Have List, Will Travel

Portugal, Belgium and The Netherlands

May 19 - June 9

 

The Old Legend of Barcelos Cock

Once at Barcelos, a small town on the North of Portugal, a certain man was condemned to be hanged.

Convinced of his innocence and in order to prove it he implored a miracle to “Our Lady.”

As his last wish he asked to be allowed at Judge’s home, who received him in his dining room.

Then the condemned under a sudden faith impulse said that, as proof of his innocence the roasted cock which was laying on the Judge’s table, would get up and crow.

Indeed the rooster immediately jumped up and started crowing vibrantly.

This legend has passed from generation to generation, and the typic “Cock of Barcelos” became a symbol of faith, justice and good luck.

 

If this were a Road Trip movie with Bing and Bob, it would be entitled “The Road to Portugal”.  But instead it stars Laura and George and this is the trip report for our trip to Portugal and beyond. 

The Torre de Belem in Lisbon

Monday morning 5/19, we started the adventure by flying from the commuter terminal at San Diego to Los Angeles.  Laura learned very quickly an important lesson for future air travel.  Always inform the TSA officers that you have an artificial knee.  They sent her through the metal detector and she lit it up big time, so she had to exit and go through a full body pat down. 

 

When we arrived in Los Angeles we had about a 5 hour layover until our flight, so it was off to the First-class lounge to relax in splendor and nibble on all the goodies that they provide.  We took along a zip lock bag to store some trail mix for future snacking.  Our first-class flight to London departed at 5 pm; we were seated in the plane facing backwards which was a little different.  Dinner on china was tasty.  After dinner drink of port wine and an ice cream sundae, we lowered the seats into the sleep position and tried to get some sleep prior to landing in London.  We awoke about an hour out, had a small breakfast and prepared for landing. 

 

We only had about a 90 minute wait until we caught the flight to Lisbon.  We arrived in Lisbon at about 4:30 pm local time.  We caught a taxi to the hotel to meet our friends from Scotland, Malcolm and Myra.  It was raining and cold so we ran across the street for our first dinner together.

 

Jeronimos Monastery

The next morning, under grey, cloudy skies, we made our way to the subway.  We had a short ride and when we returned to the surface streets, it was pouring.  We walked several blocks heading for the trolley station before we found a shop which was selling plastic raincoats, umbrellas and a bucket hat for me.  We took the trolley to the city of Belem which was about a 30 minute ride.  We were able to visit the Jeronimos Monastery . 

It was where we also witnessed the miracle of sunlight.  It was raining quite hard when we entered the monastery but after we came into the courtyard, it was sunny and warm.  It was nice to just stand and let the sunlight dry our clothing and warm our bodies.



Monument to the Discoveries

After the monastery, we walked across a large public park and then down the way to the Monument of Discoveries which showed Henry the Navigator followed by all the other men that journeyed from Portugal out into the surrounding seas.  Further down the park was the Tower of Belem which was a small fortress that had been built as part of the defense of the River Targus.  Inside they had a large number of small bore cannons which were positioned for action.  What was interesting about them was that they were breech loading.  The ball they fired must have been not much bigger than a tennis ball.

We stopped off for a lunch in a little café which was quite charming with dried gourds hanging from the ceiling.  We had their lunch special for the day which was a chicken stew over rice.



Pasteis de Belem and port

We then visited a pastry shop that had been in business since the 1850’s.  Laura made a small purchase which we ate along with our evening drinks in the hotel lounge.  While trying to board the trolley to return to downtown Lisbon, Malcom had a young lady attempt to purloin his cellphone from his pocket.  He felt the movement, made a strong verbal remark and she melted into the distance.  We arrived back to Lisbon and our hotel without any further misadventures.



