My Blog
My Blog
Paris, Brugge, Brussels and Amsterdam
Travel is food for the soul. And so begins another journey of exploration and enlightenment. Back to beautiful Paris. Then by train to Brugge and Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. These are part of the “Low Countries,” so named because much of the landscape is below sea level. Centuries of dike and canal building by the clever inhabitants has reclaimed a great deal of land.
May 15, 2014
After landing in Paris, we checked into our hotel, Les Grande Ecoles, The Grand School, and walked across the street to a nice, little French cafe for a bite to eat. Our normal habit is to stay awake for a few hours, take a two hour nap and, voila, we are in sync with the local time.
We decided to take a 15 minute walk on a beautiful 70 degree day to the Ile de Cite, a natural island in the Seine River, considered to be the heart of Paris. This is where the medieval city was founded. We went to Notre Dame Cathedral, a French Gothic masterpiece.
Several blocks away is Sainte Chapelle, a stunning royal medieval Gothic chapel with spectacular stained glass windows. Unfortunately, it is closed due to renovation. We decided, with time in the day remaining, to take a city tour via one of the hop-on, hop-off open air buses. Nice way to get acclimated to a city.
The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most visited paid monument in the world. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second. We took the elevator to the third level observatory platform which offered a panoramic view of the surrounding areas.
May 16, 2014
This morning we went to the Office of Tourism located between the Lourve and Paris Opera House to organize our activities for the next few day. We bought tickets for Normandy and Versailles, finalized arrangements for the dinner and show at Moulin Rouge and purchased passes for the d’Orsay and Lourve Museums.
Then we walked to the Paris Opera House. This gem is not listed on many tours of the city but it is a must see. Built between 1861 and 1875, it has the largest stage in Europe and seats almost 2000 patrons.
The Grand Foyer was designed to act as a drawing room for Paris society...a place to be seen...certainly a sign that one had arrived, or was firmly rooted among the best of folks.
Reluctantly we decided to leave. Walked to the Louvre, probably the world’s best known museum. The site was a 12th century fortress and expanded many times to create the present Louvre Palace. In 1662, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre as a place to display the royal collection. During the French Revolution it was transformed into a public museum.
There is a plethora of important works here from ancient masters to modern. Perhaps best known are the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the absent Winged Victory (currently out for repairs). The galleries are huge and plentiful. We spent about three hours. One could easily spend three days.
Dinner was just a stroll away. We drifted past the Sorbonne and a number of comfortable neighborhoods. Few cities offer the sweet ambience of Paris. It is a pleasure to simply stop for a coffee, a pastry, or a glass of wine just to soak in the atmosphere. The streets are very clean, which to me, reflects the care residents feel for their city. May in Paris is just as wonderful as April.
May 17, 2014
Today we were picked up at 6:30 in order to spend additional time visiting the beaches at Normandy. It was a three hour drive before arriving in Caen. Here was the HQ of the German Coastal Command. We toured a very well done museum and a bunker which housed the Nazi command center.
Arromanches was severely damaged and has been rebuilt as have numerous other towns and villages in the area. This is a very pleasant area of France. The tranquility belies the carnage that took place here as Allied forces pushed back stubborn Nazi counterattacks in tight, hard, often hand to hand fighting.
After lunch we went to the American Cemetery which overlooks Omaha Beach. There are over 9000 Americans buried here. Also honored are 1557 servicemen who lost their lives in the Normandy campaign but could not be located or identified. Their names are inscribed on the walls of a semicircular garden at the east side of the memorial.
It is a place of quiet and contemplation. It is unfortunate every school child cannot come and experience what is here. Walking among the endless white crosses is very moving.
From here we went to Point du Hoc, a promontory with a 100 foot cliff overlooking the English Channel. It was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. German guns could enfilade American troops in either direction. U.S. Army Rangers scaled these cliffs and helped allow the breakout which saved D-day from becoming a disaster. The nearby vicinity, including numerous fortified structures and pockmarked shell and bomb craters liter the landscape.
What a day.
May 18, 2014
Another early rise to catch the train to Versailles, now an upscale suburb about 10 miles from Paris center. A short walk from the station is the Palace. It is every adjective to the extreme.
Originally used as a hunting lodge, it had numerous additions, most notably an enormous expansion done under the 72 years reign of Louis XIV. Due to the constant political turbulence in Paris, Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” officially moved the seat of government and court from the Louvre Palace to Versailles in 1682. He required nobles to spend part of the year here in order to keep an eye on them.
We toured the Royal Apartments, a small part of the Palace. Unfortunately, when the French Revolution took place in 1789 and the king, Louis XVI, was forced back to Paris, most of the furnishings were lost. Everything is a replica or similar period piece. Still stunning, however.
The statistics regarding the Palace are mind-boggling. The cost to build in today’s dollars would be about $2 billion. It contains over 700 rooms, over 60 staircases, and over 1200 fireplaces. The list goes on and on.
