I know we named this blog Follow the Sun 101 and our goal was to follow good weather and to hope for sunshine as much as possible. So far, we’ve had mostly sun across Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Porto! We know this will probably not be the case as we move on, but we are thankful for such great traveling (specifically walking) weather. We departed Paris to arrive in the more laid-back city of Amsterdam this last week. We then only got a taste of Belgium by shortly visiting Brussels. The following aims to give you an idea of these places and show you where and what we did.
Amsterdam
I know this is only our second major city on this trip, but I was thoroughly impressed. From the moment we got off the bus, it was apparent that bicycles were the dominant force in Amsterdam. I had always heard that bicycling in Amsterdam, and all of the Netherlands for that matter, was a preferred form of transportation. I was not, however, aware of how built into the culture it was. Roads seem to make way for bike paths throughout the city. Even the bumpy cobblestone roads and side-streets don’t seem to keep people from biking.
We stayed in a hostel in a private room very close to the central train station in Amsterdam. Like most places in the city, the streets around us were more focused on foot and bicycle traffic even with the presence of a separate sidewalk of cobblestone devoted to walkers. The occasional car would gingerly drive through. We would see an occasional garbage truck or service vehicle squeeze through as well. But, outside of that, the primary sounds of bicycle bells reminded everyone on the street that two wheels are better than four in Amsterdam. A couple mopeds, motorbikes, or motorcycles would zip through and (somehow) miss pedestrians along their way.
The Food
One thing we are really trying to do on this trip is get a feel for the flavor of the places we go. With the uniqueness of Amsterdam, it was more difficult to get a true Dutch meal. But, we did get a chance to sit down at a place which highlighted the rich flavors of Dutch and European-inspired cuisine. I got a sea bass filet with a side of flavorful yellow potatoes with a limoncello sauce. It was quite unique and the fish was delicious. Britta got a beefsteak on a bed of vegetables with a peppercorn gravy. Both dishes were very satisfying, but the dessert was the most interesting and memorable. It was advertised as a white chocolate fruit muffin with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. It was more of a fruit cake, but we were not disappointed.
During one of our many walks through the city, we came upon this little frite shop. It was standing room only inside along with a set of fryers, prep station, and counter. The sole thing on the menu is frites; but, they have a large variety of sauces to go along with the basket size of your choice. We got truffle mayo and let me tell you, Britta and I both will say these are some of the best frites we have gotten anywhere. They double fry them and salt them to order. They were just simply delicious.
Keukenhof
One of the most popular places to visit outside of Amsterdam is Keukenhof, near the town of Lisse. This town is a beautiful display of little brick homes with the names of the families that live in them written above the doors. After riding a bus about 45 minutes out of Amsterdam, we arrived at the entrance that had crowds of people piling out of coach buses and camper vans/RVs to see the colors of spring.
The grounds are very large in acreage. Tulips line the blacktop and paver-laid walking paths. The sun shines through the old and tall, newly budding trees high above our heads. The ground not paved is a lush green and well-manicured lawn. Flowering apple trees drop their petals throughout the gardens to create color among the green grass alongside the pop of color in each tulip bed.
Still water features wind through the gardens to give home to nesting ducks in spring. Water flows over a couple small walking bridges where patrons stroll with their loved ones. The ducks quack every so often and fly from channels to small ponds and back and young ducklings crowd their parents as garden visitors look on.
The Dutch are known for their long history of well-constructed and well-engineered windmills. Keukenhof is home to one windmill that those who want to can climb it to see the gardens from a different angle (and apparently watch the ducks with their ducklings).
Keukenhof was such a magnificent way to be reminded that beauty is not just inside or outside the big city walls of Europe. The gardens were such a calming place for us to walk among nature vs. buildings. The fresh air and eye candy colors of the flowers were a great addition to our time in The Netherlands.
Vincent Van Gogh Museum
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous painters that I can think of. He grew up in The Netherlands where his father was a pastor. He took up art at the age of 27 and spent most of his time in France from that point until his early death. But, Amsterdam is the home to the widest selection of his works. The Vincent Van Gogh Museum was a stop we had to make while we were in the city. I learned a lot about Vincent the painter and Vincent the person.