George & Laura on wall of St. George Castle above Lisbon

The next day after breakfast, we headed back out to the subway this time fully equipped with raincoats and umbrellas.  We are now fairly proficient in finding which subway to ride to get to the central part of Lisbon.  We reached the plaza and found the bus that would take us up to the St. George’s Castle.  The castle is built on the highest point overlooking the city of Lisbon.  The view was remarkable but with the height there was a marked increase in the velocity of the wind. 

peacock at the castle

The wind was cold and was pushing the clouds around quickly.  We persevered and climbed all over the castle.  The steps took their toll on Laura; her knee was getting quite painful so we stopped for a beer and a sandwich to give her a rest.  We were entertained during lunch by a peacock vying for the attention of two pea hens and numerous tourists.  Afterwards we wandered about the old town surrounding the castle, enjoying the scenery.  We caught the bus back down the hill after making the required stops for shopping opportunities which did abound in the area. 




Cable car up to the
Baixa District

We returned to the hotel to drop off our purchases and then ventured back out for dinner.  Again running the maze of the subway, we found ourselves near a funicular which we rode up the steep hill and then wandered around the Baixa district until we found a quaint restaurant which appealed to the ladies.  The seating was outside in the street and with the wind whistling up the street, Laura got the management to loan her a blanket to stay warm.  She had not packed a warm jacket or sweater because Portugal is a warm country.  The Scotties and I had various beef dishes which were very tasty.  Laura had ordered a casserole that was like French toast with meat and a fried egg which the waitress promptly dropped as she came out the door.  She did get a replacement.



We wandered about a little more prior to returning to the hotel and our after dinner drink.
 


Pena Castle in Sintra

The next day we were picked up after breakfast to take a half day tour of Sintra.   It was a nice drive and the tour guide had his work cut out for him, half the group spoke or understood Portuguese and the other half was English speaking.  It seemed she would talk in Portuguese for 5 minutes and then in English she would say “It’s a duck”.    No matter, the castle was beautiful and we enjoyed looking about at all it had to offer.  We were also able to see in the distance the walls of the old Moorish fortress whose walls are considered to be Portugal’s equal to China’s Great Wall.  In fact we were enjoying the tour so much that we decided to pay the 10 Euros a person to extend the tour to a full day.  So we had several hours to visit the main part of the city of Sintra where multitude of shopping opportunities presented themselves. Laura took advantage of this to purchase a warm sweater.   We met a new guide and she took us thru the summer palace of the Portuguese royalty.  It was also a great tour showing the beautiful tile work, furnishing and decorations throughout the palace.



Western most point on the
continent of Europe

The trip back from Sintra also took us out to the western most point of  the continent of Europe and then we followed the coast back down to Lisbon.

 Since we did not have the same driver and guide as the ones who picked us up in the morning, we had a little excitement on our return to the hotel.  We were staying at the National, after they had dropped the first group off at their hotel; we were told we would be next being dropped off.  A few minutes later, we saw our hotel on the opposite side of the street but the driver kept going, and going, and going.  We thought he was looking for a cross street to loop around and park on the correct side but after he had passed several main streets and had not turned we started to get concerned.  Malcolm asked where we were going and they said to our hotel, the International.  He explained that was incorrect so they turned around and drove back.  Now the traffic was a problem because although it was Friday night, people were streaming into Lisbon for a big soccer match which was being played Saturday evening.  We did eventually wind our way back to the hotel but now it was late, we were tired and so we asked the hotel for a recommendation for a place to eat nearby.  They sent us off about 3 blocks to the Dolphin restaurant which had some good choices but we had omlettes since we were tired and not too hungry.  They were great.  We then returned to our hotel to pack for our adventures in Albufeira.



We awoke Saturday morning, breakfasted and then took a taxi to the main terminus for the railroad in Lisbon.  We had booked seats on the train from Lisbon to Albufeira where we would be spending a week in the timeshare at Clube Praia da Oura.  We had learned that Portugal had special benefits such as ½ price train tickets for seniors.  So when we booked we showed our passports to receive that benefit.  



