wren

DAY 1 AMSTERDAM

We flew Virgin Atlantic from Miami- London Heathrow and connected on KLM to Amsterdam. After landing in Amsterdam and retrieving our luggage, we bought train tickets into the city and were in our quiet little neighborhood at the Maes B and B (95 euro) in no time at all. Vlad lifted our luggage up several flights of stairs…no wonder he is in such great shape! After getting cleaned up and settled in, we decided to go to a nearby outdoor café for a light snack. The weather was cool and crisp…just what we love! We found a little cafe on a canal. Our waiter was great. We asked him what kind of beer he would recommend and he brought us 5 different glassfuls to sample…charged us for only 2! Such a deal! We really aren’t beer drinkers, but I have to admit it was tasty! That along with an assortment of cheese and meats, and we decided to go back to the room for a quick siesta. We then decided to explore our surroundings in the Jordaan, “our neighborhood”. I was surprised by 1) Ladies of the night in the windows in our quiet little residential neighborhood, they were expected in the red light district, but not everywhere!, 2) the large number of coffee shops everywhere you go, 3) bicycles like mosquitoes buzzing everywhere with their riders listening to IPods and talking on cell phones! Amsterdam is a city like no other! The canals, bikes, laid back attitude, etc., make it such a unique place! Later that same night, after an invigorating walk, wanting a good, but light bite, we went to a great Thai restaurant, recommended by Vlad and very near the B and B, “Top Thai”. A great night’s sleep followed.

TexasAggie

can't wait for Brugge!

wren

DAY 2 Second day started off with a wonderful breakfast of assorted breads, assorted cheeses and meats, jams, coffee, tea, and great company by our host Vlad and a British couple from Birmingham…we told them our daughter also lives in Birmingham (Alabama, that is) and proceeded to laugh about the different pronunciations of the same town name! Our day began a little later than usual that day, but it doesn’t get dark in late June until around 11:00, so there was plenty of time each day to see the sights! We walked around and saw the floating flower markets, browsing at the shops and flowers which were beautiful. We decided to grab a quick lunch at Hansel and Gretel’s near the museums…salads, soups, and a small pitcher of white wine for 16 euro. We visited both the Rijks and the Van Gogh. The headphones definitely enhanced what we were seeing. I especially liked the Van Gogh museum. After more walking, we went to Leidseplein to people watch and have a drink. Vlad had recommended that we take a late boat ride when we were tired and ready to sit for awhile and he was sooo right! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the canals and picturesque houses from another perspective. We had a picnic on our balcony for dinner which was the perfect end to a wonderful day.

DAY 3 HAARLEM We took the train to Haarlem for a change of pace. Still lots of bikes, but definitely a slower paced town. We ate lunch on the square and as we were leaving a teenage chorus performed the theme song to “Friends”. Next on to the Franz Hals Museum, and after we found Corrie Ten Boom’s house, but it was already closed for the day (4:00) so we decided to return to A’dam. We had a light, salad dinner and finished with delicious Apple Pancakes that night at Café Van Zuylen on a beautiful canal.
Tomorrow: Travel to Brugge.

ira

Thanks for sharing, wren.

Looking forward to more.

dwzemens

wren,

I am about to push the button for airfare on a September trip to Amsterdam, Brugge and Paris - so I look on at your report with great interest.

Dave

Simone1

I don’t know, but I think the next portion will be a little out of the ordinary every day sightseeing. Thank for sharing.

wren

DAY 4 TRAIN TO BRUGGE After arriving from a seemless trainride to Brugge (by the way, the Amsterdam station accepts only cash for tickets, no credit cards) and finding a taxi (10 euro), we are at our B&B in no time. Absoluut Verhulst (75 euro) is absolutely lovely as are our hosts. The room is large, bathroom huge, and we are quite happy with our selection. We walk around for a couple of hours, check out a few chocolate shops, (Dumon’s is truly fabulous!) and then return to get ready for our extravagant meal! For the evening, they have helped our son arrange a dinner reservation at Den Dijver to celebrate both our birthdays and Mother’s and Father’s Day. This traditional restaurant is unique in that everything is cooked in Belgian beer. One of us had the dinner accompanied by wine and the other ordered the dinner accompanied with beer. This is no ordinary beer, and they pair every course with the apprpriate beer or wine with amazing intuition! The food was incredible from the beginning to end. They brought out a dish before the appetizer with just a bite of gazpacho, a small fritter, a rice salad, and tapinade on a beautifully decorated square plate. Then my husband got the quail appetizer and I had the lobster. Both were wonderful. For main course, he had the pork roast with smoked duck and garlic mashed potatoes,cheese for dessert. I had swordfish with capers and vegetable salsa and sumptuous fruit dessert. Thanks to our son and his wife for an amazingly delicious dinner!

