Some more truths I've learned in the last month (tomorrow marks month 1 done...not sure if I'm happy or sad about that).
1. Perfecting the "I meant to do that face" is so important. I can't tell you the number of times I got on the wrong bus or tram, only to jump off 2 stops later to correct the error. The best example was on the way to watch NFL 2 Sundays ago, I went to the bus platform to catch bus 22. The platform is huge with probably 20 different stops and signs on it. I just started at the end looking for 22. I found 22 and it was there! I jump on it, thinking, man, am I lucky. No waiting 15 minutes in the rain for this bus. The bus takes off and I knew I had 5 stops before I needed to jump off, because I had checked it on the internet before I left. No way I can screw this up. So I closed my eyes for a bit through the first 2 stops. Then I looked up and we were headed in what was very clearly the wrong direction and had been for some time. On a Sunday night, the bus only hits the stops once every 15 minutes if you are lucky. So I debated - do I stay on the bus all the way around the route which was about 8 more stops and then ride it back around to the central bus platform where I started? Or do I get out now like I know what I'm doing and just cross the street and wait for the same bus to make it back to the same stop. Rain trumped my pride and I rode it all the way around. When I was the only one left at the last stop, the bus driver looked at me like I was crazy. I told him I wanted to see more of the Hague and this was a great way to do it and gave him my best "I meant to do this face". He didn't buy it, so it still needs work. My mistake at the bus platform was that the next island over from the 22 I took is another 22, headed in the opposite direction. Lesson learned, always check for your stop on the sign before jumping on a random bus. Even if it's the right number.
2. I've also learned to perfect the "I know this announcement in Dutch does not affect me" face. Again, I hear Dutch announcements constantly on trains and trams. There is no English translation, so I've perfected the art of ignoring it and remaining confident in my travel plans. So far I haven't been burned by it, but when I end up in Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam because of some strange diversion of the train, it will be because the announcement really did affect me.
3. I'm really enjoying walking to the grocery store. It's been fun to only buy what you can carry and I'm finding I waste a lot less when I know that I spent effort to go get it.
4. On that note, my pants are starting to not fit. This is good in that I need to be at a healthier weight. This is bad because there is no way I'm shopping here for clothes. Bringing empty suitcases back to Houston!
Other happenings:
1. I signed on my apartment on Monday. A friend from Rotterdam helped me with the walkthrough to make sure I caught everything. I'm not entirely sure I can work the washer/dryer combo they put in the apartment. I'm also not entirely sure I can work the microwave, oven, or heating system. But the walkthrough went well and I have keys in hand.
2. Last night I moved almost all of my stuff to the new place, excepting clothes and refrigerated stuff. I'm delaying moving over there because all I have is an airmattress in the apartment. I thought I could eek a few more days out of the temporary apartment, but I found out today that I have to be out by tomorrow at 8AM. So tonight I packed up the remaining stuff and I'll put it in the car in the morning to move the last parts of it. This is when we will find out how well I really packed. I am sort of cheating though because the same friend in Rotterdam brought by a bag of blankets and a pillow and some very handy kitchen stuff that I couldn't have packed in. So I should be set for a while.
3. I did find out that my shipment of furniture, etc arrived in port in Rotterdam early last week. I sent in my customs paperwork on Monday, so (fingers crossed) I should have my furniture in 2-3 weeks, depending on how long the paperwork takes. And assuming it's the right ship on the tracking device. This only is relevant to you because you can now start planning your trip to visit for anything after the timing of my shipment. Start planning!
4. I'm mostly excited about my bed and quilts coming, but a close second is the Rick Steve's books I have for other countries that didn't make it into the packing. I'm thinking about my next weekend trip already....it'll probably be November because of work during October, but super excited about the prospect of planning now. I'm thinking about flying south because of the weather and finding somewhere a bit warmer than the Hague for a weekend (does that make me a snowbird? there's a term for that). I looked at Dubrovnik Croatia today a bit, read a good review for November time frame. The problem is that book is in the shipment. Same with Spain...Madrid or Barcelona would be cool, but no book right now. I have the Italy, Ireland, Scandanvia, Germany, and Amsterdam book. Why didn't I bring more warmer countries? Blast. I could go buy the book somewhere here, but that would defeat the purpose of getting them cheaper in the states. So I think it will be somewhere in Italy. That's where I'm leaning....Rome, Florence, Venice....one of those for the weekend.
5. I won't have internet for a while, so I'll probably be doing blog posts via word and using a jump drive to get them on here from a different computer. How do people live without the internet? I'm about to find out for 5-7 days.
