hetismij

I hope you were eating ham and kaas not ham and Klaas, at least in public . Interesting trip report.
Canadians have a special place in many older Dutch peoples hearts as they were often the "liberators"of their home town. That may explain the reaction rather than the Iraq war.

Maastricht and Utrecht are definitely worth at least a full day, if not two.
Hire a car in Maastricht and get out into the very un-Dutch countryside and the US war cemetery at Margraten. Or take a boat ride along the Maas, visit Eben Emael for more WW2 memories.

In Utrecht there are many museums worth visiting, plus the botanical gardens, and nearby are castles, palaces, lovely countryside.

globetrotterxyz

Robyn - thanks for posting your report. I'm enjoying it very much so far, especially the section on Maastricht (my husband is from Limburg). Can't wait to read the remainder of your report ...

yk - I agree with hetismij that Maastricht is worth some extra time to explore. The countryside outside the city is beautiful and even hilly in some areas. For a unique dining experience, go to Chateau Neercanne - a wonderful terraced castle right on the border with Belgium. It has gardens and an upscale restaurant (I think it's even rated a Michelin one-star). You can drink an aperitif in the caves under the castle which serve as their winecellar.

Leely2

I am in awe (have I said that already?) of both the breathless pace of your travel and the the detail of your report. Really great that you decided to post this, Robyn.

In your honor: >-

artstuff

<b>yk</b> - This was our 4th trip to Amsterdam, Delft and Rotterdam, and our 3rd to Gouda and Utrecht, so we knew our way around, which is probably why we could cover so much territory in the amount of time that we spent in each city.

We chose to visit Luxembourg because it was included with the rail pass, and after doing research, it sounded like an interesting country, which is was. I am really glad that we decided to visit Luxembourg. It's not a very popular country, and doesn't get a lot of tourists, which I think was one of the things that really appealed to me - it's off the beaten path. Kind of like we're part of a special secret that not many people are in on.

Our visit to Dinant was primarily for the Maison de la Pataphonie, but also because we saw a picture of the town in our Michelin Green Guide and decided that was a place we wanted see in person (the same reason we visited Positano, Italy on a previous trip - based solely on a picture in a guide book).

If we had more time to travel, or if we had chosen to visit fewer places, we could easily have spent a full day in Maastricht and Utrecht.

<b>Hetismij</b> - Oh my! I hope we didn't do anything to embarrass ourselves by eating Klaas. Thanks for the correction.

And thanks also for the information about the Canadian liberators. The gentleman that we spent time with in Maastricht was so informative and kind to us, and we could all see his disappointment learning we were not Canadians. I much prefer your explanation; it makes me feel more resolved about our parting.

<b>globetrotterxyz</b> - Thanks for reading my report, and enjoying my recollections of Maastricht. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes a picture in a guide book is enough to peek our interest into visiting a town. When I saw a picture of the Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek and its massive edifice (in the Michelin Green Guide) I was really drawn to visit Maastricht.

Please hang in with me. I'll try to get Day 11 posted tomorrow.

Robyn &gt;-

artstuff

Hey <b>Leely</b>, thanks for checking back on my report. You must have posted while I was writing my previous response.

I'm able to remember details only because I carry a journal with me when I travel, and am constantly pulling it out of my backpack to jot down notes about our travels. Sometimes it's a pain to do (I won't go to bed until I have my thoughts for the day written down), but I'm glad I disciplined myself to do so, otherwise I wouldn't remember the details of half the places we visited. Peace!

Robyn &gt;-

artstuff

DAY 11, Tues, April 15, BRUGGE

When I got up this morning, at 4:00 am, for my “I’m gettin’ old” trip to the bathroom, my glasses broke - the screw came un-done and the lens fell out. Luckily, I was able to retrieve the screw from the bed sheets and Phyllis had an eye-glass repair kit with her, which I utilized before breakfast. They had a nice breakfast room at the Cavalier, with meats, cheeses, breads, soft-boiled eggs, orange juice, cereals, and coffee/tea on the menu.