Perhaps the most spectacular room is the Hall of Mirrors. 17 large windows let in an enormous amount of light which reflects off 17 matching size mirrors. The effect is magical. Originally, in the evening, it was lit with 3000 candles.
The gardens and grounds are just as impressive. Two nearby palaces were added: the Grand Trianon, a refuge for the King (only special guests allowed) and the Petite Trianon, a “gift” to Marie Antoinette from her husband, Louis XVI. She added a number of buildings to resemble a small village just for her amusement.
Dinner was remarkably good. Waiters in tux, lovely tableware, smart service, the decor...all good. The Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) is best known as the spiritual birthplace of the can-can, considered very naughty at the time. Here was a place where the very rich of Paris could come and slum it, in style.
We had seen the show before, but it was new for our good friends Dick and Kathy who much enjoyed the partially nude dancers, fabulous costumes, and a few amusing side acts tossed in for good measure. It was at least the equal of our first time...tasteful bawdy... and we would all highly recommend it.
May 19, 2014
Another glorious day, but sadly our last in beautiful Paris. We took the Metro to the Musee d’Orsay, another architectural jewel which originally opened as a railroad station for the 1900 Paris Exposition. Located on the left bank of the Seine River, it is very near the Louvre.
Today, it houses the world’s best collection of Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Everyone is represented here: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Seurat, Cezanne. It is a treasure house of beauty.
Unfortunately for Dick and Kathy, it is Monday and the museum is closed.
From here we walked to the Place de la Concorde, one of the major public squares in Paris. It was here during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror that Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and thousands of others were publicly guillotined.
May 20, 2014
Rather than fly or drive, we decided to take the train as we changed cities. Our destination today is Brugge, Belgium. This was our first experience with a high speed train. At 185 miles per hour it was smoother than driving in a car at 40. The coffee in our cups did not even ripple. Unbelievable.
We changed to a local train in Brussels and arrived in beautiful Brugge early in the afternoon. We are staying at the Adornes Hotel and what a great choice. Nice rooms, great staff, delicious breakfasts and a 10 minute walk to the picturesque main square.
The medieval center of Brugge is remarkably well preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city of 100,000+ is the capital of West Flanders in the Flemish region of Brussels. Brugge had its golden age in the 14th century. Its population was 35,000, as large as London’s. As the middleman between northern and southern Europe, it was an economic powerhouse.
May 21, 2014
Lunch was on this square. Had to try Belgian fries...so so. Belgian chocolate on the other hand...Wow! Back to the hotel for some needed rest. Then we just meandered around soaking up the atmosphere. The hotel recommended a very nice restaurant for dinner. Excellent food. Afterwards, we tried Belgian waffles (with ice cream and whipped cream)...wonderful!. Another delightful day...not doing much but enjoying every moment. We have come to believe in the less is more method of travel.
May 22, 2014
The casualty figures from World War I are chilling. Battle of the Somme-1,000,000 men killed and wounded; First Battle of the Marne-500,000 men killed and wounded: Gallipoli Campaign-500,000 men killed and wounded: Verdun-750,000 men killed and wounded. “The Great War” was catastrophic...nearly ten million soldiers were killed.
During the war, 1.5 billion artillery shells were fired. One-third of them never exploded. 20% were chemical shells. Farmers in this area still find them every day--100 years later!
It was here that mustard gas was first used. Earlier chemical weapons like chlorine gas created deathly clouds whose killing abilities relied on the vagaries of how the winds blew. They were frightening weapons, but at least visible ones. Mustard gas was invisible. It caused internal sores and bleeding and an agonizing death that took weeks. It was so virulent that it could be passed on from a wounded person’s clothing to doctors, nurses and others who came into contact.
The chemical could lay dormant for years but get into a person’s DNA and passed onto offspring. Outlawed by Geneva Conventions, it was used by both sides.
Our tour provided an amazing overview of the battles here, with visits to museums and cemeteries. All quite sobering.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row...
May 23, 2014
We eventually found a hop-on, hop-off bus and toured the city. Big place...1.8 million people. It is a very cosmopolitan, multicultural place and reflects the fact that it is the capital of Belgium and headquarters for NATO and the European Union.
We had heard about the central square, The Grand Place, and it is magnificent...probably Europe’s finest. The surrounding buildings are a majestic blend of Baroque and Gothic. Together, they are quite spectacular.
We walked around the area. Very busy. A surprise to us, Brussels is hosting a jazz festival this weekend. 400 bands. Many venues. Turns out one is very close to our hotel, but there are sites all around the city.
May 24, 2014
Our ticket for the hop-on, hop-off lasted for 24 hours so we decided to take it again and do “Route B.” Brussels has an upper and lower town and a great many grand buildings. However, to us, it does not have the same warm “feel” as Paris. Nor is it nearly as clean. Quite a bit of liter laying about.
But I digress. After another waffle, we went on a Manneken Pis tie hunt. My lunch group, the POETS, anoints each new member with a Pis cravat and I was charged with bringing several back with me.