6. I have a renter on my house in Houston! Move in this weekend.
7. No movement on the car...sad day.
8. I've also increased my 40 yard dash speed. I run to almost every tram, bus and train. I'll be ready for the combine for sure next year.
That's about it for the last few days. No plans for the weekend, other than a trip to Blokker to get appliances (vacuum cleaner, kitchen appliances, etc) and maybe to Ikea in Delft to get bookshelves and maybe a free standing clothes rack to dry clothes on given the issues I'm expecting to have with the dryer. I say maybe because I don't want to commit to adding too much to the apartment before my stuff gets here from the states.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Milan Day 3
Day 3 - after a good nights sleep for me (not so good for others)....
1. I met most of the guys for breakfast at 9 and then from there, we went to the Duomo to actually go inside the church. RS gives the Duomo 2 pyramids. Depending on who you talk to, the cathedral is either the 4 largest church in Europe or the 3rd largest in the world. RS says the former, guide at Last Supper said the latter. Wikipedia says 4th largest cathedral in the world. Not sure who's right, but it's impressive no matter where it ranks. RS has a walking tour that I didn't do, but it's helpful now when writing the review of the sight. Wish I would have read it while we viewed it. Anyways, the outside of the Duomo is covered in statues, a lot of which are gargoyles. I find that interesting on Christian churches - how the gargoyles have survived all these years even through Puritan like movements. You would think that at some point along the way in the last 500+ years, some priest would recognize the lack of Biblical support for gargoyles and tear them off. The attention to detail in the marble work is impressive.
2. The glass windows inside the building are impressive as well. The windows date from the 1500s - 1980s. 80s! Many of the windows were bombed out on the left side of the church and were replaced in the 50s. One was added in the 80s to honor the three cardinals from Milan. Not as great as say Notre Dame in Paris or St. Chappelle in Paris, but still impressive.
3. Overall, the church was dark (due to Gothic architecture). We happened to be there when mass was going on. The sound was atrious - not sure how the congregation understood the muffled sound of the priest. However, the organ was impressive. I love/hate seeing a tourist church in action. Love because the organ is my favorite part of church and to hear it rumble in those huge historic churches gives you goose bumps. Hate because of a previously mentioned weird feeling I get of being a tourist in a church, compounded infinitely when church is going on. We didn't linger too long because of that, but I would definitely see it again to get more time to study the different chapels along the side.
4. After the inside, we made the climb to the top. This is what made Duomo 2 pyramids, and possibly could have been 3. Great view. The climb wasn't too bad....we had the elevator option but decided to work out the muscles that morning. Much easier climb that Brugge. The sides with a view of the market square were the best by far - neat to see that from above.
5. After that, we wandered the Piazza del Duomo (market square) and people watched. RS gave this 1 pyramid - I agree. Great people watching. Along the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and on the far side are two fascist buildings that Mussolini gave speaches from.
6. We then wandered into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, which RS gave 2 pyramids. I disagree - for my purposes, it was a 1 pyramid. Unless you are really into out of this world shopping (i.e. Dolce, Gucci, etc) then this is not for you. There was a gelato shop and other type restaurants, but it was too early for food. We did however, find the mosaic mentioned in the RS book of the little Torino (bull), which according to legend, if you step on it's junk and spin three times, you will have good luck. Well, when in Milan......do as the Milanese do.
Here's some pictures of the things I saw:
Inside Duomo
Stained glass window in Duomo
View of Piazza from top of Duomo
How close we were to the spires of the church at the top
Opposite side of the church from the top
View of the Alps at sunset on the plane ride back to Den Haag.
1. I met most of the guys for breakfast at 9 and then from there, we went to the Duomo to actually go inside the church. RS gives the Duomo 2 pyramids. Depending on who you talk to, the cathedral is either the 4 largest church in Europe or the 3rd largest in the world. RS says the former, guide at Last Supper said the latter. Wikipedia says 4th largest cathedral in the world. Not sure who's right, but it's impressive no matter where it ranks. RS has a walking tour that I didn't do, but it's helpful now when writing the review of the sight. Wish I would have read it while we viewed it. Anyways, the outside of the Duomo is covered in statues, a lot of which are gargoyles. I find that interesting on Christian churches - how the gargoyles have survived all these years even through Puritan like movements. You would think that at some point along the way in the last 500+ years, some priest would recognize the lack of Biblical support for gargoyles and tear them off. The attention to detail in the marble work is impressive.
2. The glass windows inside the building are impressive as well. The windows date from the 1500s - 1980s. 80s! Many of the windows were bombed out on the left side of the church and were replaced in the 50s. One was added in the 80s to honor the three cardinals from Milan. Not as great as say Notre Dame in Paris or St. Chappelle in Paris, but still impressive.