After breakfast, we strolled through the <b>Markt</b>, stopping to take pictures of the <b>Belfort</b> and <b>Hallen</b>, then on to the <b>Burg</b>, where we visited the <b>Bascillica of the Holy Blood</b> (EUR 1.50). Since this was the week leading up to Easter, they were having a special ceremony at 14:00 where they take the vial of blood out of it’s special resting place, and parade around with the reliquary. Unfortunately, we would be too busy visiting other sights in Brugge to make it back for the ceremony. We walked through the church’s Treasury, deposited a few coins in the donation box, and lit a candle, then left, stopping afterwards at a little store to buy some lace. The shop owner was more than happy to chat with us, and taught us two sayings which are very familiar in Brugge - “Don’t buy a cat in the sack” and “Release the tension on your bow (as in arrow) or it will break”.

Next stop was the <b>Vis Markt</b>, where we boarded a boat for a 1/2 hour <b>canal tour</b> (EUR 5.20 ea). The boat was jam-packed with tourists, the three of us among them. It was difficult to follow our tour guide, as he was delivering his speeches in several different languages, and he kept getting his words twisted around. But, hey! At least he knew more than one language.

After our boat ride we visited the <b>Onze-Lieve Vroucathedral</b> to view <b>Michaelangelo’s Madonna &amp; Child</b>. We then stopped for beverages and a snack at the <b>Coffee Link</b>, a little cafe with internet access, so Phyllis could e-mail home. We walked over to <b>St. Salvator’s Kerk</b>, only to find it closed, so we decided to go back to the hotel, gather up some laundry, and spend the next hour and a half at the wasseri, for the sake of having clean underware and non-crusty socks (I tried doing undies/socks in the hotel sink, but they just didn’t feel comfortable to wear). Conveniently, <b>Mister Washery</b> was right around the corner from the hotel, so we were able to accomplish this task without problem.

With our clean laundry safely stored in the hotel room, we went out on a quest for lunch. We found a little pizzeria, with a few tables that were empty. We ordered and paid for several slices and some drinks from the counter, then went to sit down at one of the tables. The woman behind the counter started yelling at us, that we weren’t allowed to sit at the tables unless we had ordered from their menu (I guess all the Euros we had just spent with her wasn’t good enough). We would have gladly paid a small surcharge to use the table, but she would have none of it. If we hadn’t already paid for our pizza, we would have just left. Instead, we stood there, like dopes, waiting for our food. The whole scene was very bizarre. We finally took our food and high-tailed it out of there.

We ended up finding a shady little area on the <b>Jan VanEyckplein</b> where we could eat our lunch, nestled between a statue and a water wheel. After our picnic lunch, we walked over to <b>St. Anne’s Church</b>, where we found the organist practicing. It was really cool walking through the church with the music resonating. We eventually made our way to the <b>Jerusalemkerk</b> (which was a bit gruesome) and the <b>Kantcentrum</b>. Admission to both places was EUR 1.50.

Being a quilter, I really enjoyed the Lace Center. It reminded me of an old-fashioned quilting bee - with all the old ladies sitting around, there jaws flapping as fast as their hands were going. The way they moved those bobbins around was incredible. I bought a tiny piece of lace that was made by one of the ladies (EUR 25,00), a wooden bobbin for my nick-nack shelf and a T-Shirt for B.J., which was designed by the woman that waited on us.

Later, we walked over to the <b>Bonne Chiere</b> (wooden stilt mill) and the <b>Kruispoort</b>. We stopped at a grocery store to pick up some more snacks, and then headed back to the hotel for a little respite. It was getting later in the evening, and we decided we needed a beer, so we went out in search of a little bar that a friend had told us about - <b>de Garre</b>. It is located down this skinny little alley, just off the Markt, or was it the Burg, and they have their own brand of beer. We all enjoyed a glass and some complimentary cheese, and then we were ready for dinner.

There were many places to choose from; it was hard to make a decision. We finally chose the <b>Huyze Die Maene</b>, located at #17 Markt. B.J. was disappointed to learn they were sold out of mussels, so we all decided to try the Waterzooi. We weren’t sorry - it was the most delicious chicken soup, made with leeks. We had friets on the side, and Phyllis and I shared a bottle of wine, while B.J. preferred to sample more beer. For dessert, B.J. and I shared a Belgium waffle with strawberries and cream, and Phyllis had Creme Brule. Total tab was EUR 72,50. It was such a relaxing, beautiful warm evening, sitting on the Markt, under a full moon, which lit up the entire square. After dinner we strolled around the Markt and the Burg, then went back to the hotel, happy and sated.

yk

Hi Robyn-

My mom and I visited Luxembourg City several years ago for a day (daytrip from Trier). We enjoyed our brief visit, but I never thought about stopping at other towns in Luxembourg; though we were on a rushed itin anyway.