progol

I've been waiting for this, Wren! Your trip sounds fabulous -- and when I first read about your plans, I decided that this will be my post-graduation trip next summer! Can't wait to read the rest. I'm busy taking notes for next year.
Paule

wren

DAY 5 BRUGGE On our second day in Brugge, we had a wonderful breakfast with Benno cooking one of his famous egg dishes. These hosts are so hospitable and you really know they run this place with a passion! Always willing to give you help if you need it! We had a very active day going to the Markt Bellfry, climbing all 366 stairs to the top (the bells went crazy while we were on top as it was noon), visiting the Memling museum, getting tea and a Belgian waffle in the mid afternoon, a sampling of beer at De Halve Maan Brewery, touring the Beginhof, and taking a canal cruise at the end of the day before dinner. We returned to our room to rest and get ready for the evening. Unfortunately around half past eight, the trip took a dramatic turn after the edge of a wooden step snapped off, and DH fekk when he was going down to the bathroom to clean up before dinner. (He is unsure how he landed, but sure his elbow took most of the impact) After he let out a few painful screams, popped his elbow back into place, lay on the bed writhing in pain after it popped back out, we both decided the ER, not fine dining, was our next move! Benno took us to Sint Jan’s Hospitaal and stayed until all we could do is wait to be seen (which I must admit did not take too long) We sat conjuring up all sorts of alternative plans just in case the news meant he could not go on. With DD arriving at CDG the next morning (so we thought), the plan was even more complicated. After X-rays, the doctors concluded that not only was his elbow broken, but surgery was mandatory, would be scheduled for the next morning and the surgeon would put two screws in his arm! (Yes, his arm is now literally screwed up…but he was able to make it through the metal detectors with no problem!!) Everyone was quick, efficient and professional…we had no complaints about the care at all! Then Benno returned, DH insisted we go home and sleep,so Benno and I returned to their place. The three of us back at the B&B up together drank red wine together and talked about what we should do. Needless to say, they felt absolutely horrible about the accident. They really made me feel calm about everything though, because I knew they would help with everything. And that is an understatement!
Tomorrow: Surgery, Screws, and Duvel!

Betsy

More! More! Please don't stop now!

wren

DAY 6 BRUGGE Benno and I went to the hospital but DH was still in surgery. We have some great conversations about our cultures and countries in the car. I felt like I was with an old friend! Benno says we should go to the train station to see if we can get a refund on our special Thalys tickets (answer was no). Returning to their home, we all sit down to lunch together…fresh bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and pickled herring, something I had never tried before. It was quite good! Later that afternoon, sweet Frieda and I talk about her children, my children, her granddaughter, our husbands, etc. I felt like I had known her for years.

Later I get a quick visit with DH as he is totally zoned out on drugs. Imagine waking up groggy and everyone is speaking a language about which you have no clue!!

Several ironies occur. 1. DH and I had made specific back-up arrangements just in case something unforeseen happened to prevent DD from finding us in Paris. 2. Benno said they had a cancellation the day before and intentionally decided not to fill the room (which I would need since we had an extra day there). 3. Also, for the first time ever, Benno left a note for the guests to contact them while they were out the evening of the accident. It was almost like we knew something was going to happen and we were meant to become friends through a really fluky accident.

The day of the surgery was a blur for me, especially after one of their special Belgian beers named "Duvel" (translation: DEVIL! 81/2% alcohol and very tasty I might add)! We stayed up late talking that night having a great time…too bad DH is in the hospital! Tomorrow, we’re hoping he is released!

In all this confusion, I neglected to mention another weird factor! The night of the accident was also the night DD was to fly out and arrive in Paris the next day. However, she was unable to get on her flight in Birmingham due to storms in the area, and was rescheduled to be in Paris two days late! (the day of DH's release!) Coincidence? I think not!!!

beanweb24

Love it...husband in surgery - eh, why not have a beer!

You hit my two faves -- Dumon chocolates and Den Dyver for dinner. I've enjoyed many meals there and am looking forward to more in December. We had the pleasure of a New Years Eve dinner there 2 years ago...about 5.5 hrs of pure heaven.