3. Overall, the church was dark (due to Gothic architecture). We happened to be there when mass was going on. The sound was atrious - not sure how the congregation understood the muffled sound of the priest. However, the organ was impressive. I love/hate seeing a tourist church in action. Love because the organ is my favorite part of church and to hear it rumble in those huge historic churches gives you goose bumps. Hate because of a previously mentioned weird feeling I get of being a tourist in a church, compounded infinitely when church is going on. We didn't linger too long because of that, but I would definitely see it again to get more time to study the different chapels along the side.
4. After the inside, we made the climb to the top. This is what made Duomo 2 pyramids, and possibly could have been 3. Great view. The climb wasn't too bad....we had the elevator option but decided to work out the muscles that morning. Much easier climb that Brugge. The sides with a view of the market square were the best by far - neat to see that from above.
5. After that, we wandered the Piazza del Duomo (market square) and people watched. RS gave this 1 pyramid - I agree. Great people watching. Along the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and on the far side are two fascist buildings that Mussolini gave speaches from.
6. We then wandered into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, which RS gave 2 pyramids. I disagree - for my purposes, it was a 1 pyramid. Unless you are really into out of this world shopping (i.e. Dolce, Gucci, etc) then this is not for you. There was a gelato shop and other type restaurants, but it was too early for food. We did however, find the mosaic mentioned in the RS book of the little Torino (bull), which according to legend, if you step on it's junk and spin three times, you will have good luck. Well, when in Milan......do as the Milanese do.
Here's some pictures of the things I saw:
Me spinning on the junk for good luck
View of the Alps at sunset on the plane ride back to Den Haag.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Milan Day 2
The title of this blog is a bit misleading as a good portion of the day was spent outside of Milan. I'm excited to explain how that all came to happen.
1. We met for breakfast at 9 - all a little bleary eyed from the night before. I did ok after that first shot of OJ, but it was a tough morning. In the Hague, I'm usually in bed by 10:30 at the latest, but most often, I find myself in bed at 9 or even 8:30. I think its because each day at work is really draining (even though going really well). Its exhausting learning a brand new job and meeting so many new people each day. I come home just wiped out. So staying up till 1:30 in Milan was not a brilliant idea, but worth it because I really missed the people I met up with.
2. After a leisurely breakfast, we took a Metro to the main train station after seeing that the weather was going to be rough that day. We thought about Lake Como, but seeing the lake in the rain would have been a disappointment. So instead we bought tickets for Bergamo and headed there. Here's a picture of the train station in Milan:
It really is something to see in and of itself. RS let me down here. I think any trip to Milan is not complete without seeing this station - it's incredible.
3. After catching the train, we made it into Bergamo about an hour later. Here's what I learned from the train ride: 1. If 1st class isn't that much more expensive and you know there will be first class seats on the train, buy them. Saves you from dealing with a lot of what could be unsavory characters on the train. Not that it was dangerous at all, but there were several people that I saw waiting for the train that I could smell before I saw them. They were not in first class. 2. If you are traveling with a group of people, often it is cheaper and more convenient to grab a cab at your destination to wherever you want to head. We could have taken a bus up to the old city (good 30-40 minute walk straight up hill), but took a cab which cost less than the combined bus tickets for 4 people and was quicker.
4. RS failed me on Bergamo. He mentions the airport in his book but nothing else. So as a result, I'm not entirely sure what I saw, but I'll try to describe the pictures with answers from my friend Wikipedia.
5. First, we wandered into the old town and went straight for the square, window shopping along the way. The square was really neat. Second, we wandered into a cathedral type area and came across this:
This is the Cappella Colleoni, whichis part of the Santa Maria Maggiore cathedral next to it. The architecture on this building was something to behold up close.
Next, we wandered into the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (what's the difference between a Basilica and a cathedral? I don't know...maybe next blogpost I'll try to find out.).
Wikipedia Interlude: The church was founded in 1137 on the site of another church from the 8th century dedicated to St Mary, which had been in turn erected over a Roman temple of the Clemence. The high altar was consecrated in 1185 and in 1187 the presbytery and the transept wings were completed. Due to financial troubles, the works dragged for the whole 13th–14th centuries. The bell tower was built from 1436 (being completed around the end of the century), while in 1481–1491 a new sacristy added after the old one had been destroyed by Bartolomeo Colleoni to erect his personal mausoleum, the Colleoni Chapel.
In 1521, Pietro Isabello finished the south-western portal, also known as Porta della Fontana. The edifice was restored and modified in the 17th century.
