back to the bus to ask and the driver also said I could get on this little van/bus to go to the park. Yay! No walking and getting lost!! Hopped on the little van, which stopped at the park entrance to pay (15 euros). Unfortunately there were no famous white bikes available So back on the little van to get to the museum.

Arrived at the museum. My sole purpose of visiting this museum was because it had the 2nd largest Van Gogh collection. It did not let me down! However, I was really struck by this museum sitting in the forest. It was an interesting contrast...modern in the woods. I liked it!

I walked through the museum. Great set-up and flow from one room to another. I was itching to get to the Van Goghs. Finally!!! An entire room...and it was packed like the actual Van Gogh museum. I could take my time and really stare at the paintings. One of my favorite paintings was here: Cafe Terrace at Night. I just loved it!!!

I really have no interest in sculpture so I didn't go through that and since the buses were so infrequent I didn't want to take the extra time.

I started walking toward the bus stop and saw a white bike!!!! Woooohooooo, I was going to be like the Dutch and ride away! Hopped on that thing and um, yea, that was a little hard! I run every day, but the bike has no gears...so it was tough. And it was a bit of a ride to get to the park entrance. It was fun though!

I then walked through the town to get back to the bus stop that would take me to the train station. It was a very quaint little town Train ride back to Amsterdam was uneventful.

Back in town. DH said he had a good day. Tonight I wanted to visit an Indonesian restaurant and instead of using trams we decided to rent bikes from our hotel. It was a little more expensive than Mac Bikes, but much more convenient.

And off we went! What an adventure riding a bike through the city. This is THE way to see Amsterdam! So much fun!!! There was a certain Indonesian restaurant I wanted to visit (Kantjil & de Tiger). Apparently it was highly rated. We were able to get in right away and ordered a 10 dish rijkstaffel (sp?). It was very interesting to say the least, but not something I think I would do again. Too much coconut, and I"m not a huge coconut fan. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience!

Back on the bikes...I was on the hunt for some apple gebak. The Dutch know how to do apple pie!!!! We just rode around all over the place, totally lost. Stumbled on a restaurant along a canal and grabbed an outdoor seat. Ordered my gebak...not nearly as good as that slice in Delft (no pie would ever come close to that slice). And off we went again on the bikes! Stumbled on a coffeeshop on DH's list. It was so nice sitting outside along the lit up canals. Ahhhh, this is what we came for!

Back on the bikes, navigating the streets in the dark! Definitely an adventure Off to bed...tomorrow we visit a real castle!

My overall thoughts on the Kroller-Mueller: It was a great museum, but a lot of effort to get there. You really need to love Van Gogh (or art in general) to make this trip. I would do it again though!

nukesafe

So sorry you are not into sculpture, Twig. The sculpture garden is superb, IMHO.

I know this is uncalled for, but I know that if I was as much of a pill on vacation as your hubby, my dear wife would kick me out, or add arsenic to my wine before the sun went down.

twiggers

Nuke: I peeked out the window briefly (at the sculpture garden), but it just wasn't for me.

As for the hubby....I'm used to it I actually expected it which was why the trip started in Amsterdam. My first choice for a Europe trip would have been Rome (which we'll be doing next May), but I wanted him to have something to enjoy. Aside from that first really grouchy day, he wasn't too bad!

twiggers

Day 5: Muiderslot & Amsterdam

When planning this trip I asked DH what kinds of things he might be interested in and he mentioned castles. Wonderful Fodorites suggested Muiderslot since it was pretty close to Amsterdam. So, the morning was devoted to visiting the castle, and I purposely left the afternoon wide open to visit remaining sites in Amsterdam. Which means visiting all those sites I didn't get to see on the first day.

Off we went to Muiderslot. I got directions from the front desk of our hotel. I knew we had to take a bus, but I wasn't sure how to get to Amstel Station. We ended up walking over to the Metro and taking the Metro to the station. Walked right outside to where all the buses were. Hopped on the appropriate bus and off we went.
The bus driver was VERY nice. He let us know when our stop was and gave us directions to walk to the castle. As we were walking a woman with her dog stopped us and asked if we needed help! So friendly.
We walked into the town of Muiden. A very quaint town. There was a drawbridge and a set of boat locks with a little cafe next to the locks. We stopped here for breakfast. It was so pretty! You could see the castle down the river! The menu at the cafe was only in Dutch, but the waitress translated for us. It was so neat eating and watching the boats go through.