Catching the train to Albufeira

We had left the hotel for the train depot early since we did not know what the traffic would be like because of the big championship soccer match being played later that day.  As it turned out traffic was not a problem so we had about an hour’s wait at the terminal.  The train system is very efficient.  The train pulls in, people jump off, people jump on and the train is out of the station in just minutes.  So when our train came, we sprinted to the door, waited for the disembarking passengers and then tried to board with our luggage.  Each of us had 2 bags, so boarding was difficult because the gap between the railcar and the platform and also because there were two small steps to climb before reaching the level of the railcar.  I was the last of our group to board and had problems getting around this rather insistent gentleman who was trying to get off the train, I would move to the right so he could pass and he would go to the right so I was blocking him.  Finally we finished our dance, he got off, I was on and the train pulled out of the station.  As I was putting our luggage away, I commented that at least I still had my wallet.  Malcolm told me that the man who I was dancing with had boarded the train ahead of us and when he had got on the train, the man had danced with him and another on the platform had tried to pick his pocket. 

We had an enjoyable 2 ½ hour ride through the countryside making stops at many small towns along the way.  When we reached Albufeira station, Laura and Myra decided that it might be wise to book our onward trip on Saturday so they went to the ticket agent while Malcolm and I watched all the taxis load up and drive away.  Soon we were on the platform with another couple wondering if a taxi was going to return so we could get to the resort.  Finally one returned and we asked him to either call for another taxi or return and pick us up.  He did return and then it was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to the resort. 

Our resort - Clube Praia da Oura

We got checked in, taken to our rooms, unpacked and then took a taxi to the car rental office where we were to pick up a rental car.  I had wanted to drop breadcrumbs as we drove so I could find our way back as there were many twists, turns and roundabouts.  We reached the car rental office and had misgivings about the rental, so it was decided that we would not rent the car.  Having made that decision, we repaired to a pub for a beer and to wait for another taxi.

Upon return to the resort, we freshened up and then journeyed out for provisions.  There was a supermarket nearby so we stocked up on breakfast items and liquid refreshments.  On the return to the resort, we spotted a Chinese restaurant that we thought we would try for dinner.  It turned out we had made a good choice.  We had the buffet, which was delicious with a large variety to choose from, and it was obviously a popular place, because it filled up with people while we were there.  After dinner, Malcom and Myra joined us in our room for a game of Mexican Train and a wee drop of Port.  It was a lovely evening.
 

Resting at the resort



Sunday was decreed a day of rest, so we lounged around the pool, wandered about the resort seeing what it had to offer.  I also spent several hours getting the first report prepared and then sent out on the very unreliable internet connection that we have.  The resort is pretty nice; the internet is the biggest complaint that I have about it.  The resort was recently purchased by a company from India and they are refurbishing a lot of the areas so there is a fair amount of construction noise and debris about.  The Scotties were not placed in the same building as we were.  We have a first floor apartment right next to the pool which is good news.  The bad news is it is also right next to the pool and right next to the street so during the day we have a bit of noise but nothing unmanageable.  Now the Scotties apartment was up the hill from us and was missing some of the items you might think would be standard like places to hang clothing and a telephone that works.  On the plus side they had carpenter ants chewing up the door frame to the bedroom.  So Sunday evening, they were moved to a better apartment in the same building up a level and on the opposite side from us.  But they are happy, the apartment appeared to have just been refurbished and they have 300 frogs in a pond below their window to lull them to sleep.

Sunday night’s dinner at the resort was a little bit of a disappointment, some parts of the buffet were excellent while others left much to be desired. 



Taken from our boat on the Algarve coast

Monday, we were scheduled for a boat ride up the coast from the Albufeira Marina to explore the coast with its many sea caves.  It was an enjoyable trip and Laura met two ladies from Canada with which she discussed our travels to various destinations over the past few years while we were making our return trip to the marina.  We spotted a few bottlenose dolphins but they did not want to play with us. 

We walked up the road from the resort and chose a little restaurant for dinner that night.  Again our luck was with us.  The dinner was very nice and on a plus side fairly inexpensive.  Also the restaurant filled up after we got there and many were repeat customers which is always a good sign.