Your trip sounds wonderful...so glad you made the most of a bad situation and with such high spirits. Looking forward to reading more.

Sue4

This is exciting reading! Anxiously awaiting your next episode, Wren. But I DO feel sorry for your DH.

ilovetulips

What an experience. You sound so level about everything. I am glad that you and your husband didn't let his broken arm turn into a major crisis. I am enjoying your trip report and I admire your attitude toward accidents when traveling.

progol

Oh, Wren, poor DH! I'm anxiously waiting to hear how he felt after his surgery and how he was able to deal with the trip after this occurred. How wonderful, though, that Benno and family are so caring; that makes all the difference in such a difficult situation.
Love that you and your dh are both pretty out of it on the day of his surgery, though for completely different reasons! And as the earlier poster wrote, with your husband in surgery, why not a beer?!

Can't wait to hear the next installment-- pretty dramatic stuff, this!
Paule

wren

Now that you mention it, something very much out of the ordinary at the hospital cafeteria was the fact that you could go down and smoke a cigarette and have a beer. They had quite a selection of beers actually...now that is something you'd never see here in the US!

wren

DAY 7 EMANCIPATION DAY TO HONFLEUR! Sunday, the doctor agreed to release DH after removing his 2 ton cast. The Verhulst’s fed us both one last time. After many hugs with Frieda, Benno took us to the train station and helped us buy tickets from Brugge-Brussels-CDG. So we were off to meet DD…one day late. Benno made arrangements for someone to help us with our luggage on the train, and several other passengers were helpful with getting it arranged properly. Making our connection in Brussels was fairly easy, and I made sure DH took his pain meds on time. What a good sport he is!

We didn’t arrive at Terminal 2 until almost 5:00 in Paris, but we found DD with no problem, raced to Europcar to pick up the compact car we had reserved, signed the papers, got the keys, and couldn’t find the car anywhere!!! Finally, we saw someone to help us out in the carlot…(it is Sunday) and he brings us our Nissan XTrail…a rather nice brand new diesel SUV for the price of a compact! OK…we’ll take it! (Three pieces of luggage in the SUV will be a lot easier than in a compact!) Doing great…but having a hard time finding “SORTIE”…ahh there it is…I will just put the car in reverse. Right. I will just put it in reverse. I don’t think so…none of us can figure it out. Fortunately, someone is nearby and understands my bizarre mix of English and French asking, “Where the heck is Reverse?) After a quick demo, we’re off and headed thru Paris to the Autoroute to take us to Honfleur. The trip is finally underway. Because of the accident, we did miss Giverny, Les Andelys, the Abbey Road, and our dinner reservations in Honfleur for the P’tit Mareyeur had to be cancelled because we’d never make it in time. (Oh well, I guess we will just have to return to the area someday to see what we missed!) But all in all, we’re doing very well considering all that has transpired!

After checking in the Giaglis B&B (100 euro), the three of us decide to just stop in one of the little bistros in the bay area for wine, mussels, salads, dessert, and coffee. A nice end to a rather stressful day. It poured as we ate our Tartes Tatins and then sipped coffee, but we were able to get back without getting drenched. We learned that day that DH needed to take his medicine around the clock before he was in pain, rather than after!

ira

Hi wren,

Always nice to read a report that is out of the ordinary.

Hope DH's elbow is now healed.

>I will just put it in reverse. I don’t think so…....<

NOTE TO SELF, Do not leave car rental place until you know how to put the car in reverse!

DeborahAnn

Ira, ANOTHER NOTE TO SELF: make sure you know where the wipers are, where gas cap is and how it releases. Ira, you are so organized I am sure there is one of your posts out in Fodor talk somewhere with a list of what to do before you leave with a rental car

Wren I hope your travel report has a happy ending because I am feeling really sorry for your DH right now. Maybe because something similar happened to my husband when we were picking up a rental car at CDG. Our NOTE TO SELF NOW INCLUDES: If it starts to rain do not run to your rental car, walk walk walk.

Can't wait for the happy ending here. Deborah

hopingtotravel

Oh my gosh! I really, really feel for your DH and am waiting to hear how you made the rest of the trip--lifting luggage in and out of car, etc, without his arm. Was he to be the planned driver? I admire you for plunging ahead and not going home. I spent 9 days in Mexico with a broken ankle and crutches and refused the pain pills because they gave me headaches. Surgery and screws in a foreign country is just beyond imagination! Sorry you had to miss Giverney and Les Andelys; you'll have to go back.