After breakfast we finished our walk to the castle. We were able to use our MuseumCard. We got a ticket for a guided tour (included in cost). The castle is this beautiful, perfectly restored castle complete with a moat! How cool is that? There are two different walks that you can do on your own. DH came with me on the first one (to the top of one of the towers), but sat out the second. Then we went on the guided tour. The tour was in Dutch & English, so it took a little longer than it needed to. It was interesting though. I really love these little glimpses into how people lived hundreds of years ago.

After the castle we walked back to the bus and headed back to Amsterdam. Once back in the city we grabbed our bikes and headed out. I had a lot of sites to see. Off we went to the Dam Square where I hopped into Nieuwe Kerk and the Palace. The Nieuwe Kerk was undergoing renovations/construction, but you could walk up top and walk around. The Palace was quite boring, to be honest. I wasn't that impressed with what you got to see for the price paid. I'd skip this next time.

Then headed over to the Church in the Attic. This was VERY cool. Even though the chapel area is under construction it was so interesting to walk through the house!

We then just aimlessly rode around the city and enjoyed ourselves! Dropped the bikes off at the hotel and walked out and grabbed a bite to eat.

It was a very nice day! The weather was perfect and we just enjoyed our last bit of time in Amsterdam. Oh, and on this last day DH ended up finding a chill coffeeshop almost right across the street! Go figure.

Tomorrow we are heading off to Brugges, but here are my overall thoughts on Amsterdam:

I REALLY, really, really liked the city!!! I loved the canals and the architecture! The people were also very nice. I really dug the laid back, liberal, tolerant attitude of the Dutch. The bikes were amazing and it was great fun to people watch everyone riding around.
I also loved the museums. It had always been on my bucket list to visit the Van Gogh Museum and I was not disappointed (OK, well, I wish I had the museum all to myself, but who wouldn't?).
I would definitely return in the future. I would have enjoyed spending more time in the smaller towns/cities around Amsterdam. Next time we'll do Haarlem

My husband's verdict on Amsterdam: LOVE IT! Primarily because of the coffeeshops

Stayed tuned for tomorrow....off to Belgium we go!

cafegoddess

Twiggers,

I am enjoying reading your trip report. I hope your husband will end up liking Europe after this trip. You are one patience person!

twiggers

Cafe: Awww thank you!!!!

Day 6: Travel from Amsterdam to Brugges; Day in Brugges

More train adventures today!!! Woke up a little late, had to hustle! We had packed the night before, but only had 20 minutes to get to train. Look outside and it's raining. Boo. I know, I know. It's Amsterdam and it rains. We got lucky though...this was the first rain the entire time in Amsterdam.

Ran outside to the tram stop and hopped on. I had money out to pay for the tickets (we only had a 4 day tram pass, and this was day 5). The driver declined the payment though! Yay for saving a couple euros.

Run into train station and up to the platform. Made it with a couple minutes to spare! The train we were on was heading to Brussels, but we were supposed to connect in Antwerp to get to Brugges. The train was SOOOO slow!! By the time we hit Antwerp we were 30 minutes behind....so we didn't get off. We figured we would get more trains going to Brugges from Brussels. Got off in Brussels and had about 20-30 minutes before train to Brugges. Train arrived (made sure to ask a conductor/worker that we were on the right train) and off we went. Arrived in Brugges and grabbed a taxi to the hotel. We could have walked, but I didn't feel like picking that battle with DH today.

Our hotel was very cute and in a great location (NH Brugges). It was already about 1 PM and I wanted to hit Brugges since we were only here for 1 day. DH declined, and so off I went. I had my Rick Steves guidebook and decided I would following his walking tour.