In fact, we were there in 2003 as well come to think of it, but our trip was in July.

Your description of Brugge brings back good memories as DH &amp; I were just there last Sept. The town feels so lovely &amp; magical in the early morning and evening when the daytrippers aren't around. We really enjoyed our walk around town at night - often finding ourselves the only people on the streets.

artstuff

yk - Luxembourg was not even on our &quot;Top Ten Countries to Visit&quot; list, and we knew absolutely nothing about the Grand Duchy. But it was included in the BeNeLux Rail Pass, and when we started to do research on what there was to see, we found our itinerary quickly filling up.

I enjoy photography, so when I read about &quot;The Family of Man&quot;, I knew we had to stop in Clervaux, plus it was a convenient stop on the rail line. However, I really underestimated how long it would take to go through the exhibit. If I had it to do over again, we would probably have spent a night in Clervaux, so we had time to also explore some of its WWII history (but then I'd have to give a night up somewhere else).

When I saw pictures of Vianden, I just knew we had to spend a night in this little medieval town, with its castle and literary history. If we weren't there on Palm Sunday, we would have toured the Victor Hugo Museum, which was closed. Our perception of this sleepy little hamlet was that people from a five country region enjoy travelling there to eat, drink and make love - kind of like the Poconos in Pennsylvania use to be (I'm not sure if it's still a lover's destination).

Although taking the bus to Vianden took a little bit more travel time, sometimes we find that <i>travel is the destination</i>. We really enjoying taking public transportation because it gives us the opportunity to talk with the local people.

The landscape of Luxembourg City sounded really intriguing, although, beforehand I kept trying to envision it in my mind from descriptions, which just didn't do it justice. I'm sure being there on a sunny, warm, spring day helped make our experience all that more memorable. My husband keeps talking about returning to Luxembourg City, to spend more time exploring the Bock Casemates (that's the little boy in him coming out).

If we had more time, and weren't travelling pre-Easter, before some bus lines were running, we would have taken the bus out to the &quot;Petite Suisse&quot; area of Luxembourg, to the medieval town of Echternach. I imagine the bus ride itself would have been the &quot;destination&quot;, through the lovely countryside.

Oh well, there's always next time. And my husband does keep reminding me, &quot;You can't do it all&quot;.

Oh yeah!, Well, I can still try.

Robyn &gt;-

yk

Looking forward to the rest, Robyn.

yk

Hi Robyn, any chance you could finish this in the near future?

artstuff

Hi yk - Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this trip report. My husband had a medical scare recently - he's allright, as long as he listens to his doctor - and I had to finish two quilts I was sewing, which were Christmas presents waiting to be given.

But I think my life is finally back in order again (whatever that might be), so I'll try posting the next installment of my trip report, without the luxury of the preview and edit options.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, yk. This one's for you...

Robyn

artstuff

<b>DAY 12, Wed, April 16, GHENT, ROTTERDAM, DELFT</b>

We started the morning with another delicious breakfast, and then packed our bags and we were off to the train station, via the bus, which we were able to board close to the hotel. Using day 4 of our rail pass, within 20 minutes we arrive in <b>Ghent</b> (Tourist - St. Baafsplein 17A in the Crypt of Belfry), where we stashed our luggage in the lockers, and boarded the tram to the <b>Koerenmarkt</b>.

Our first stop was the <b>Belfort</b>, where we took the lift to the near top for a beautiful view of the city. There was a stone spiral staircase which you could climb for a higher view, but we chose not to. We checked out the clockworks and the bells, cast by the <b>Hemony Brothers</b>. Apparently the Hemony Brothers were quite popular bell makers in their time; we’ve visited several churches in the BeNeLux region with Hemony carillons.

We stopped briefly at the <b>St. Nicolaas Kerk</b>, then onward to <b>St. Bavo’s Kerk</b>, to view the <b>Adoration of the Mystic Lamb Altarpiece</b>, by Jan van Eyck, and explore the treasury in the crypt (we love those reliquaries). Afterwards, we walked over to the <b>Develhuis</b>, but we just didn’t have enough time to go in and explore.