Now done with Interlude. That explains so much of what I saw. Many of the signs were only in Italian, so it was a bit difficult to figure out what was going on. Here are some pictures:
I was not expecting the ornateness inside this church. I can't imagine going to church in a building like that. While awe inspiring, it is weird to think about all the money spent beautifying the building and not spent on the poor and social issues. Maybe there was an equal amount spent on the poor, but the view from outside Christianity of this type of lavish presentation must be quite contradictory to what is our calling as Christians. Still, worth seeing. I'm not great at taking pictures (I own that), but some of my issues inside a church are more about feeling strange taking pictures (even when you can and are supposed to).
6. After the cathedral, we took a nice long lunch break. I shared a sampler antipasta with a friend and then went for my first italian pizza (ham and cheese). It was excellent. Good wine, company, etc. Relaxing morning/afternoon.
7. We then walked back down to the train station, which a few weeks ago would have been termed "Death March September 29". However, with all of the walking I do in the Hague, it wasn't too bad. I was slow, but cobblestones are tough. I made it, no worse for the wear.
8. Train ride was uneventful. Saw some beautiful country side as the rain started to lift. Alps just barely peaked through to say hello.
9. Arrived in Milan and caught a quick cab to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie for our 5:15 tour of the church which culminated in seeing the Last Supper. Here is my review of the RS section:
a. Sign up for a tour. It's really the only way to do this. You have to book tickets to see the Last Supper 3-4 months in advance. If you book the tour, you can book 2-3 weeks in advance. It's more expensive than just straight tickets to the painting, but the tour guide was good. We used www.leonardoamilano.org, which I thought at first would be shady because the website doesn't look super professional, but it worked out great. The guide met us at church, group only included 10 people and the guide was knowledgeable and spoke good English. For the guys in our group, I was told that on a scale of 1-10, she was about a 12. I will comment that she was very pretty, like an Italian Julianne Hough.
b. The tour of the church was interesting and provided insights into what you see at the end with the painting. Rick doesn't talk about the church next to the painting, but I would recommend seeing the church too.
c. Ok, the Last Supper. It is incredible. Probably my favorite painting I have seen thus far in Europe, and that includes the Night Watch by Rembrandt and the Lilies by Monet. You can only see it for 15 minutes due to the preservation methods they are using. The painting is really fragile and is constantly under repair. I thought it looked really good, but I could see places where restoration work was needed again. You can't take pictures, so that's a bummer, but if it preserves it for another generation, it's worth it. Interesting fact 1: the building the painting is in was bombed in WWII, leaving nothing but the wall the Last Supper is painted on in tact. I didn't know it was painted on a wall, first off. Second, I can't imagine one wall standing with just that painting. Incredible. Interesting fact 2: I'm super gullible (as most of you know), but I really thought the person next to Jesus on the left was Mary Magdeline based on Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Imagine my shock when the diagram in the painting room labels that person as John. I really thought the labeling was wrong. Foiled by Dan Brown! Shoot. I felt like an idiot. But didn't care because I saw the Last Supper!
d. RS only gives it one pyramid. I would give it 3. That's a big statement given the hassle to get tickets for only 15 minutes, but I loved it.
10. After that, we went back to the hotel to refresh. Dinner was in the Brera area, which is an artsy part of Milan with outdoor cafes. This food was my favorite meal while in Italy. I again got the Parma and Melon. That ham is like crack to me. I don't know what it is, but I could eat plates of that stuff - it is pure heaven. My second course was a lobster linguine pasta that was really good. It had the egg noodles that tasted almost German/Wendish in my mind with tomatoes and lobster. Couldn't have been better. I skipped dessert because by this point in the weekend, I've eaten more than I've had in the last month almost combined. Such good food.
11. The guys continued on that night to find a bar that was playing the Ryder Cup. I called it an early night at 11 and made up for some of the night before.
That's it for Day 2 - very successful and fun day! Day 3 write up to come tomorrow...includes more RS reviews and another great meal :)
1. We met for breakfast at 9 - all a little bleary eyed from the night before. I did ok after that first shot of OJ, but it was a tough morning. In the Hague, I'm usually in bed by 10:30 at the latest, but most often, I find myself in bed at 9 or even 8:30. I think its because each day at work is really draining (even though going really well). Its exhausting learning a brand new job and meeting so many new people each day. I come home just wiped out. So staying up till 1:30 in Milan was not a brilliant idea, but worth it because I really missed the people I met up with.