To the market square....OMG, this is just the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. The step gables, the bell tower, just the whole ambiance of the town. Wow. I get what people were saying about how beautiful the town was. I saw the famous french fry stands in front of the bell tower, but decided to wait until later. I also decided to climb the bell tower! Yes, all 376 (approx.) steps! Oy, my legs were killing me and I run every day! Now, we had to pay full price to get in but because the tower was under construction we got a free museum entrance to use later. Once at the top I took a few pictures, enjoyed the limited view (due to construction), and rested my weary legs. The walk down was MUCH better and hilarious! There were two young guys from Britain behind me and they kept reciting lines from the movie "In Brugges." It was too funny!

Once down from the bell tower walked over to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which was unfortunately closed for the lunch hours. Kept following the walking tour...just soaking up the prettiness/quaintness of this town. Was going to go into the Groeninge Museum, but it was closed to prepare for an exhibit.

I used my free museum ticket to go into the Gruuthuse Museum. It was nice to see a 15th Century mansion, but otherwise it was boring. The really cool thing about this Museum is that the owner of the house built a little room with a window that overlooked the neighboring church!

Next stop was the Church of Our Lady. Unfortunately, the outside was under construction and will be for the next 5 years...so no great exterior pictures. Once inside I made a beeline to the Michelangelo statue! It was my first time seeing one of this statues and it was VERY beautiful. Amazing what the man could create with his two hands.

More wandering up and down the streets. Stopped and grabbed an infamous Belgium waffle. Can I just say....OMG! Those things are unbelievably good. What is it in them? The sugar? Whatever it is....just unbelievable! Also stopped in a lace store and bought a small doily-type piece for my Mom.

Final stop was the Begijnhof and then I made my way back to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Paid my euro to be able to walk right up to the holy relic (something red in a tube). I was also looking for Dumon Chocolate which was supposed to have a shop near the Markt Square, but when I arrived there was a note saying that location was closed.

I wanted to do a canal cruise, but thought DH might like to go, so I walked back to the hotel to check in with him. Nope. He had zero interest. So back out I went. Walked to Dumon Chocolates first and stocked up! Then over to the canal cruise. Having just been in Amsterdam with so many canals, and walking through the town already, this was a disappointment. Not really worth the money. I think it is something you should do first!

Once off the canal cruise I stopped at the french fry stands and grabbed an order, with mayo! The mayo was surprisingly good...has a little kick to it (which I later learned was mustard seeds). Brought some back to DH....this he liked! We hung out at the hotel for a little bit and then decided to go to the Markt Square for dinner. Although we were only a 10 minute walk he insisted on a cab. I was tired of picking fights, so I relented. Yea, what a waste. Had to wait 10-15 minutes for them to show up and then a short drive.

We decided to eat at one of the restaurants right on the square. Dinner was just mediocre, which we were expecting based on guidebook reviews (and reviews on here). The service was subpar and the food was just bleh. But again, it was more about the ambiance and I wanted DH to see the Square. He did grudgingly admit that the square was "cool."

Overall thoughts on Brugges: Some people love this town and others hate it. There were a LOT of tourists, but it wasn't overwhelming and it didn't inconvenience me at all. I really LOVED this city. The architecture was beautiful. I did feel like I was transported back in time. This is what I love about Europe!!! I don't think it is the kind of place that I'd want to spend more than a day....there really isn't THAT much to see. If I lived in Europe I think it would be a great place to spend a weekend.

I often think of places in two ways: Would I spend several days here or could I see it on a cruise in one day? This was definitely the kind of city I'd love to visit on a cruise for one day.

DH didn't really have an opinion on Brugges since he didn't see very much. He generally thought it was kind of lame and boring. Not big enough and nothing to do. Maybe he'll like Brussels???? I'm guessing he set himself up to hate everything but Amsterdam....

Tomorrow we are off to Brussels. Stay tuned!

hetismij

It is straw that is wrapped in plastic and it is to keep it dry. You will see bales like that all over northern Europe.
Silage is put in clamps, covered in black plastic and usually weighed down by old tyres. Silage clamps tend to be near the farm itself for convenience. the bales eventually also get moved to the farm too.
Nobody bothers much with hay making any more sadly.

Glad you enjoyed the Netherlands. A shame your husband wasn't a bit more interested in it all though. Still you seem to have managed to enjoy yourself anyway .

twiggers

Hetis: Ahhhhh that is what we thought, but we were curious why they choose to wrap in plastic whereas here in the US/Canada they are left bare. Is it because of the high amount of rain?