 

George's new hat

Tuesday, we decided to catch the free shuttle bus up to the tourist center of town and wander around the shops for a while and to have lunch.  It was a beautiful day although the breeze in the mornings and evenings can be a bit chilling.  We wandered down the streets looking at all the offerings from the various shops.  I purchased a hat to keep the sun out of my eyes and off my head.  So now, I am styling.

We sat in a little café for our lunch and listened to a musician play panpipes.  It was very entertaining.  We also saw the Canadian lady and her husband that Laura had met on the boat ride.  They were having their lunch in the same café.  It is a small world.

We made it back to our resort with no difficulty and after a couple hours of relaxation; we headed out for dinner.  After dinner, we continued playing Mexican Train in our unit and having a drink or two of some Offley Port.
 

Vilamoura

Wednesday, Laura and the Scotties headed out to Vilamoura on the public bus.  I was laid up with a sore knee.  I think I was having sympathy pains for Laura but after a day’s rest it was much improved.  I guess the uneven surface of the cobblestone streets and the stairs had taken their toll on me.  Anyway, Laura and the Scotties wandered the main square, markets and the marina of Vilamoura.  They stopped for lunch and then on their return to Albufeira they were waved off by the bus driver as the bus was filled, so they took a taxi home. 

Again, we went out to dine, with Laura choosing a restaurant which was serving lamb as one of the choices on the menu.  Again the dining gods smiled on us.  The dinner was very good.  Then it was back to our room for more Mexican Train and beer and chips. 



Silves with Old Moorish Castle above

Thursday we arose early and caught a tour bus that took us on an all day tour of the Historical Algarve.  The first thing was to drive down through all the narrow streets to various other hotels to pick up more people who were going on the tour.  There were about 60 on the bus; the tour guide gave the information in English, German and French. 

Silves in the Algarve

We first went to Silves, where we climbed up through the market and then up the hill to the old Moorish castle.  This is the first time; I have been on a tour that did not include admission to the various sights that we were visiting.  It was not really a problem as we only had about 45 minutes before we had to be back on the bus.  We spent our time wandering back towards the bus stopping in various gift shops and taking photos of the storks that were nesting on the chimneys and light poles around town.  It was quite a sight.  The storks migrate to Portugal for the winter to lay their eggs and then in June when the young storks are able they fly back to Africa for the summer.



The Storks of the Algarve

Our next stop on the trip was the top of Mount Monchique, which is the highest point in the Algarve.  The problem was that it was right up in the middle of the clouds so you could not see anything further than about 20 feet in front of you.  The tour guide had an alternate plan, she took us to the gift shop and we were able to sample some of the local liquors, we then reloaded onto the bus and drove down the mountain about an hour’s time to a restaurant where we had an acceptable lunch.

 

After lunch we drove to Cape Vincent which is the southernmost point on the European continent, we visited the lighthouse that was built there.  We are going to have to check with Harbour Lights to see if they have made a model of it so we can add it to our lighthouse collection.  The cliffs were breathtaking as was the wind off the sea. 

 

The main square in Lagos
with the statue of Henry the Navigator

After this stop we headed back along the coast heading to Albufeira with a stop in Lagos.  We were allowed an hour to walk up through the pedestrian street which was lined with shops.  We admired the tiles on the buildings and the patterns on the cobblestones.  There was even a small carousal but bless my gears and cogs, I had left my top hat and frock coat in California.   We walked down to the harbor’s edge and then followed it back up to the old fort, the section of the city walls that were left after the 1780 earthquake which destroyed much of the buildings in many of the towns of Portugal.  We walked through the main plaza, visited the church and were accosted by two young boys begging for money.  Afterwards we stopped for a picture of the statue of Henry the Navigator in the square.  Then it was back on the bus and down the road to our resort.   Since we had a rather large lunch, we opted for just a light sandwich before resuming our Mexican Train tournament.

