Berlin - February 13, 2007
On Wednesday morning we took the train to Berlin, a 6 hour ride through Holland to Hannover, Germany and then to Berlin. We stayed at the Steigenberger Hotel in the center of the city. We arrived at the hotel just as it was getting dark. The train was a nice way to travel and probably didn’t take much longer than it would have to fly by the time you add getting to and from the airport and check-in and security waits. The Berlin Hauptbahnof (main station) is a very modern multi-story glass structure which we found out later was recently completed and is in the part of town that used to be part of no-man’s land between East and West Berlin. Our hote
l was around the corner from the Ku’damm (Kurfuerstendamm), the main shopping street in Berlin (surprise). The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is located on the Ku’Damm. It was completed in the 1890s and was bombed by the British in November 1943. A good portion of the church including the steeple is missing. Part of the original church and its intricate mosaic ceiling have been restored. The church’s primary purpose though is to remember. A part of Coventry Cathedral in England, which the Germans had bombed, is present in this church and vv.
Thursday morning we started out at Starbucks for coffee & then started walking. From The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church we walked alongside the zoo and through the Tiergarten, a large park. Some very early Lilies of the Valley coming up through the leaves.
On Wednesday morning we took the train to Berlin, a 6 hour ride through Holland to Hannover, Germany and then to Berlin. We stayed at the Steigenberger Hotel in the center of the city. We arrived at the hotel just as it was getting dark. The train was a nice way to travel and probably didn’t take much longer than it would have to fly by the time you add getting to and from the airport and check-in and security waits. The Berlin Hauptbahnof (main station) is a very modern multi-story glass structure which we found out later was recently completed and is in the part of town that used to be part of no-man’s land between East and West Berlin. Our hote
l was around the corner from the Ku’damm (Kurfuerstendamm), the main shopping street in Berlin (surprise). The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is located on the Ku’Damm. It was completed in the 1890s and was bombed by the British in November 1943. A good portion of the church including the steeple is missing. Part of the original church and its intricate mosaic ceiling have been restored. The church’s primary purpose though is to remember. A part of Coventry Cathedral in England, which the Germans had bombed, is present in this church and vv.Thursday morning we started out at Starbucks for coffee & then started walking. From The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church we walked alongside the zoo and through the Tiergarten, a large park. Some very early Lilies of the Valley coming up through the leaves.
At the end of the Tiergarten we arrived at Brandenburg Gate, where Reagan told Gorbachev to tear down the wall.
From there we walked through Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial,
a haunting park of stone blocks of varying heights in long rows.
a haunting park of stone blocks of varying heights in long rows.
The architecture was meant to imply isolation we learned later.
Next we walked to the Potsdamer Platz, an area of town that was also in no-man’s land and is all new.
That evening we had a very nice dinner put on by friends of Karen and Bob, Malte and Tatjana Zeeck. Tatjana met us at our hotel and escorted us to their home. We had an excellent turkey dinner, good wine and great conversations about politics, WWII and other topics. Malte discussed the process of reuniting people with old family property. His family had come from what became East Germany, fleeing west at the end of WWII. After German reunification and a 10 year battle he was able to reclaim part of his family’s property, over 50 years since they had left it. He mentioned that Jews and their descendants who have claims on property that they were forced to leave have priority claims on that property. A complicated method of determining when they left, why they left and what, if any, compensation they were given for that property is taken into account.
Tatjana took us back to the bus and got us on the train back to the city. Friday we headed back to Amsterdam.
That evening we had a very nice dinner put on by friends of Karen and Bob, Malte and Tatjana Zeeck. Tatjana met us at our hotel and escorted us to their home. We had an excellent turkey dinner, good wine and great conversations about politics, WWII and other topics. Malte discussed the process of reuniting people with old family property. His family had come from what became East Germany, fleeing west at the end of WWII. After German reunification and a 10 year battle he was able to reclaim part of his family’s property, over 50 years since they had left it. He mentioned that Jews and their descendants who have claims on property that they were forced to leave have priority claims on that property. A complicated method of determining when they left, why they left and what, if any, compensation they were given for that property is taken into account.