May 25, 2014
This morning we took an hour walk to the Sunday flea market at Place du Jue de Balle. The nearby streets are loaded with upscale, or at least expensive, antique shops. We had lunch and took a long walk to the Palace of Justice, so large it covers six acres. It was intended to show the strength of the new Belgian legal system.
Actually, it epitomized the showy grandeur of King Leopold II’s reign. He became obscenely wealthy by turning Africa’s Congo region-80 times the size of Belgium-into his personal colony.
May 26, 2014
Another train. This time to Amsterdam, capital of The Netherlands. During the Dutch Golden Age in the 1600’s , Amsterdam was the world’s richest city. it was an international sea-trading port and the cradle of capitalism. Immigrants, Jews, outcasts and political rebels were drawn here by the tolerant attitude.
The city is built on millions of pilings and has more canals than Venice. A system of locks controls the flow outward to the North Sea and inward to the Amstel River. The locks are opened twice weekly to flush out the system.
After settling in, we walked five minutes to Dam Square, in the historic heart of the city. It is very pleasant but after the Grand Place in Brussels...well just say, not quite the same. We decided to take a canal boat tour (they are hard to avoid) even though the weather was threatening rain (made no difference-it was this way for four days). Very nice, however, these beautiful , old buildings with their muted colors are best seen with some sunshine on them. Reminds me of when our girls eurailed around Europe after studying in Spain and ran into a week of rain in Italy. Never saw Florence, etc. in all their brilliance. Oh well. C’est la vie.
We had pre-booked a visit to the Anne Frank House. The Nazis had occupied Amsterdam in 1940 and would remain there for five long years. Otto Frank ran a successful business selling spices and pectin for making jelly. In 1942, with Nazi roundups increasing, he moved his family and four others into the Secret Annex, the two floors above his storefront and warehouse.
This is a story of survival and the strength of the human spirit. One of the daughters, Anne, kept notes which were turned into a diary and details the life and longings of living in secret . It is very moving and very touching.
We walked the rooms and staircases, read their stories and writings. Saw their photos. We could feel their fears.
Otto wanted the Anne Frank House to be, in his words, “more than a museum.” The rooms are kept mostly bare to reflect the emptiness caused by their suffering. Very moving indeed.
May 27, 2014
At the Rijksmuseum...the best collection of Holland’s Golden Age Dutch Masters. The Netherlands were at the pinnacle of its power. The Dutch had won independence from Spain, trade boomed, wealth poured in and the arts flourished. Normal art patrons like the church and royalty were in short supply here, so the upper middle class businessmen had artists paint their portraits and decorate their homes.
We walked back through the Jordaan District, an old, working class now artsy, upscale neighborhood. This is a easy to like walking city with water everywhere and neat, well preserved buildings. Dinner was near the square at the Old Holland Restaurant. Most pleasant.
Coffee shops are all over. Marijuana and hash are legal here, but no alcohol is sold at them. In the bars, alcohol can be bought, but no smoking is allowed.
May 28, 2014
Another day, another museum. This time the Van Gogh (we say “van Go,” the Dutch say “van HHHock”).
Whatever. This is all Van Gogh , all the time. 200 paintings and commentary trace the tumultuous trials and tribulations of this troubled genius until his descent into madness. This is a walk with Vincent and his art.
On our way home, we decided to stop at The American Cafe for a slice of Red Velvet Cake. Just before I die, this could be on the short list of last requests. We returned to Sunhead 1617 for a little rest before our Red Light District tour tonight.
Before departing from breakfast, we told Carlos of our plans for the evening. He told us to be careful of the blue light district. Not quite sure what he meant, Carlos said “chicks with dicks.” All right then. Forewarned is forearmed.
50 euros will buy you 15 minutes. The average prostitute nets 500 euros per shift. They pay income taxes, have a union and take required medical examinations.
The area is even getting gentrified. Two of the city’s best restaurants are located here among sex shops selling porn and accessories, video arcades, glitzy nightclub sex shows featuring strippers and sex acts, along with innumerable bars and clubs. It’s all on display here.
For whatever reason, the city is intent on reducing the number of “doors” by half. In this spirit of public mindedness, they just paid 31 million dollars for 30 doors. If my math is correct, that is about one million per door. Taxpayers went nuts and the program is on hold.
Included in our tour was a drink at a local establishment. Interesting evening.
May 29, 2014
We asked Carlos when doesn’t it rain. He said, ‘never, are you kidding me, we are near the North Sea.’
Our last museum was Rembrandt’s house. He lived here for twenty years and was proficient. The rooms are really well decorated, but they are with period pieces. His furniture and collections were sold at auction while he was in bankruptcy.
However, the rooms exude a sense of him being there. There is a very good history of his life, along with many of his etchings. In addition, there is a working studio where teaching is done.
Again, on our way home, red velvet cake was on the menu. Some packing , a little strolling and one last dinner.
May 30, 2014
Homeward bound and on time. This was a fun trip.
May 14, 2014
Sara