We back-tracked to the bridge located between the <b>Kornlei</b> and the <b>Grasslei</b>, where we took several pictures of the <b>Three Towers of Ghent</b>. Eventually, we caught the tram back to Central Station where we grabbed some broodjes and boarded the train to Antwerp Bercham, then transferred trains to Rotterdam. Total travel time was about 2.25 hours.

We stashed our bags at Centraal Station in <b>Rotterdam</b> (VVV - Coolsingel #67), then hopped back on the train to the Rotterdam Blaak Station (6 minutes). There must have been an AJAX game that day, as we kept encountering happy revelers dressed in orange. We walked out of the train station and onto the plein, and just stood there for awhile and admired the unique architecture of Rotterdam - <b>Station Blaak</b>, which resembles a flying saucer; the <b>“Pencil” Building</b>, which looks like a pencil standing upright, the point extending to the sky; the <b>Centrale Bibliotheek</b>, which reminded me of the Pompidou Center in Paris; and the grand-mama of them all, the <b>Kijk Kubus Complex</b>, with it’s series of tumbling blocks weaved into a community area. We toured through #70 Overblaak, (EUR 1.75), which is the one apartment cube that is open to the public. Standing inside the cube, looking out the slanted window hovering above the sidewalk, gave me a bit of vertigo, but the whole complex is uniquely interesting and should not be missed, particularly if you have any interest in architecture.

Now that we’re back in the Netherlands we decided to stop at <b>De Koffieshop</b> (Halstraat 10A) for a quick break. The first time we stopped here was in 1998, when we were doing the “Dutch Hashcoffeeshop Tour” with friends of ours. The tour is a published book which lists different coffeeshops that you can visit, and then get your book signed and dated by the dealer. That’s when we first met Willem, who was working at the De Koffieshop as part of his probation!!! Apparently, he was caught growing too many marijuana plants, and his sentence was to find a “real” job and limit the number of plants he grew. Only in the Netherlands....ah, tolerance. Anyway, Willem was still there, but I’m not sure if he really remembered us from our previous visits, although he was very gracious to us, and flattered that we remembered him.

Our next stop was the <b>Oudehaven</b>, where we enjoyed looking at the boats. It was such a warm beautiful spring day, and we were all roasting in the sun as we walked down the <b>Wijnhaven</b>. We eventually made our way to the <b>Water Taxi</b> station (EUR3.10 each RT), got into the little boat, and off we went across the Nieuwe Maas to the <b>New York Hotel</b>, dodging a very large barge along the way. For many immigrants from Europe, the New York Hotel was their last stop before they embarked on their journey to America. We were parched, so we stopped at the <b>Harbor Lounge</b> for some beverages, and then walked around outside, admiring the <b>Erasmusbrug</b> and checking out the <b>“Lost Luggage”</b> on the dock.

We took the water taxi back across the Maas, only our driver misjudged the wake from a passing ship, and B.J. and I got soaked. We were sitting all the way in the back of the boat - Phyllis was smart and sat up front by the driver, who was quite embarrassed, and kept apologizing. Luckily, it was so warm outside that the water quickly evaporated from our clothes, although we did smell a little “fishy”.

Safe on the shore, we jumped on the tram to Centraal Station, stopped at the Albert Hein for some provisions, grabbed our luggage, and then boarded the train to <b>Delft</b> (VVV - Markt Square #83) for the 14 minute ride. We took a taxi (EUR 10.00) to the hotel, which was located behind the Nieuwe Kerk, just beyond the far side of the Marktplein. Our taxi driver was very friendly, and told us he had recently visited New York City, and found the taxis there just disgusting.

We arrived at the <b>Herberg de Emauspoort</b> (Vrouwenregt 10-11 - Double 82.50, Single 72.50 - www.emauspoort.nl), and settled into Kamer 8, the Anthoni van Leeuwenhoek Room (inventor of the microscope). The room was on the second floor in a detached building in the back courtyard of the hotel, and if I stretched out the window I could see the tower of the <b>Nieuwe Kerk</b>. Since we were so close to the church, we were able to hear the bells tolling every half hour, which added to the charm of staying in this quaint old town. We were relieved, however, to find out they turn the chimes off around 10 - 11 pm, and turn them back on around 7.00 am.