Tatjana took us back to the bus and got us on the train back to the city. Friday we headed back to Amsterdam.
Company comes to call – Saturday & Sunday, February 15 & 16
We got back from Berlin on Friday evening. After a quick stop at the market, we got home, unpacked, started laundry & had a light dinner.
Up & out on Saturday morning to the local bakery for some fresh bread & another stop at the flower stall for fresh tulips. What an incredible luxury – having fresh tulips in the apartment. They are about 2 EUR per bunch – about $3.00. We bought a bunch of yellow & another of red. They are gorgeous.
Nancy & Jill - Amsterdam, February 2008
Back to the apartment & within 10 minutes there was a knock at the door. Frank & Jill arrived in Amsterdam on time. They made their way from the airport to the Central Station via train. From the Central Station we are about a 30 minute walk although we’re getting a little faster now, I think. We had coffee, fruit, bread & cheese & visited before heading out. The goal for Saturday was to keep them awake long enough during the day so they could go to bed at a normal time & awake on Sunday adjusted to the time difference.
Saturday the weather was much colder than during the week. There was a cold bite to the wind. Fortunately it did not rain & that’s about the only thing that would prevent us from going out. We walked for about 5 hours on Saturday.
Up & out on Saturday morning to the local bakery for some fresh bread & another stop at the flower stall for fresh tulips. What an incredible luxury – having fresh tulips in the apartment. They are about 2 EUR per bunch – about $3.00. We bought a bunch of yellow & another of red. They are gorgeous.
Nancy & Jill - Amsterdam, February 2008Back to the apartment & within 10 minutes there was a knock at the door. Frank & Jill arrived in Amsterdam on time. They made their way from the airport to the Central Station via train. From the Central Station we are about a 30 minute walk although we’re getting a little faster now, I think. We had coffee, fruit, bread & cheese & visited before heading out. The goal for Saturday was to keep them awake long enough during the day so they could go to bed at a normal time & awake on Sunday adjusted to the time difference.
Saturday the weather was much colder than during the week. There was a cold bite to the wind. Fortunately it did not rain & that’s about the only thing that would prevent us from going out. We walked for about 5 hours on Saturday.
We started out at the Noordkerk Market open air market walking among the stalls. There is anything & everything you might ever want or need at this market. It is set up early Saturday mornings – around 7:30 as best we can tell. It is all packed up & gone by later in the evening. On Mondays the same area is another market this time specializing in textiles. At the Saturday market there are flowers, fresh bread, clothing, toiletries, fresh fish, fruits & vegetables, pottery and LOTS of people! The stop we could not resist was the stall selling crepes. We devoured fresh crepes with lemon & sugar. MMMM! !!
From Noordkerk we walked to the Leidseplein & the floating flower market. The flowers are incredible. The people watching not bad either. There are always interesting characters at the Leidseplein. We stopped at our favorite French fry ‘restaurant’ for a quick snack. After our snack we headed wandered toward Vondel Park via the Zuiderbad Park in front of the Rijks Museum, opting to stop at the museum shop rather than the museum itself. Nearby was a man made ice skating rink with several families out enjoying the cold afternoon. A quick stop at another bakery for hot chocolate (for me) & we were on our way again. After Vondel Park we headed back to the apartment. We rested, regrouped & headed to the market for dinner ingredients. We had a good pasta dinner, some nice wine & everyone was in bed early having spent a full day in the fresh air.
Sunday morning we headed out once again. We headed a different direction this time as we went to the Dam Square. At the Dam we saw horse drawn carriages, bag pipe players & human statues as well as the obligatory tourists. From there we ventured to the unique Red Light District where the windows were active & the girls on display. An interesting & a sad place.
We found a Chinese restaurant & stopped in for an early dinner. The food was so so but a couple of interesting things happened. The first, as Bob was eating his hot & sour soup, Jill looked at hers & told him to stop eating….she had found shrimp in her soup. Bob is highly allergic to sea food. I (not so) kiddingly told Bob he was beholden to his little sister in law for saving his life & owed his life to her.