Laura & Myra
taking a dip in the Atlantic

Friday was another day of rest, first by the pool to work on the summer tan, then to the beach to take a dip in the ocean.  Malcolm and I remained observers while Laura and Myra committed the deed by braving the cool waters for a brief swim.  There were a number of young ladies who in their rush to pack for vacation forgot to pack their swimsuit tops.  Had I been a younger man, I might have been impressed.  As it were, I felt like a lecher if I looked their way. 

 

We took a rest then headed back to the Chinese restaurant which we had visited on our first night.  The food continued to be very good.  Afterwards it was back to the Mexican Train and to finish up the bottles of wine, beer, soda and port before packing out in the morning.

 

I would like to take this time to bow my head to acknowledge the passing of a dear friend.  My mouse committed suicide.  In a fit of despondency, he flung himself off the coffee table onto the hard tile floor.  We attempted lifesaving techniques but it was just too late.  So the majority of this report and others will have to be done utilizing the touchpad, a beast which I despise. 

 



Porto, in Northern Portugal



So Saturday was a travelling day, first from Abulfeira on intercity train and then from Lisbon to Porto on the express train.  Big difference, the intercity train stopped a lot and had a nice smooth ride.  It could lull you to sleep.  The express train was much faster with jerks and swaying and no stops.

 

We arrived in Porto and caught a taxi to our hotel.  After getting unpacked we went down and signed up for a two day Hop on-Hop off bus tour around the city.  The last bus was leaving soon so we headed down to catch it at the square with the man on the horse.  We did find the square and caught the Red Line bus.  The driver told us that this was the last bus for the night and it would not be returning to the square but would be dropping us off in the middle of the historical old town.  That was fine with us.  We rode around listening to a young lady on tape describe what we were seeing.  The challenge was to understand her English and then figure out what she was talking about.  We got down near the river and the end of the tour when we came to the Bridge of Sighs.  Not the fancy one in Venice, but a commercial bridge that looped out in a semicircle from the shoreline and was packed with cars and trucks that were not moving.  So it was, “When are we going to move?  When are the cars going to stop coming?  Why is that snail passing us?”  Eventually we got to our drop off place.  

Porto and the Eiffel Bridge

We wandered around the river edge near the Eiffel Bridge which is one of the nicer looking bridges across the Douro River.  We found a little restaurant near there for dinner.  Afterwards we headed out trying to find our hotel which was several miles away, and uphill.  Now give a Scotsman a map and he will conquer the world.  Malcolm led us through the maze of streets, many of which were unmarked or we could not find them on the map.  With a little help from a gentleman who had a GPS app on his cell phone, we returned to the Ibis Hotel.  We took the Shindler lift up to our rooms and had a good night’s sleep.

 

On the boat up the Douro River

Sunday morning, we were up, ate breakfast and off to catch the Blue line bus for another tour. We rode around the town seeing various sights and then arrived back at the stop where we had been let off last night.  We disembarked the bus and walked down the riverside to where we were to catch the river cruise.  The locals had set up booths all along the street and were selling items to the tourists. 

 

We rode the river cruise up the river for about 15 minutes and then back down for 30 minutes and then finally back to our starting place.  It was an enjoyable tour.  You could see many of the old buildings along the riverbank and views up into the city.

 

Porto and the Eiffel Bridge

We got back on the Blue bus to continue our tour, crossing the Eiffel Bridge and stopping on the other side first for lunch and then for a Port Wine tasting at the Cruz Winery.  Afterwards, it was back on the bus to return to our starting point this morning.  When we arrived there, Malcom and Myra decided to catch another Red line bus and continue exploring.  Laura and I returned to our hotel to rest for a while.  Later we ventured out and found a very nice restaurant just around the corner from the hotel.  It was a very good meal made special by sharing a bottle of wine.  Fortunately the hotel was just around the corner.

 

Back in Lisbon having a beer on our last day together

Monday morning, we breakfasted and then caught a taxi to the train station to catch the express train back to Lisbon.  We returned to the same hotel which we had stayed previously.  The weather was pleasant which was different from when we first came to Lisbon.  We took a stroll down the street towards the center of town.  We stopped at a self-service luncheonette and had a light snack.  We then continued our stroll looking in the windows of the various shops.  We eventually reached the square and headed back to the hotel.  After a couple of hours rest to recharge our batteries, we caught a taxi back down to the square and found a restaurant for dinner.  Laura and Myra had grilled salmon while Malcolm had pasta and I had a calzone.