I really liked the Netherlands, and DH did love Amsterdam and wants to return. We're thinking a land trip in the distant future...maybe London (for him), Paris (for me), and Amsterdam.

artstuff

twiggers - Just want to let you know I'm still following your trip report, and look forward to the next installment. I must say, I admire your determination to go out and have a good time, and visit the sites by yourself, while your DH stays behind.

I'm glad you got to visit Muiden and Muiderslot. Just curious, what was your husband's impression of the castle?

Robyn

maryann

Please don't run out of steam now - we are all waiting to hear the 'rest of the story' !!

Thanks for so much info. and such an entertaing story.

Hope you keep going - we'll be there next year and you are such a big help.

M.A.

twiggers

Robyn: He thought the castle was interesting, but wasn't overwhelmed. He is one of those people that if he sees something from a distance or on TV/internet he has no further interest. We're just travel incompatible LOL

Maryann: I haven't forgotten....just have been so busy!!! I'll be finishing things up very soon! Sorry!!!

twiggers

Day 7 Brussels

Woke up in the morning and it was raining Is this starting to be a trend that it rains whenever we leave a city? So we called a cab to get us to the train station. Hopped on the train and off we went.

My itinerary originally contained an option to stop in Ghent on the way; however, the more I read in my guidebook the more I was deciding against it. The stop would have been just for the church and I've seen a bunch of churches already and didn't want the hassle of dealing with suitcases, etc.

Got off the train and decided to cab it to the hotel. According to the online maps our hotel was near Luxembourg Station, but I didn't download walking directions and didn't want to chance it. I also had limited time in Brussels...so cab it was!

Arrived at hotel and our room wasn't ready. So we left the luggage and walked over to a nearby square. There was an American style sports bar so we grabbed some burgers. On that topic, we have had burgers a few times because DH wanted "American food." He kept complaining that they tasted funny (I didn't notice). Turns out that we were talking to someone from Belgium and they said that they mix pork into their hamburgers.

Back to hotel and checked in. I wanted to head out to the Grand Place and do my Rick Steves walk, but DH was content to stay in, so off I went. I grabbed a bus just around the corner from the hotel. Arrived at the Grand Place. Oh wow! Walking into the square....it was so beautiful!! I can see why people rave about this. It was just so beautiful. You could just sit here for hours and people watch!

I followed Rick Steves Grand Place walk. I walked all around the Grand Place and stopped into a couple of chocolate shops. I wanted to try as many different companies as I could....my consensus: It is all sooooo incredibly good!!! Walked through the Galeries Royales and down the Rue de Bouchers. This "restaurant row" was so cute! It's the size of a little alley but just jam packed with restaurants. Popped into the Church of St. Nicholas. This was a very spartan church compared to some of the lavish churches I've been in thus far. It was also very small. Walked back through the Grand Place and stopped and grabbed some waffles. OMG, once again, these things are just to die for.

Then I arrived at the Mannekin Pis. He wasn't dressed up today And he is so tiny!!! I took the obligatory pictures, but I found it kind of funny that this is one of the things that the city is so well known for.

I then started Rick Steves Upper Town walk. Walked over to the Notre Dame Sablon Church....very pretty church. Loved the gothic architecture!! Be careful though....there were several gypsy women with the fake children in their arms!! They were just sitting on the ground begging, but maybe if I bent over they would have tried something funny (I had read about this in the guidebook). Walked through the sculpture garden. I mostly used this as a chance to rest my feet. Then walked over to the Place Royale and the Royal Palace.

My Rick Steves walks were done, but I wanted to see St. Michael's Cathedral. The picture and background were very compelling. The actual church did not disappoint. It was very big and so beautiful! What was most interesting to me was the ability to walk underground to see an excavation site. It was so interesting to see the foundation of a church from Roman times.

Walked back to the hotel and I thought I would check out the EU Parliament area. What a complete waste of time. I don't recommend it to anyone else unless you just like walking through modern office buildings. Oh well, at least I burned some calories. Maybe I burned off those waffles!!