2. After a leisurely breakfast, we took a Metro to the main train station after seeing that the weather was going to be rough that day. We thought about Lake Como, but seeing the lake in the rain would have been a disappointment. So instead we bought tickets for Bergamo and headed there. Here's a picture of the train station in Milan:
It really is something to see in and of itself. RS let me down here. I think any trip to Milan is not complete without seeing this station - it's incredible.
3. After catching the train, we made it into Bergamo about an hour later. Here's what I learned from the train ride: 1. If 1st class isn't that much more expensive and you know there will be first class seats on the train, buy them. Saves you from dealing with a lot of what could be unsavory characters on the train. Not that it was dangerous at all, but there were several people that I saw waiting for the train that I could smell before I saw them. They were not in first class. 2. If you are traveling with a group of people, often it is cheaper and more convenient to grab a cab at your destination to wherever you want to head. We could have taken a bus up to the old city (good 30-40 minute walk straight up hill), but took a cab which cost less than the combined bus tickets for 4 people and was quicker.
4. RS failed me on Bergamo. He mentions the airport in his book but nothing else. So as a result, I'm not entirely sure what I saw, but I'll try to describe the pictures with answers from my friend Wikipedia.
5. First, we wandered into the old town and went straight for the square, window shopping along the way. The square was really neat. Second, we wandered into a cathedral type area and came across this:
This is the Cappella Colleoni, whichis part of the Santa Maria Maggiore cathedral next to it. The architecture on this building was something to behold up close.
Next, we wandered into the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (what's the difference between a Basilica and a cathedral? I don't know...maybe next blogpost I'll try to find out.).
Wikipedia Interlude: The church was founded in 1137 on the site of another church from the 8th century dedicated to St Mary, which had been in turn erected over a Roman temple of the Clemence. The high altar was consecrated in 1185 and in 1187 the presbytery and the transept wings were completed. Due to financial troubles, the works dragged for the whole 13th–14th centuries. The bell tower was built from 1436 (being completed around the end of the century), while in 1481–1491 a new sacristy added after the old one had been destroyed by Bartolomeo Colleoni to erect his personal mausoleum, the Colleoni Chapel.
In 1521, Pietro Isabello finished the south-western portal, also known as Porta della Fontana. The edifice was restored and modified in the 17th century.
Now done with Interlude. That explains so much of what I saw. Many of the signs were only in Italian, so it was a bit difficult to figure out what was going on. Here are some pictures:
I was not expecting the ornateness inside this church. I can't imagine going to church in a building like that. While awe inspiring, it is weird to think about all the money spent beautifying the building and not spent on the poor and social issues. Maybe there was an equal amount spent on the poor, but the view from outside Christianity of this type of lavish presentation must be quite contradictory to what is our calling as Christians. Still, worth seeing. I'm not great at taking pictures (I own that), but some of my issues inside a church are more about feeling strange taking pictures (even when you can and are supposed to).
6. After the cathedral, we took a nice long lunch break. I shared a sampler antipasta with a friend and then went for my first italian pizza (ham and cheese). It was excellent. Good wine, company, etc. Relaxing morning/afternoon.
7. We then walked back down to the train station, which a few weeks ago would have been termed "Death March September 29". However, with all of the walking I do in the Hague, it wasn't too bad. I was slow, but cobblestones are tough. I made it, no worse for the wear.
8. Train ride was uneventful. Saw some beautiful country side as the rain started to lift. Alps just barely peaked through to say hello.
9. Arrived in Milan and caught a quick cab to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie for our 5:15 tour of the church which culminated in seeing the Last Supper. Here is my review of the RS section:
a. Sign up for a tour. It's really the only way to do this. You have to book tickets to see the Last Supper 3-4 months in advance. If you book the tour, you can book 2-3 weeks in advance. It's more expensive than just straight tickets to the painting, but the tour guide was good. We used www.leonardoamilano.org, which I thought at first would be shady because the website doesn't look super professional, but it worked out great. The guide met us at church, group only included 10 people and the guide was knowledgeable and spoke good English. For the guys in our group, I was told that on a scale of 1-10, she was about a 12. I will comment that she was very pretty, like an Italian Julianne Hough.
b. The tour of the church was interesting and provided insights into what you see at the end with the painting. Rick doesn't talk about the church next to the painting, but I would recommend seeing the church too.
c. Ok, the Last Supper. It is incredible. Probably my favorite painting I have seen thus far in Europe, and that includes the Night Watch by Rembrandt and the Lilies by Monet. You can only see it for 15 minutes due to the preservation methods they are using. The painting is really fragile and is constantly under repair. I thought it looked really good, but I could see places where restoration work was needed again. You can't take pictures, so that's a bummer, but if it preserves it for another generation, it's worth it. Interesting fact 1: the building the painting is in was bombed in WWII, leaving nothing but the wall the Last Supper is painted on in tact. I didn't know it was painted on a wall, first off. Second, I can't imagine one wall standing with just that painting. Incredible. Interesting fact 2: I'm super gullible (as most of you know), but I really thought the person next to Jesus on the left was Mary Magdeline based on Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Imagine my shock when the diagram in the painting room labels that person as John. I really thought the labeling was wrong. Foiled by Dan Brown! Shoot. I felt like an idiot. But didn't care because I saw the Last Supper!
d. RS only gives it one pyramid. I would give it 3. That's a big statement given the hassle to get tickets for only 15 minutes, but I loved it.