We took a little respite, changed out of our fishy clothes, and set out in search of dinner. We ended up at the <b>Cafe Restaurant Royal</b>, on Voldersgracht 10. B.J. had Chicken on a stick with sate, Phyllis and I had ribs and friets and split a 1/2 carafe of wine (EUR21.45). It was a pleasant meal, on a pleasant evening, at the end of a pleasant day. After dinner we walked around a bit, finally making our way back to the hotel, where Phyllis retired for the evening. Since it was such a beautiful night, and still warm outside, B.J. and I decided to go out for another walk along the medieval canals and streets, before returning to our room to pass out.

yk

Hi Robyn - So sorry to hear about the medical scare of your husband. Glad to here he's okay, as I'm looking forward to your next trip (I'm sensing... Belgium in the fall, right?)

This is quite a whirlwind day - Ghent + Rotterdam in one day, plus the onward journey to Delft! About the Ghent Belfry, my husband insisted on climbing the stairs. I thought about joining him, but after 5 steps my thighs were screaming (We had just climbed the Bruges Belfry the day before), so I took the elevator instead.

I was in Rotterdam for a brief visit a few years ago, mainly for the museum. But I didn't have time for a detail look at all the architecture, so a repeat visit is needed.

Looking forward to Delft... another place I only had 1/2 day for. Would love to go back there to spend a few days.

artstuff

<b>DAY 13, Thur, April 17, HAARLEM, LEIDEN, KEUKENHOF, DELFT</b>

We woke up to the lovely sound of the bells tolling from the <b>Nieuwe Kerk</b>. Little did we know then, that this was the beginning of one of the most perfect days of travelling in Europe. This was the day that inspired our trip to the Netherlands with Phyllis.

Several months earlier, while the three of us were having dinner, Phyllis mentioned that she would like to take another trip to Europe during the spring, but she couldn’t decide where to go next. In unison, my husband and I both stated, “Holland, for the tulips. We’ll take you!” And so, the planning and anticipation began.

As we walked across the courtyard, from our hotel rooms to the breakfast room, we were overcome by the sweet aroma of fresh-baked pastries. As it turned out, the <b>Emauspoort</b> has a bakery attached to their hotel, right off the breakfast room, so we were admiring all the yummy looking baked goods while enjoying our morning Dutch feast. Afterwards, we walked to the bus stop, just around the corner from the hotel, and took the bus to Centraal Station, where we boarded the 8:58 train to Haarlem (VVV - Stationsplein #1), Day 5 on the Rail Pass.

The 38 minute train ride through the countryside was breathtaking at times, with fields of colors spreading out in all directions. The last 3-4 days had been exceptionally beautiful and warm (70-80’s F) spring days, which had forced all the bulbs in the fields to bloom. We were giddy with delight that Mother Nature had been so kind to give us this incredible array of colors.

We arrived in <b>Haarlem</b> at 9:36, purchased some additional Strippenkaarts, and then boarded the bus towards the <b>Grote Markt</b>, only to find the entire Markt Square occupied by a carnival. There were carnival rides, and games of chance for cheap prizes, and crappy carnival food stands. Yuck!

We dashed into the <b>Grote of St. Bavokerk</b> (EUR 1.50 ea), and much to our surprise and delight, someone was playing the organ!!!! No, wait, they’re only tuning the organ.... darn… well, maybe we’ll get to hear them play some music before we leave. We spend quite some time wandering around, checking out the Christiaen Muller organ (once played by Handel and Mozart), the chancel screen, the painted arched ceiling, the wooden arched ceiling, the ships hanging from the ceiling, the fire engines, and the markings showing the shortest and tallest height of their parishoners, all the while single note drones are emitting from this massive organ - but still no song. We finally can’t take it anymore, and leave.

We strolled through the streets and made our way to the <b>Teyler’s Museum</b> (EUR 5.50 ea), which we found interesting and fun to explore. They had a special exhibition on body piercing (ouch!), that had disclaimer warnings posted all over, advising people that they may become “queasy” while viewing certain parts of the exhibition (they were right). None the less, it was a very interesting peek into other culture’s customs.

We stopped for lunch at <b>de Karmeliet Brasserie</b> (Club Sandwiches for Phyllis and me, an omelet for B.J.). After lunch we strolled around the town for awhile, and then eventually took the bus back to Centraal Station, and we were on our way again.