Dinner tonight was just room service. My feet were killing me and we had a long train ride to Luxembourg City tomorrow!!

twiggers

Day 8: Brussels to Luxembourg City + Vianden Castle

Woke up early and walked over to the Luxembourg Station to catch a direct train to Luxembourg City. Now, I know a lot of people don't really consider Luxembourg when vacationing in Europe. In fact, many people probably would have gone from Brussels to France or something like that. However, I saw this little country on the map and decided that I had to go. I just couldn't think of another trip where I would squeeze this country in. Although I would have loved to have gone to Paris, I really want to spend 5-7 days there.

The train ride was pretty uneventful. We enjoyed the countryside and arrived on time. It was really hard finding a lot of information on Luxembourg City (I'll now refer to it as LC) and so we decided to hop a cab to the hotel. This was the only hotel that we didn't get on Priceline and was the biggest disappointment. It was very clean, but VERY small. There were no blackout curtains and there was some neon lights shining into our room. DH also said the bed was too hard.

Anyhow, we checked in and I decided to take off to Vianden. DH said he wasn't really interested. Turns out there was a bus stop right outside our hotel, so I hopped on that to the train station. Grabbed a train to Ettelbruck and then a bus to Vianden Castle. It seems like a lot of transferring, but services were frequent and easy.

The bus driver let me off at the stop. I look up and there is the famous fairy tale castle. Now, how do I get up there? I read something about a chair life, but I didn't see anything....so I started up the road. Now, I should mention that the castle is at the top of a hill, and I had just decided to walk all the way up! It was a pleasant walk though and took about 15 minutes.

Arrived at the castle and paid the entry. There was a tour group going through and I thought about hanging with them, but it was in German! So I wandered off on my own. I have to admit, while the outside of the castle was beautiful I was not that thrilled with the inside. Apparently the castle was rebuilt in the 1970s and it was just TOO perfect. If that makes any sense. I like the castles where you are climbing on your hands and knees up steep stairs! Once again though, I will say it was really beautiful on the outside! I was disappointed, but glad that I went.

Climbed back down to the bus stop and finally noticed the chair lift. Yowsers it looked really steep! Kind of glad I didn't see it at the beginning....I needed to burn off some of those Belgian chocolates anyways.

Back to the hotel. We ended up across the street at a Japanese restaurant for dinner. It was pretty yummy!!!

Tomorrow's plan is to visit Trier, Germany!

taconictraveler

Twiggers: You're a trooper!! Keep going you're having a wonderful time, despite your DH's un-cooperation. At least he doesn't seem to mind staying behind, and (what?) reading, watching TV, walking in the neighborhood??

We drove thru Luxembourg on our way to Trier a year and one-half ago. I think you'll enjoy Trier. I particularly liked the Roman Baths.

Your report is great, and many of us are with you in spirit.

maryann

Eek, hands & knees on the steps in some castles !!! Never even thought of that before. Thanks for the tip - I don't like heights !!

M.A.

twiggers

Maryann: LOL, yes...climbing up some of those towers are crazy!

Taconic: Thanks! DH usually just kicks back at the hotel and watches TV while I'm gone. Or wanders around to find some food.

twiggers

Day 9: Luxembourg City + day trip to Trier, Germany

Up early and grabbed the bus to the train station. DH commented on how short of a ride it really was! I went to the ticket counter but was told to go over to the international counter. Got the tickets and they were approx. 8 euros each way. This was cheaper than what the bahn.de website said! Grabbed some wonderfully yummy croissants from one of the food stores in the station and off to board the train.

Traveling so much on the trains, I couldn't help but compare the different countries' trains. This German train was, by far, the nicest train we had been on. This may be because the train was scheduled to travel for 12+ hours!

Arrived in Trier. I didn't have a lot of information on the city so I stopped at the tourist desk in the train station. They provided a small map and general walking directions to the Porta Nigra/historic center of the city. It was a pleasant 10-15 minute walk. We later found out we could have rented bicycles from the train station DH really ended up liking that form of transportation, so it's too bad we didn't know.