10. After that, we went back to the hotel to refresh. Dinner was in the Brera area, which is an artsy part of Milan with outdoor cafes. This food was my favorite meal while in Italy. I again got the Parma and Melon. That ham is like crack to me. I don't know what it is, but I could eat plates of that stuff - it is pure heaven. My second course was a lobster linguine pasta that was really good. It had the egg noodles that tasted almost German/Wendish in my mind with tomatoes and lobster. Couldn't have been better. I skipped dessert because by this point in the weekend, I've eaten more than I've had in the last month almost combined. Such good food.
11. The guys continued on that night to find a bar that was playing the Ryder Cup. I called it an early night at 11 and made up for some of the night before.
That's it for Day 2 - very successful and fun day! Day 3 write up to come tomorrow...includes more RS reviews and another great meal :)
Milan Day 1
Milan Day 1:
1. I got off work early and headed to Schiphol via train only to realize that the flight had been delayed 30 minutes. I was really excited about the trip, so it was really hard for me to sit still for the delay. If you know me, that's rare. I'm great at sitting still.
2. Took off on EasyJet. See previous post for a review of the airline. All in all, you get what you pay for.
3. Flight was uneventful. Landed at MXP Terminal 2, which is not a sophisticated airport terminal to land at. It reminded me a lot of the terminal in Nairobi, but slightly cleaner. It was difficult to navigate, but I found the airport bus that took me 15 minutes to Terminal 1, which was much nicer and had a train station below. Terminal 2 must be for EasyJet suckers like me.
4. I took the train then from MXP to Cardona train station in the heart of Milan. Rick Steves was a life savor here. He pretty much hit it dead on about the trains and when they come, where they go to, what to watch out for, etc. The train took about 40 minutes - MXP is not even close to Milan. Saved a lot of money taking a train versus cab, but the bus would have been cheaper. I thought the train was a more fun and safer option.
5. At Cardona, I bought a Metro ticket and jumped on the Metro to the Duomo. Milan has a really good Metro system that is essentially 4 colors. 2 of the colors at Cardona went to Duomo, so I picked one, found the right direction and got on the subway.
6. At this point, I have no clear understanding of what it means to truly be in Italy because I've spent the first almost 1.5 hours either on a bus, train or subway, none of which had much of a view. This is what I saw when I surfaced from the Metro (no kidding, right away):
1. I got off work early and headed to Schiphol via train only to realize that the flight had been delayed 30 minutes. I was really excited about the trip, so it was really hard for me to sit still for the delay. If you know me, that's rare. I'm great at sitting still.
2. Took off on EasyJet. See previous post for a review of the airline. All in all, you get what you pay for.
3. Flight was uneventful. Landed at MXP Terminal 2, which is not a sophisticated airport terminal to land at. It reminded me a lot of the terminal in Nairobi, but slightly cleaner. It was difficult to navigate, but I found the airport bus that took me 15 minutes to Terminal 1, which was much nicer and had a train station below. Terminal 2 must be for EasyJet suckers like me.
4. I took the train then from MXP to Cardona train station in the heart of Milan. Rick Steves was a life savor here. He pretty much hit it dead on about the trains and when they come, where they go to, what to watch out for, etc. The train took about 40 minutes - MXP is not even close to Milan. Saved a lot of money taking a train versus cab, but the bus would have been cheaper. I thought the train was a more fun and safer option.
5. At Cardona, I bought a Metro ticket and jumped on the Metro to the Duomo. Milan has a really good Metro system that is essentially 4 colors. 2 of the colors at Cardona went to Duomo, so I picked one, found the right direction and got on the subway.
6. At this point, I have no clear understanding of what it means to truly be in Italy because I've spent the first almost 1.5 hours either on a bus, train or subway, none of which had much of a view. This is what I saw when I surfaced from the Metro (no kidding, right away):
This is the exact moment when I thought "Holy Cathedral, Batman, we are in Italy!". What a site.