Nineteen minutes later we arrived in <b>Leiden</b> (VVV - Stationsplein #210), and made the short walk to the <b>Molen de Valk</b> (EUR 2.50 ea), a grain windmill from the 1700’s, which is now open to the public. We toured through the first few floors, which houses the living quarters for the millers family and a little museum, and then climbed to the top floor, and walked out on the deck for a great view of Leiden. We were lucky enough to be there when the sails were turning, which was such a treat.

We walked back to Centraal Station, and bought tickets for the <b>Keukenhof</b> and the Bus #54 Connexxion (EUR 15.50 ea), and within 20 minutes we were being dropped off at a side entrance to the garden. We then spent the next 2 1/2 hours just wandering through the gardens, greenhouses and pavilions, admiring all the beautiful sights and smells of millions and millions of bulbs. The Gardens were at their peak! It couldn’t get any better!!! This was our 3rd visit to the Keukenhof, and we have never seen the bulbs more magnificent, thanks to the perfectly warm weather.

We didn’t want to leave this palette of colors and smells, but we decided to bug out before the park closed, and try to beat the rush back to the train station. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea, and the bus was jammed with people. Phyllis got the last seat, B.J. stood up, and I found a little stoop to sit on for the 20-25 minute ride back to the station. The worst part, however, was the American family with 4 young kids, who each took their own seat (two of their little hineys could have easily fit onto one seat), but the kids kept running around, jumping up and down. I should have just gotten up off the stoop, and plopped down on one of the vacant seats, while the kids were acting like maniacs in the bus aisle. Why were the parents so thoughtless?

Happy to be off the bus, we took the train from Leiden back to Delft (18 minutes), enjoying the last glimpses of the beautiful bulb fields surrounding us. Finally in <b>Delft</b>, we took the #61 bus to the Burgwal, and then walked back to the hotel. We took a little respite in our rooms, and then went off in search of dinner.

We decided to walk towards the Burgwal and eventually ended up at <b>Eetcafe ‘T Walletje</b> (Burgwal 7), where B.J. had salmon and Phyllis and I had the Pasta Pici, and we all shared a carafe of wine (EUR 46.30). We had a delicious meal and relaxing time, and decided that, despite the carnival in Haarlem, and the droning in the Grote Kerk, and the ugly American family on the bus, it was the Keukenhof Gardens in all their glorious bloom, and the train ride through the countryside, which made today the most perfect day of our travels.

After dinner we wandered along the canals and streets of Delft, soaking in the last moments of the evening, until we ended back at our hotel, just as the bells on the Nieuwe Kerk were tolling for the end of another day.

artstuff

<b>DAY 14, Fri, April 18, DELFT, den HAGUE, SCHEVENINGEN</b>

Our last full day on holiday, and it was another beautiful day, although it was bit cooler and windier. We had our traditional Dutch breakfast, and then decided to head off to De Delftse Pauw, one of two <b>Delft pottery factories</b> that you can tour, and then afterwards visit their gift shop. There are only two factories in town that provide a Certificate of Authenticity from the Delft Chamber of Commerce for each piece of Delftware that you purchase. We prefer De Delftse Pauw (over De Porceleyne Fles, Rotterdamsweg 196, EUR 3.00) because their tour is free and their prices also seem more affordable.

On the way to the tram stop, around the corner from the hotel, we discovered a little toy store, so we decided to go in and explore. Much to my surprise, as soon as I walked through the doorway, into the store, I set off the alarm. Shocked!, I immediately exited the store and tried to enter again. Once more, the alarms started to ring!! So this time I took my backpack off, and tried going through the doorway for a third time, and still the alarm rang!!! Now I took my coat off, and tried once more, and still the alarm was ringing!!!! What the f#@k!! By now, everyone in the store had turned around, and was looking at this freaked out woman just trying to get through the doorway to do a little shopping. After much scrutiny by a bewildered sales assistant, we soon discovered that the Falkplan map of Delft, that I had purchased on a trip in 1998, stashed in the back pocket of my jeans, was setting off the alarm!!!! The sales assistant was nice enough to deactivate the security sensors in my map, and we set about shopping, picking up several gifts for a couple of kids.

