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| Scott"s Travel Photos | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 8 2011, 12:46 AM (57 Views) | |
| bobbiepepper | Jan 8 2011, 12:46 AM Post #1 |
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:wub: Scott, I just got around to viewing your travel photos -- they are marvelous! I would like to have a conversation with you about The Netherlands and Belgium. Ken and I are going to Amsterdam for 2 weeks in May. We already have our airline tickets and hotel reservation (I did a lot of online research and am excited about the hotel we picked.) Did you spend all of your time in Amsterdam or go to some other cities? How long did you stay in Belgium? It's only 2 + hours away by train, so we thought we would take a day trip to Brussels. Is that enough time to spend in Belgium, or should we plan a couple of days there? From what I've learned about Amsterdam, there is more than enough to keep us busy there everyday, but if Belgium is so close maybe we should include that in the same trip. Anything you could share with me would be most appreciated. If you don't want to take up space on this Message Board, please reply to my e-mail address. ;) |
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Bobbie "Don't get your knickers in a twist!" | |
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| Scott | Jan 8 2011, 01:08 PM Post #2 |
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Anglophile Extraordinaire
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Bobbie, glad you enjoyed my pictures! I've got so many more that need to be scanned and uploaded, but who knows if I'll ever get around to doing it. How exciting you're going back to Europe. What! No London!!!! I've been to Amsterdam three times. The first and third visits were only for about two nights each. The second trip was for 4-5 nights. Trip two was the best of the three and the weather was spectacular! It was towards the end of May 2001. I went with a group of friends from Denver and two from Arizona. I flew on my own to Washington, D.C., stayed there a couple of nights, then on to London. 4 of my friends from Denver met up with me after I had been there a few days. They had spent a week in Germany. Then two others joined us. After about 4 more days, we took the Eurostar to Paris and stayed there 5 nights. The sterotype of rude people couldn't be more accurate, in my opinion. I love the museums, and all of the other famous attractions, but the people I can do without! (I've been to Paris three times). We then went on to Amsterdam for I think 4 nights. Our group had grown to 10 by that time. After that, I went on my own to Brussels for two nights, then came back to the U.S. I was gone three weeks. For me a week tops (or even a bit less) would be enough for Amsterdam. You said that you had done a lot of research, so I'm guessing you might have some things in mind to do for two weeks. And I'm sure you're aware of the biggies in Amsterdam. Yes, definitely go to Belgium. Brussels I didn't much care for. But I LOVED Brugges. I've been twice. I did a day trip from Brussels and then to there from London 3 years ago. You must go there, whether you go to Brussels or not. Have you seen the movie "In Brugges"? Check it out, if you haven't. The chocolate is the best I've ever tasted and there are chocolate shops galore. If you can stay overnight in Belgium (or a couple of nights), I would advise you do it. Have you thought about Luxembourg? I've never been there, but if I were going to be in the area for two weeks, I might check it out. I haven't spent much time in the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam, but did get to go to Keukenhof Gardens. http://www.keukenhof.nl/ We were there towards the end of their "season", but still got to see a lot. If you're there in early May, I think things are more in bloom. Wonderful tulips and at least one windmill. You can even buy tulips there and they'll ship them to you in the U.S. at the appropriate planting time. You can take a bus there from Amsterdam. The gardens are beautiful. We went through Haarlam, but didn't stop. I think you can see the North Sea from there. Check that out, I have heard it's worthy of a visit. I've also heard Delft has things to do (not sure what) http://www.delfttoerisme.nl/eng/index.shtml . I've also heard the http://www.kmm.nl/ Kröller-Müller Museum is a nice place to visit, but never been there. Anyway, Amsterdam is lovely. Everyone speaks English, which is a big plus. The people aren't real outgoing, but seem to warm up if you engage in conversation. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum are top notch! Also, of course the Anne Frank House is very moving. I found the Rembrandt House Museum very interesting as well. The Heineken Experience was fun and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. A canal boat ride is a must as well, check into that. I found it easy to get lost in Amsterdam, as everything is sort of in a semi-circle. Be sure to get a good map. Now if you want to know about the coffee houses (clearing my throat), I can tell you a little, but not sure if you're interested in that type of thing. I'm not an expert on Holland, but did enjoy my time there and also, as I said Brugges. If you have any more questions, let me know. Also, keep us updated on your plans....I'd love to hear about them! Edited by Scott, Jan 8 2011, 01:48 PM.
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Travel Pictures "when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson | |
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| Scott | Jan 8 2011, 01:47 PM Post #3 |
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Anglophile Extraordinaire
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P.S. For entertainment purposes, you've got to check out the Red Light District....it's almost comical. |
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Travel Pictures "when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson | |
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| bobbiepepper | Jan 9 2011, 11:22 AM Post #4 |
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:P Thanks for all the information, Scott. It was really helpful. From all my online research, it seems there are lots of interesting things for us to do in Amsterdam for two weeks. We don't like to hop from place to place on trips -- we like to be leisurely and savour each new experience in a "normal" span of time. We also might want to visit some museums more than once. We will definitely go on a canal boat ride and see the Red Light District. There is a Film Museum near our hotel, and we want to spend some time there. I heard about a 300-year-old Botanic Gardens, which we might seek out. Maybe we'll skip Brussels and go to Bruges for a day or two instead. I am a very big chocoholic, and you made that adventure sound delicious. Thanks, also, for all those websites.
Edited by bobbiepepper, Jan 9 2011, 11:24 AM.
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Bobbie "Don't get your knickers in a twist!" | |
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