We found a Chinese restaurant & stopped in for an early dinner. The food was so so but a couple of interesting things happened. The first, as Bob was eating his hot & sour soup, Jill looked at hers & told him to stop eating….she had found shrimp in her soup. Bob is highly allergic to sea food. I (not so) kiddingly told Bob he was beholden to his little sister in law for saving his life & owed his life to her.
Nieuwmarkt. near the Red Light District
There was a large group of people eating in an adjoining room when we sat down. Frank noticed they were loudly discussing their bill. The discussion got louder & louder with more & more employees joining in. Finally two police officers showed up & broke it up. Not sure what happened but kind of a side show to our meal.
Sunday night found us back at the apartment with some bread, cheese & wine to have as a light dinner. When we realized Frank had not seen our New Zealand/Fiji pictures we had found another sucker….uh, person to show them to. He was a good sport about them, start to finish. I’m sure the wine he was drinking helped him endure all 2000 plus pictures!
A Day of Good Intentions -February 18, 2007
A Day of Good Intentions -February 18, 2007
Monday morning the 4 of us were out the door at 7:30 a.m. headed for Central Station. The cobble stones & bridge overpasses were slippery with ice. That should have been our first warning……..
We got to Central Station & headed out on the train to the airport where we would pick up a bus to take us to Aalsmeer Flower Auction. We’ve been there numerous times & it was on Frank & Jill’s ‘to do’ list. Our bus diverted at the end of the airport. When we got off, another passenger translated what the bus driver had told everyone. There had been an accident on the icy roads earlier in the morning. Roads were a mess and buses off schedule. We continued on, taking a bus that we thought would take us to Aalsmeer and the flower auction. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalsmeer_Flower_Auction
Once there we stopped again. No driver for the bus. The auction house closes at 11:00 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., we asked about walking & were told it was at least a ½ hour. At 10:10 we made the decision to forego the flower market & head back to the Central Station. The 2nd part of our day was to go to Delft. We waited for what seemed like hours (probably a half hour) in the cold.
Eventually a bus came that was headed to Amsterdam & we grabbed it. It turned out to be one of our original bus drivers. A half hour into our journey (stopping every 2 minutes) Bob & I recognized the area we were in as where we usually stay. We jumped off the bus to try to regroup & go with plan ‘C’ which essentially was very simple……find a bathroom at any cost. We walked to the Hilton where we usually stay – walked in like we owned the place & for the first time all morning, something went right. We found bathrooms!! We got a map from the concierge & were on our way again. This time we wandered toward Albert Cuyp Market. http://www.amsterdam.info/shopping/albert_cuypmarkt/
It really is just another flea market but we were in the area so figured why not. The buildings on our walk were very pretty & the scenery was enjoyable. The air had warmed up a little so the walk was pleasant.
It really is just another flea market but we were in the area so figured why not. The buildings on our walk were very pretty & the scenery was enjoyable. The air had warmed up a little so the walk was pleasant.
After our fill at the market & trying unsuccessfully to find lunch we decided to head back to the apartment. Frank saved the day by finding a pancake house (traditional Dutch, we’re told). We stopped there for a wonderful first meal of the day at 1:30 in the afternoon. The pancakes were filling & hit the spot – enjoyed by all. After food & drink we headed for the apartment. Naps reinvigorated all of us & then we thought about dinner.
Frank found what looked like a good place to eat – by Central Station. It had been recommended by Bruce, the owner of the apartment so we figured why not. We sent them an e-mail asking for a reservation & enthusiastically looked through the menu online. We set off at 6:30 for the ½ hour walk to Central Station only to be met by a closed restaurant! It was an appropriate end to our not so perfect day!
Back to the apartment, with a quick stop at the market. We picked up some wine, some sauce to enhance the leftover pasta, some just from the oven bread and a few other essentials. Came back & had a feast. Why didn’t we think of that to begin with? Guess we needed that extra walk last night.