From there we headed on over to the Burgwal, where we picked up the 60/62 bus for Vrijenbanselaan (you can also take Tram #1). We missed our stop, and had to back-track on foot a bit, but eventually found Pauwhof and cut through the little housing development, which brought us right out at Delftweg (across from the water tower, which doubles as an apartment). A few buildings down the canal is <b>De Delftse Pauw</b> (Delftweg 133) We took the free tour, which takes you through the different stages of making Delftware; molding, firing, and my favorite, the painting process, where a room full of women gingerly applies the designs to the pottery. Our tour ended in the gift shop, where we did some shopping - ashtrays and vases for Christmas presents, a salt-n-pepper set and a thimble for me (to add to my collections).

With our purchases carefully wrapped, we made our way back to the Vrijenbensalaan tram stop and took Tram #1 to the Binnenwatersloop stop. From there, we bobbed and weaved our way across town towards the hotel, stopping along the way to pick up more souvenirs to take home with us.

We had been eyeing the many varieties of pastries every morning, at the <b>Baakkerij</b>, located just off the breakfast room at the hotel, and so we decided to finally give in to their house specialty, cherry in cheesecake and meringue. It was incredibly delicious.

After stashing our morning purchases in our hotel room, we took a leisurely stroll through the <b>Markt</b>, stopping to finally take pictures of the <b>Nieuwe Kerk</b> and <b>Stadhuis</b>, then past the <b>Oude Kerk</b> with its wonderful lean, then finally to the tram stop, where we picked up Tram #1 towards den Haag (VVV - Koningin Julianaplein 30).

<b>Tram #1</b> is a wonderful alternative to train travel between den Haag and Delft, as it takes you through the neighborhoods, where you have more of a chance to see and meet some of the local folks. It’s about a 15-20 minute enjoyable ride.

At the <b>den Haag</b> H.S. we transferred to tram #8, towards the Korte Langehout. We walked over to Palais Lange Voorhout #74, the location of the <b>M.C. Escher Museum</b>.(EUR 7.50 ea). I always found Escher’s work interesting, but only saw it on posters, calendars or T-shirts, so I was pleased to have a chance to see it in person...and I wasn’t disappointed. You can view his works pretty much in chronological order through a series of rooms on two floors. I particularly found interesting his work with printmaking. On the third floor, however, I was completely blown away by the <b>virtual reality tour</b>. Phyllis decided not to participate, so B.J. and I sat down in the chairs, put on the helmets and hand pieces, and went for the most fantastic ride through some of Escher’s more famous pieces. It took a while to figure out the controls, but I had it mastered in a few minutes and soon discovered that the tour was actually a game that you were playing with the other people seated around you. As it turned out, I won the game for that session!

After spending money in the gift shop we were off to the <b>Panorama Mesdag</b> (Zeestraat #65, EUR 4.00 ea), by way of the tram. What I found interesting is that the Panorama Mesdag is one of only eight remaining panoramas in the world (can’t remember where I read that). At one time, before motion pictures, panoramas were a big form of entertainment. I find it sad that only a handful of this art form still remain. There was quite the crowd (a bus tour must have just arrived), and we walked around the circular room, waiting for the narration to begin in English (it was just finishing when we arrived in the room, so we knew that English was part of the tour). The Panorama of the coastline of Scheveningen was pretty neat to see, when we could finagle a spot in front of the Plexiglas divider. After 10 minutes of viewing, we got tired of the crowds and waiting for the English narration, so we decided to leave.

We found the tram stop and took the #8 to <b>Scheveningen</b> and walked to Bosschestraat 63, where we stopped at the <b>Blue and White</b>, a coffeeshop/cafe. We first found this place in 1998, and at that time they offered a larger menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc., but since then it really scaled back. We ordered tostis, which turned out to be grilled sandwiches, and watched as the after work crowd came in, purchased their evening stash, and left.

After eating, we headed off to the <b>North Sea</b>. The beach, the promenade, the mall and the whole town were just swarming with people. The sun was shining bright and the temperatures were in the 70’s F, and everyone had the same idea - to head to the sea. We had no intentions of swimming; we just wanted to see it and perhaps stick our toe in the water. Instead, we strolled the <b>promenade</b> while people watching, walked down and around the <b>Kurhaus</b>, then found the tram stop across the street and took Tram #1 all the way back to Delft, to the Binnenwatersloop. It took about 40 minutes, and was quite a pleasant ride.