Van Gogh spent his very early career learning his craft. He was a student of art just as much as he was a master of it. There was a display of Vincent’s wide selection of self portraits here at the museum. He spent time doing these portraits to help himself learn different techniques and to experiment. He also found a great deal of respect for artists that drew portraits before and during his era.
He moved to France and found a lot of his influence and passion in drawing and painting peasant life who lived in the small villages. He loved to create art out of worn down bodies and objects. There is a drawing displayed at the Van Gogh Museum that shows a set of very muddy and broken down boots. Vincent was known to buy new boots and purposely put them through mud and dirt because “drawing something new isn’t worth doing”. He found more character in what has been used or worn down. That emotion shone through his art on all four floors of the museum.
This museum is home to some famous pieces like ‘The Sunflowers’. It is not, however, home to ‘Starry Night’ which is probably the most iconic painting of Van Gogh’s career. That painting is hanging in New York City.
It was very interesting to see how much Vincent took influence from so many other art and even his own art over time. Before his death in his late 30’s, Vincent had spent time at a mental institution. He checked himself in shortly after the infamous cutting off his own ear incident. He struggled with many mental issues and was very aware of it. The institution he was staying at had an olive grove right outside the walls and there was a whole exhibit at the museum while we were there displaying his many variations of paintings of this olive grove. This set of paintings showed Vincent painting the same scenes he saw with variations to each one.
At the suggestion of his physician, Vincent Van Gogh was painting as much as possible before his tragic death. His mind was hurting him and painting seemed to be his only relief. At the end of his life, he had been painting a piece a day for over a month. Though he took his own life, he left us his soul in the art on the walls I saw this day.
Brussels
I had been to Belgium once before for a work trip. Brussels, and most of Belgium, is a true melting pot of Europe. It is not surprising that the European Union Headquarters are at home in Brussels. The city has a lot of buzz and a mixed set of history. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time here, but it was worth the stay regardless.
We had a hotel room overlooking the square closest to the famous Grand Place square in the center of Brussels. We wanted to book a place close to the main train station for easy travel in and out of the city. Live music was much more prevalent in this largest tourist area of Brussels. It was a welcome addition for us as we enjoyed the music from our hotel room one night. We bought a bottle of wine and charcuterie from a local Carrefour (grocery store chain) to sit and relax and enjoy.
The streets of Brussels are filled with all types of people speaking so many different languages. A lot of signage is shown in French, German, and English. But, it wasn’t unlikely to see or hear some Dutch, Spanish, or Portuguese. In the center of the city, there is quite a mix of ages as well. Some people bring their children to stroll through the streets in strollers. They share the same streets on Friday night as those of young 20- or 30- something old groups drinking at the local pubs or clubs. Then there are elderly slowly pouring into restaurants for a nice dinner in the city. It really is a city for everyone.
Bastogne
We made one large detour during our time in Belgium to the town of Bastogne close to the border of Luxembourg. It is quite out of the way and we ended up taking both a train and bus through the Belgian countryside to get there. We went there because it has a special meaning in my family’s history. My paternal grandfather was in the Army during World War II in the 426th Airborne Quartermaster Company which was part of the 101st Airborne Division. Bastogne is home to the 101st Airborne Museum and it is here because Bastogne was where the famous Battle of the Bulge was fought in 1944.
The Battle of the Bulge took place over Christmas in 1944. It was one of the worst winters of the 20th century and the Axis powers wanted the city of Bastogne as a late westward push in the war. The 101st Airborne, including my grandfather, was brought in to hold the city and they did so in the harshest conditions until the battle ended in late January of 1945. It was a turning point in the war and thousands of soldiers died as a result. My grandfather walked away and survived this awful battle and I wouldn’t be here today if he didn’t. So, it was worth the trip and the museum itself was really a great place to learn and see so much of what these soldiers suffered through to protect our freedom.
Recap
Miles Walked
- 28 miles over 5 days
Next Up!
- Portugal