Housekeeping - February 19, 20 & 21
After Frank & Jill left we had a stay at home, catch up on everything kind of day that included catching up on sleep, reading, email, laundry & housecleaning. It was a quiet day & the kind we really have come to enjoy during our stay here. We can look out the window at the canal. Watch the heron & ducks & the canal boats that come by occasionally. We ventured out for a walk to the market & that was about it for the day. Came home & cooked dinner a fairly decent chicken cordon bleu on top of the stove for dinner!
Dinner is served!Wednesday we went looking for Magna Plaza – a shopping center we had passed a few times previously. It is a shopping center inside a building built in 1899 that originally housed the central post office. The architecture is gorgeous, the shops high end. We found a belt for Bob but nothing else of much interest. Walking back out in the street toward Central Station, I found several stores worth looking into. After several stops, I found the travel purse of my dreams. It is big – can hold hardback books, umbrellas, Ipods & all those other necessary purse things. It is awesome. I’ve even included a picture so you can admire! Back to the market for some bread, cheese & dinner ingredients. The menu for the evening was roasted garlic, cheese, salad & homemade potato soup with ham & cheese. It turned out pretty well considering I have to improvise, make up for lack of ingredients & either use the stovetop or microwave for everything I do!
Yes, you may admire...it is the travel purse of my dreams. LOVE it!Brugges, February 22, 2008
Thursday this week was train day and we were off to Brugge in Belgium. This was our third visit to Brugge, a beautiful medieval city full of old buildings, canals and horse drawn carriages. A tourist trap no doubt, but a beautiful one. We changed trains in Brussels and 4 hours later arrived in Brugge. We walked from the station to Minnewater area of Brugge, which has small lakes complete with swans, an old nunnery (the Beguin), cobblestone streets and lots of old buildings and houses.
Minnewater, Brugge
Speaking of cobblestone streets, every street and sidewalk in Amsterdam seems to be cobblestone or similar. Looks great, doesn’t feel great after several hours of walking. The Minnewater area is also one of the starting points for the horse drawn carriage rides. A horse fountain is appropriately located in the square.
A nice fondue restaurant, closed at this time of day, is located on the far side of the square. We took Sean & Brian to this fondue restaurant many years ago. They may have memories of it.......enough said!
From Minnewater we headed toward the town square. Fairly easy to do, just follow the church spire and the familiar Belfort clock tower. The weather had been warmer on previous trips and the square was full of open air restaurants and lots of tourists. Not as many tourists this trip and eating has moved indoors. We stopped for lunch and made our way back toward the train station. Brugge is very much a tourist town and streets are full of chocolatiers and lace shops. We indulged in both and headed back to Brussels and Amsterdam. A good 4 hours to read my book, “World Without End”, which is about England in the 1300s. Complete with references to the wool merchants from Brugge.
February 22, 2008 -TGIF
Walking home from the station last night there was high wind & had been raining. This morning we woke up to mild temperatures, high wind and rain. We made our way to the market & I have a version of stew on the stove cooking away while I catch up on some writing. We’ve had a visitor this afternoon. Allen is South African, living on a work visa in Amsterdam. He manages the apartment building. I think his intent for visiting this afternoon was to inform us a workman would be in the apartment later today. He and Bob (& I to a lesser extent) have been visiting for the last couple of hours. He’s a fascinating person with an interesting perspective on life. We think we’re going to have a party this week-end and maybe next and have invited some of the people who live in the building. I think Sean (next week-end) and Ryan (tomorrow) would find them very interesting as well.
Busy week-end with Ryan here. He leaves on Monday. We head to Rome, back Thursday.
3 comments:
WAHO MY PLANE TAKES OFF IN 2 HOURS!!!!
The flowers are absolutely beautiful! Hey u can look up my relatives there "Vetter". Enjoy Ryan and be sure to blog about Rome.
H
No more Amsterdam for me...I am sad...
Post a Comment