At one of the neighborhood stops, B.J. and I got excited when a young teenager got on the tram with his wirehaired dachshund, and sat down next to us. Our little wirehaired doxy, IGY Pup, was at home, at “summer camp”, and we sure did miss him. We were happy to be able to give a couple of scratches behind the ears, and get a couple of kisses from this substitute pup, before his owner exited the tram with him at the next stop.

We took a little respite at the hotel, and then B.J. and I decided to go out for a bike ride, while Phyllis took a nap. The hotel offers free bike rentals to hotel guests, and we had never rode bikes in the Netherlands before, and after our experience, we probably never will again! I thought B.J. was going to end up seriously injured - he just wasn’t getting the ebb and flow of the heavier bike traffic. We finally found some out-of-the-way back streets, away from the center of town, and spent about 30 minutes riding around, before our behinds couldn’t take the uncomfortable seats anymore.

After resting a bit, the three of us went out in quest of our final dinner on our travels. We actually did real well, and found a little restaurant just around the corner from the hotel, <b>The Happy Corner</b>. We walked in and found ourselves the only guests in the restaurant. The waiter took our order - B.J. ordered the mussels, Phyllis and I had Weinerschnitzel, and we shared a bottle of white wine from France. After serving us our wine and bread, the waiter disappeared into the little kitchen, which was separated from the dining room by a half wall, and quickly became our chef. He banged around dishes for about 20 minutes and emerged with some of the most delicious food, including stuffed mushrooms, salad, friets, some other fried potato and cheese delicacy, as well as our entrees. I kicked myself for not ordering the mussels - the little nibble that B.J. allowed me was a delight to my taste buds. It was an excellent meal, with excellent service. It was as if we were guests in this man’s home for the evening, and he was cooking just for us. A family of four arrived just as we were finishing our dining experience, and we all thought that they were in for a wonderful treat. We were very happy when we left The Happy Corner. Until we got back to the hotel and reality set in. We had to pack for our flight home tomorrow.

yk

I still remember how sick I got from doing that 3-D virtual tour at Escher Museum. I get motion sickness easily, and I felt horrible afterwards. :-&

artstuff

<b>DAY 15, Sat, April 19, DELFT, TRAVEL</b>

We slept in this morning, just lying in bed listening to the chiming bells of the Nieuwe Kerk. We had our last Dutch breakfast, and then back to our rooms to finish packing and check out. We left our bags at the hotel while we wondered around the canals of <b>Delft</b> for the last time, checking out several of the little shops and markets that we stumbled upon, and trying to absorb the last fleeting moments of our holiday. But alas, the time had come for us to go.

We retrieved our bags at the hotel, took the #60 bus from Burgwal to Centraal Station, where we caught the train to Leiden, then transferred to <b>Schiphol</b>. We arrived three hours early, so we had a little snack from the delicatessen and finally drank a bottle of wine that we had been schlepping with us since Maastricht, and reflected on the wonderful, if not tiring trip we just had.

We caught the puddle jumper to <b>Heathrow</b> (lousy sandwiches on the British Airways flight) and soon learned that they had bumped us to another flight that was leaving an hour later for JFK in New York. Oh well, that gave us lots of time to look for the spy in the airport.

The flight to New York was uneventful (dinner sucked, imagine that), but when we arrived at <b>JFK</b> there was a definite lack of buses taking travelers to the long term parking lot. There were several buses for employees only, with just 3-4 riders on them, but none for the crowd of tired tourists. It was near riot proportions when a bus finally arrived.

Safely at our car and luggage all packed in, we began the 3 1/2 hour ride home, Phyllis at the wheel. We were exhausted, but filled with memories to last a lifetime.

Robyn

artstuff

yk - That's a shame that you got sick on the virtual tour, because it was <u>so cool</u>. Phyllis chose not to take the tour because she was concerned how it would affect her physically. That was probably a good thing.

By the way, thanks for hanging in with me to the end of my report. I work full time, and sometimes it's hard to find the time for my travel hobby, so thanks for being patient.

Have a great day!

Robyn

nyse

Robyn, thanks for taking the time and trouble to post this tremendous report -- please know that every morsel was/is
appreciated!

artstuff

nyse - Thanks for reading my report. If you have any questions about the BeNeLux area, I'll be happy to try to answer them.

Robyn &gt;-