We arrived at the Porta Nigra. Oh my, it was so imposing! It was so awe inspiring to think of how many people have passed through that gate. Just amazing. I walked into the main tourist office for a better map. DH then waited while I went through the Porta Nigra. It was very interesting walking through, and a great view!

Some of the sights in Trier are a bit spread out and to spare DH we decided to do one of the Hop On/Hop Off buses. I know...not the best way to see Europe, but DH insisted and I pick my battles. So we hopped on. It was kind of nice having the headphones to listen to historical things. In addition, I think we actually saw things we wouldn't have by walking around. The bus took us up to this high hill where we got some great shots of the city.

We hopped off at the amphitheater. DH waited outside while I went in. There are no seats left, but the main stadium floor and walls are still there and you can walk under. It was so interesting to think of the people sitting here and watching some type of show/spectacle.

I wanted to see the Roman Baths but there wasn't a convenient stop and it was a bit of a walk, so again...I pick my battles. We hopped back on the bus and got off near the Roman Basilica. Went through the Basilica. DH came in because it was free (part of his reason for not going into a lot of things was because we wasn't interested and didn't want to waste the money). It wasn't really that interesting though...just a big building (granted it was a big OLD building)...kind of austere.

Walked over to the two churches. Unfortunately Notre Dame was closed for renovations But was able to walk through the other church, the Dom. This church was big!!! They also have a Holy Relic...the Robe of Christ. You couldn't really see it though, which was a letdown.

Once out we decided we needed food! I also wanted to buy a couple souvenirs. We eventually found our way to one of the main squares where I found plenty of souvenir stands. I wanted some German bratwurst and some Strudel and we found a place that had both. YUM! The bratwurst was delicious! The strudel was just OK. My grandparents are from Germany and Grandma's strudel is much better! Walked back to the train station and back to LC.

Now, since we would be leaving LC in the morning (heading back to Brussels for travel home) I decided to do some exploring of the city. DH decided to hang out at the hotel. I ended up walking through the old town area. I wasn't really that impressed though. Just seemed very commercial, lots of high end stores, etc. I walked over to the area where you can overlook the valley. Now THAT was very pretty! I can see why they would refer to this city as Gibraltar. I wanted to see more of the valley so I paid for one of those touristy train ride things. It was very interesting though and, I think, a great way to see this part of LC. It was so interesting how there are homes and businesses down in the bottom of the valley! The commentary was really cheesy though.

Walked back to the hotel and called it a night. Tomorrow morning we have a long ride back to Brussels

I REALLY liked Trier. I mean, I really, really liked it. It was my first time visiting Roman ruins and it was just so interesting. I know I only caught a small glimpse of Germany, but I cannot wait to return (planning a summer 2012 trip to Germany/Austria). And DH? Well he really enjoyed it too!!!! He said that after Amsterdam, Trier was his favorite place we visited. I don't know if it was the food (he loved it) or the ruins (he thought they were interesting) or the Hop ON/Hop off bus (which we really liked)...but I'll take it!!!

LC wasn't really that interesting for me. I think I might have even enjoyed choosing Trier as a base and doing the day trip to Vianden from there...and maybe seeing something else in the Mosel Valley. Oh well, lesson learned.

One more day of vacation left!

twiggers

Day 10: LC to Brussels for departure & Day 11 departure

Woke up early and went for a run through LC. I decided to run down into the valley and forgot I'd need to get back out! Definitely a good workout on my legs!!!

We used the last day of our rail pass and caught the train back to Brussels. Now, we needed to transfer from Brussels Midi to the airport. I kind of screwed up. I knew our station and I heard the conductor announce our stop and assumed it was the next one (nothing was announced in English). I forgot to look at the sign and got off. Wrong stop...URG! We had to walk up and over, talk to the info counter (who only spoke French), and then walk back over and down and wait 15 minutes. Stupid me.
We finally got on and I had the times printed out for the airport express train, but didn't know the platform. I was able to navigate the signage they have up on the platforms with all the train times and we ran to the correct platform. Made it with a few minutes to spare!

Got off at the airport. Our hotel was the Sheraton Airport and was apparently right across the street. We weren't really sure what level, so we stopped at an information desk at the arrivals level. Found our way and checked in! I wanted to print out our plane tickets. We were traveling Delta and I put in all the information and it said we couldn't do online check-in. Of course, that freaks me out....I thought it was because I had a Green Card. So we walked over to the airport (literally a 2 minute walk) but the Delta desk was closed for the day.