 

Tuesday morning after breakfast, it was time to head for the airport to catch our respective flights.  Laura and I were off to Belgium and Malcolm and Myra were heading back to Scotland.  Parting with friends is never a great thing to do, but we look forward to our next adventures together.

Laura & George and the peeing boy statue

Our flight to Brussels was uneventful.  We landed under weepy skies which did not improve throughout the afternoon or evening.  But armed with our trusty umbrella and bucket hat which we had purchased in Lisbon at the start of the trip, we ventured forth.  We made a loop up through the town center, seeing many of the touristy things.  We did find the statue of the Little Peeing Boy.  He was much smaller than I thought he would be.  It was getting late so we headed back towards our hotel and a restaurant that was just around the corner which the hotel owner had recommended.  It was a great choice.  The service was good, the food excellent, and the wine superb.  Again fortunately the hotel was just around the corner. 
Now, I do not want you to think that we did nothing but drink wine on this trip.  That is not true.  Sometimes, we drank beer.

 



The main square of Brussels with a flower market

The next morning after breakfast, we ventured out into the rain to check on some of the areas that we had bypassed the night previously. In the main square they had set up a flower market, which was quite pretty. Unfortunately, many of the shops were not open until after 10:30 am so we returned to the hotel to gather up our belongings and take a taxi to the train station.  We got to the train station and realized that I still had the keys to our hotel room, so I had to catch a taxi back and drop them off and then return to the station.  Fortunately the train to Bruges leaves the station twice an hour.  So we were off for about a 90 minute train ride through the farm lands of Belgium arriving at the station in Bruges at about 1 pm.  We caught a cab to take us to the hotel where we are staying. 

The hotels last night and today are homes that have been converted into hotel rooms.  The place last night was interesting in that when you opened the door to the room, you walked into the bathroom and then into the room where the bed was located.  Very small place, but it was clean and warm.  The bathroom was about 3 feet wide.  You could sit on the toilet and brush your teeth or wash your face.  In fact, you pretty much had to do that.  The other side of the door was a shower stall.  The bedroom itself had a queen size bed with about 2 foot of space on each of the three sides in which to move.  The telephone was located on the floor in a small closet which was behind the door.

Our room in Bruges



This hotel room is much larger.  The room is very comfortable; it has two wicker chairs to sit on by the large windows which look out onto the rooftops of the city.  It has a small desk where I am presently busy composing this trip report and even has a daybed which we have covered with our luggage.  The down side to this room is that it is on the top floor and there is only a very narrow spiral staircase to reach it.

 

Belgium Waffles with toppings
is street food in Belgium

Anyway, we ventured out into the rain walking up the streets and across the canal to the main square and the market square.  We stopped to have a Belgium waffle.  Laura had one with cherries and whipped cream; I had a chocolate and whipped cream waffle.  They were great.  I think they will be the equivalent of the shaved ice in Hawaii in our catalog of taste treats.

 

The rain continued on and off.  We were tired of walking so we stopped in a restaurant next to the market square for a beer and to rest our feet.  Had a very good Belgium beer called “Brugse Zot”.  I tried to buy the beer glass but the waiter told me where I could buy one down the street to add to my beer glass/mug collection.  I did get one in Portugal so now I will have to see if I can resist the temptation when we get to Amsterdam.

Bruges

 

The town is full of shops offering Belgium lace, chocolate and other touristy items.  The streets are full of people with umbrellas or clear plastic ponchos, we decided to return to the hotel early and instead of venturing out for dinner we purchased a small quiche to split.  It is pleasant here; we have eaten our dinner and are just relaxing so we can go at it again tomorrow.