7. Immediately after exiting the Metro, I found my former coworkers from Houston right at the edge of the cathedral having a beer at a cafe. I met up with them and enjoyed the view, the beer (Heiniken! I went to Italy to have a Dutch beer.), and the conversation. Great times. I took some more pictures of the cathedral, the Duomo:
More information, including a review of RS in the day 2/3 post for the Duomo and the Galleria pictured above.
8. After the beer, we headed to the hotel so that I could check in and get freshened up for dinner. Here is the view from my hotel room:
As you can see, I can see the Duomo from my room on the balcony. I got a great deal on this room and I'm not quite sure how I did it. We stayed at the NH President in Milan, which is a pretty good hotel, but very much a business hotel as opposed to a tourist hotel. Great room size, good amenities, etc. I booked through their website about 3 weeks before. My room was about 1/3 of the cost of the other people staying there with me. Maybe I got lucky...no idea what it was, but it was worth what I paid for it. I think there's a definite art to getting a good deal on a hotel room, but a bit of luck never hurts too.
9. We went to dinner with some Italians one of my coworkers knew from his secondment in Milan. They took us to a nice place not far from the hotel. That night, I had the Parma ham and melon for the Antipasta and my second course was a traditional Milanese steak (well, technically breaded veal with tomatoes on top), followed by a chocolate tort cake that was incredible. Wine was great too. All in all, I would say this was my second favorite meal of the trip. I loved it - it was probably a combination of going almost a full month on Dutch food (my cooking) and not eating most of the day that day, but I can not say enough good things about this meal. I'm hungry just writing this.
10. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed some lively conversation with some more beer -stayed up way too late, but totally worth it. Great to see those guys.
Ok, Day 2/3 to come.
Review of airlines
So today I'm going to have multiple posts because the things that have happened since the last post deserve multiple entries. Almost all good, but as I'm using this to record for future little Lindsay to read some day, I think keeping them short is best.
That said, here are my review of 2 new airlines that I used this past week for the first time. I want to keep a record of this as a travelogue to remind myself what I need to remember for next time.
1. KLM - I LOVE KLM! It's a great airline. The waiting area at Amsterdam is huge because KLM is the main airline coming in and out of Schiphol. The flight attendants were all really nice and helpful. They allow for you to check one piece of luggage for free, which I thought was nice. They are better than United and almost better than Continental, pre-United. I cheated on my United MileagePlus account by creating a KLM account. Good news with their program is that they accept AMEX points 1/1. So I can transfer those AMEX points that I forgot to transfer when United ended their program with Amex. 25,000 miles = one free Europe trip for me since I'm here already. Very excited about the possibilities of the partnerships too - they are partnered with Air France and a number of other interesting airlines that might get me more miles and ways to use them. I don't know how the cost compares since I used them for work.
2. EasyJet - Well, think Southwest, with rude flight attendants and strict carry on baggage limits. I'm so glad I bought my travel back pack with their's and Ryan Air's rules in mind. If your bag is too big, it's going to cost you. They measured mine, even though I told them the exact dimensions, which were lower than their standards. I learned also to ALWAYS print your boarding pass before going to the airport. They have no electronic printing capabilities at the airport, at least that I could find at both Schiphol and Milan. There's no assigned seating, but I didn't have any problems avoiding a middle seat. I also learned that if you are going to be flying over something cool, take the window. So worth seeing the Alps as you fly over. Also, if you are carrying a purse with said backpack, no matter the size (mine was super small), you are required to put it in the piece of luggage you are carrying. Otherwise they count it as 2 pieces and charge you to check your backpack. No issues for me, but saw a lot of other people who didn't read the fine print closely. Can't beat the price if you book early and fly at an odd time (late night or early morning).
Ok - up next is Milan, including pictures!
That said, here are my review of 2 new airlines that I used this past week for the first time. I want to keep a record of this as a travelogue to remind myself what I need to remember for next time.
1. KLM - I LOVE KLM! It's a great airline. The waiting area at Amsterdam is huge because KLM is the main airline coming in and out of Schiphol. The flight attendants were all really nice and helpful. They allow for you to check one piece of luggage for free, which I thought was nice. They are better than United and almost better than Continental, pre-United. I cheated on my United MileagePlus account by creating a KLM account. Good news with their program is that they accept AMEX points 1/1. So I can transfer those AMEX points that I forgot to transfer when United ended their program with Amex. 25,000 miles = one free Europe trip for me since I'm here already. Very excited about the possibilities of the partnerships too - they are partnered with Air France and a number of other interesting airlines that might get me more miles and ways to use them. I don't know how the cost compares since I used them for work.