Wanted to grab some munchies for the hotel room and some food so we walked up to the arrivals area. Grabbed a quick burger. Walked over to the supermarket. Yes, an actual market in an airport!! Stocked up on some munchies and back to the hotel. It was Saturday and our hotel had ESPN!!!! I was in heaven being able to catch up on college football. We mostly just vegged out. Nothing exciting.

All told this was probably a waste of a day, but given that we were 3 hours+ away from Brussels we didn't want to take the chance (nevermind having to be up so early) of getting from LC to Brussels on the day of departure. Plane travel from LC was very expensive too.

We woke up the next morning early and walked over to the Delta check in desk. They said that it was completely normal to NOT be able to do online check in. Process was super smooth and we went through security. Grabbed a bite to eat and waited for boarding. Had some great conversations with a bunch of Americans returning home. I have to admit, I LOVE LOVE LOVE being in Europe and being exposed to different cultures...but it was nice to talk to folks from back home! It was also so interesting to hear what they were doing and why they were in Europe (one did a one day trip with his wife who is a flight attendant, one was there because her husband was in cooking school in France, and the other owns a vacation home in Belgium).

Flight home was uneventful. No seat back TVs, which really sucked (especially when some idiot decides to stand in the aisle for an hour talking to someone and blocking most of the TV). It was more enjoyable than the ride there. I think that was because we weren't punch drunk from being tired! Customs in Atlanta was quick and easy (even though I had to do all the biometrics stuff) and we were home on time.

I'll post all my final thoughts next

twiggers

My final thoughts on the trip:

Was my planning worth it? Absolutely!!! The help I got here on Fodors, and from various guidebooks was invaluable. I am not the kind of person that can go on a major vacation like this without substantial planning. I'm fine with itineraries being changed, but it helps to be prepared. Who knows if I'll ever get back to these countries again.

Did I enjoy the countries/cities I visited? For the most part I have no regrets. I want to someday visit all the countries of the world, so I needed to visit these countries anyways. Was I disappointed with some places? Yes, but really, nothing is Europe is a regret.

What was my favorite? By far Amsterdam. I like larger cities and the laid back liberal attitudes are right up my alley. The architecture, the canals...just loved it all! And of course, my favorite artist ever, Van Gogh, has a museum there. I think after that I would vote for the smaller Dutch cities (Delft), then Brugges, Trier, Brussels, and LC.

What would I change? I would be pickier about hotels. I think I would have done an apartment rental in Amsterdam, and would have preferred something in the city center of Brussels.

Would I return? I definitely want to go back to Amsterdam and explore more of the countryside. And, of course, I want to return to Germany.

What about the husband's final thoughts? He didn't like the Rick Steves way of traveling. He would have preferred 5 star hotels, paying for laundry service, and guided tours (with a driver). Alas, we're not wealthy folks. He really, really enjoyed Amsterdam and riding bikes and wants to return. I did get him to agree to a 2 week trip in May 2011. We'll be doing a week in Rome followed by a 1 week Med cruise. He likes the cruise part because he doesn't have to walk around everywhere...and in Rome he said he'll rent a bicycle or just hang out at the apartment.

I'm happy I got to go on this trip. I've now seen another culture, been exposed to several new languages, and just broadened my horizons a little more. I love traveling and can't wait for the next trip!!! We have some Caribbean travel coming up (we live near a cruise port), but I'll be starting the planning for the big Rome trip within the next month. I cannot wait!!!!!

I'm more than happy to answer any questions about the places I visited ;-)

Thanks for reading! I hope this is helpful to other travelers.

bdokeefe

Great report, very interesting read.

I'd love to hear your DH's tidbits and stories from your trip.
When my wife and I travel, there is definitely a point where I just want to sit down and have a coffee...and people watch, relax, just no more churches, museums. We usually spend a good part of our time checking out some of the country side.

But we always rent a car. Maybe that would help your DH; just w/ you driving!

Enjoy your May vacation.