Canal boat trip on the canal in Bruges

Thursday was a full day of sightseeing for us.  We started out on foot, exploring shops and buying a few gifts.  We then took a one hour bus ride around the town, seeing the sights.  We walked over to the Frites (fries) Museum where we had a cone of fries and mayonnaise, then went to the Chocolate Story, which was a museum on the history of chocolate.  We got some free chocolate samples there.  Then we decided to see the town from the canal and took a boat ride.  We ended the day by having Flemish Stew in the main square, washed down with a few glasses of beer.  Then back to our hotel to pack for the last leg of our trip.


 

Friday morning we took it easy.  We ate a leisurely breakfast with the other guests in the B&B; comparing notes on what each of us had done yesterday and what our plans were for today.  After breakfast, I packed the suitcases down the spiral staircase.  It was much easier coming down than it had been taking them up.  I thought about making a suggestion that they install a dumbwaiter to help with the movement of suitcases.

The stairs we had to climb
with our suitcases

We left our suitcases in the care of the owners and ventured out into the neighborhood for some last minute pictures.  It is funny how the bus tour and the boat tour gets you so twisted around that you don’t know if you will ever find the place you spotted on your own.  Today, Laura saw this beautiful gilded archway.  I walked through it and told her that it was the entrance to one of the squares that we had been in many times in the past 24 hours.  What was funny was that it was two blocks from our B&B.   We had been walking about another six blocks to find the B&B previously.

 

Train station on our trip
to Amsterdam

We then bundled our suitcases into a taxi and headed to the train station.  Laura bought tickets and the ticket-seller said, “Hurry, you have only 9 minutes to get to the train”.  So we charged off, threw our suitcases on the train just as the doors started to close.   Then we asked if we were on the correct train.  Fortunately we were.  We then looked at our tickets and saw where we had to change trains twice before we arrived in Amsterdam.  The first change was at Antwerp which we made with no problems. The second change was in Roosendaal.  We had 6 minutes to get to the correct platform to catch the train.  We got to the platform just in time to watch the train pull away.  It was not all bad news, the next train was in 30 minutes so Laura had time to stop in the snack bar and purchase lunch for us.  We shared a Super Chicken and Egg sandwich with some chips and a Coke Zero.  The trains we were booked on were the intercity trains so they were not very fast.  Thee entire trip took about three hours.  Between Rosendaall and Amsterdam there were 12 stops.

 

The inside of our canal boat

After arriving in Amsterdam, we took a short taxi ride to the office which was managing the canal boat that we had rented for our stay.  We paid our rent and were given the key and directions to our boat.  It was just 5 minute walk down the canal and past 4 bridges.  Well maybe for a young person it was a 5 minute walk, but for 2 senior citizens towing 40 pounds of suitcase and a carryon apiece, it turned into about 15 minutes. 

 

After unpacking our necessities, we struck out to first find the supermarket to purchase breakfast items and an ATM to replenish the wallet.  Laura decided that she would navigate.  We walked and walked and walked but could not find the shopping district.  Finally on the other side of the canal we saw the Cheese Museum.  We checked the map and located that and realized that we were headed off in the wrong direction.  So we backtracked to the canal and then asked a couple outside of a bar where we were;   they pointed that we only had to go two block across the canal and turn left.  It was not a bad thing that we got lost; we now know how to get to the Cheese Museum, the Tulip Museum and the way to Anne Frank’s house.

 We did find the supermarket, made our purchases, and then found an ATM before heading back to the canal boat.  It is fun in a supermarket trying to buy things when you don’t know how to read the labels. 

 

A canal in Amsterdam

After storing our food, we ventured out to find a restaurant that the canal boat managers had recommended.  We found it with no real difficulty and enjoyed a beer and a good meal.  We then wandered about the area looking in the shops and watching the people.  Amsterdam is a city for young people.  There were lots of them sitting outside cafes and bars visiting and enjoying themselves.  We then walked back to the boat and got ready for a good night’s sleep.  We do have some gentle rocking from the boats travelling down the canal and occasionally we can hear people talking as they walk by on the street.  Tomorrow will bring further adventures. 

Central Train Station

Saturday, we were up early and on our way; the curtains on the windows do not keep out much light.   First we walked down a street where they were having a Saturday Market.  It was just opening, so many of the vendors had not set up shop yet but there were booths with flowers, meats, fish, cheese, clothing and even general hardware.  We walked back to the area of the central train station to the place to catch the canal boat tours.  We went for a nice 1 hour trip up, down and around the canals.  It was nice but not as good a tour as that in Bruges.  We then walked over to the train station to check on the availability of trains to the airport.  After that was done we started walking, following the crowds as they streamed out of the train station.  Now if Bruges is like Disneyland then Amsterdam is like Las Vegas.

 

Tulip Museum

There are lots of souvenir shops, bars, coffee shops from which drifts the odor of a green leafy material being smoked and sex shops.   We wandered along the canals and ended up in the red light district.  It was only about 1 pm but the girls were out in their windows displaying their wares.  Often you would be walking along and you would see a young lady in front of a glass door for a room about the size of a phone booth.  Several times the doors were open and the girls were talking with prospective clients.  Not to be excluded we did see two males who were cross-dressed, one as Minnie Mouse and the other could have been a Prom Queen if it were not for his/her mustache.   Amsterdam also has a large number of museums.  Besides the art museums and historical museums, we saw a Tulip Museum, a Cheese Museum, a Torture Museum, a Sex Museum and a Museum of Prostitution.  Now the first two we visited but I wonder what the gift shop in the others would have contained.

 

We were tired so by 4 pm, we were back at the canal boat.  We had a bratwurst sandwich with an Amstel beer for dinner, relaxed for a while and turned in early.

Laura at the Anne Frank House

Sunday, we arose to gray skies with a light rain.  We were disappointed and concerned as we had about a 40 minute walk to get to the Anne Frank house for the tour.  It sprinkled on us a little but it was not too bad, we arrived about 40 minutes before our tour so we stopped in a little coffee shop next door for a hot chocolate and a coffee.  



The line wound around the block

Now I must praise my travel agent, she was just wonderful.  She had researched the Anne Frank house and had learned that sometimes the lines are so long that you do not get in.  She had reserved us tickets on line with a specific time for the tour so we had a special door to enter with no delay.  This compared to individuals who were in a line that snaked down the block and around the corner and they were standing in line for over 90 minutes.  

The tour of the Anne Frank house took about an hour.  The displays are very well done; it is not allowed to take photographs during the tour.  The entire time you are walking through the tour, you are in dim light and the subject material is a bit depressing.  The spaces on the two floors where the families were hidden have been left unfurnished at the request of Mr. Frank.  There was a scale model of the floors which showed what they would have looked like at the time.

 

When the tour was over, it was nice to get outside again and to find that the rain had moved on and the sun was shining.  It is hard to imagine how Anne must have felt being in those small rooms unable to go outside, unable to move about freely or to make noise for fear that they would be discovered.

 

Laura

Amsterdam canal

We walked around some more of the area, passing through the red light district once again on our way back to the canal boat.  We got back at 5 pm; it had been another long day on our feet.  Tonight we need to organize and repack the suitcases so that in the morning we will not be delayed.  We think we need to be at the train station by 7:30 am; we have to drop off the keys and then walk with our baggage.  We have no phone and there is not a taxi stand anywhere near that we have found. So we will do like everybody else does – drag the rolling cases clackity-clacking down the cobble streets.  Laura’s carryon bag has developed a ripped seam.   If fact, it caused a little excitement when we first arrived in Abulfeira when she could not find her cell phone.  After first panicking that it had been lost like her phone on the African trip, she found it under the cardboard stiffener of the bag. 

 

Our Canal Boat and Laura standing at back door to canal

Monday will be another travel day, first the train to the airport to catch a 10:10 am flight to Houston.  There will be a long layover there before we fly home to San Diego.  We are ready.  Our feet are tired, our wallets are empty and we miss the schnauzers.  It is time to come home.