2. EasyJet - Well, think Southwest, with rude flight attendants and strict carry on baggage limits. I'm so glad I bought my travel back pack with their's and Ryan Air's rules in mind. If your bag is too big, it's going to cost you. They measured mine, even though I told them the exact dimensions, which were lower than their standards. I learned also to ALWAYS print your boarding pass before going to the airport. They have no electronic printing capabilities at the airport, at least that I could find at both Schiphol and Milan. There's no assigned seating, but I didn't have any problems avoiding a middle seat. I also learned that if you are going to be flying over something cool, take the window. So worth seeing the Alps as you fly over. Also, if you are carrying a purse with said backpack, no matter the size (mine was super small), you are required to put it in the piece of luggage you are carrying. Otherwise they count it as 2 pieces and charge you to check your backpack. No issues for me, but saw a lot of other people who didn't read the fine print closely. Can't beat the price if you book early and fly at an odd time (late night or early morning).
Ok - up next is Milan, including pictures!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
City of Lights
I continue to be very blessed with some really fortunate and providence provided moments here in the Hague. I can't imagine doing my secondment anywhere else, both personnally and professionally. It's been incredible. I know that happiness isn't everything - true joy comes from contentment in what you have been blessed with. However, I don't think happiness is ever a bad thing - and I've been really happy the last few weeks for the first time in a long time. Just so nice to enjoy life and what it was meant to be. After that emotional cold opening, here are the highlights:
1. Sunday was great. I went to the American Protestant Church of the Hague for church on Sunday. They have a young adult group that meets on Wednedsays and a Sunday school class as well that was really thought provoking. The preaching was excellent too - very biblically based, sound theology thus far. Best part is that one of the pastors leads the sunday school class, which provides for excellent discussion. Super impressed and excited to be there. The church service was PACKED. I thought it would be mostly Americans, but I would say it was about 1/2 Dutch, 1/4 American and 1/4 other. It was really nice - true picture of what heaven will be like one day. I would say there were about 350 people there, but it felt small - the building is very intimate. Not very many open seats - glad I got there early! The other funny thing that happened was the Pastor asked at the beginning of the service if anyone was new that week if they could introduce themselves. I don't know what came over me, but I stood up and introduced myself. Only one too. I'm sure there were other newbies there, but no one else did it. Not sure if anyone does that normally - but I did it. Oh well, at least it was a conversation starter after the service.
2. I got a pre-packaged Chicken Tikka Masala from Albert Heijn - it was excellent. Definitely on the repeat list.
3. I took a long afternoon Sunday rainy day nap. Convenient, because it was raining. It rains here a lot. I've learned that if you left home without an umbrella, you've set yourself up for failure. And it's getting cold. I was hoping it would hold off until my stuff got here with more of my warm clothes and all of my quilts/blankets, but no luck. I haven't been drastically cold yet, but I've learned that if you leave the house without a scarf, you are also setting yourself up for failure. On a scarf related note, I learned how to properly tie one yesterday. This may seem trivial and easy, but I feel like I've never properly worn one until yesterday.
4. After the nap, I went to another Irish pub here in the Hague to get a quick American football fix. I believe it's the only place in the Hague that broadcasts NFL games - so I went to catch the 7PM kickoffs (noon games at home). They had NFL Red Zone on, plus 3 other games. I am a touch ADD given the right circumstances, so I found this to be a very confusing way to watch football. However, it was nice given my main reason for watching was fantasy anyways. 3-0 baby - and I don't even live in the states!
5. While at said pub, I met a guy in town for training with a large oil/gas company here from Houston. Small world - he was very nice and we talked a lot about where to go while he was in town/Europe. He proceeded to note that his girlfriend would be joining him 2 weeks into the training....but hey, I got out there and that's what counts. Nice conversation for a good hour.
6. So last minute opportunity to get to Paris was great. I had some technical issues once I got there, which were not easily resolved. I will say I hate blackberry. I'll leave it at that. It would be nice if the Dutch would just upgrade to the iPhone now, but I believe I'm in for a long 2 years with the blackberry. Also, I drove to Schiphol, so I'm good to go on that too! If you come to visit, I've now increased the ways I can come get you from the airport.
7. Cab rides from the airport to Paris are the WORST. I don't easily get carsick, but I always get nauseous on that ride. Traffic was awful - 2 hours in the car after a 6:45AM flight that only took an hour. I was very late for my well planned 1 day session. GRRR. The worst part is that you sit in traffic in a tunnel and the cabbies usually keep the window cracked, which means you suck in all kinds of fumes. To top it all off, this particular cabby had never met a pedal in a car, brake or gas, that he couldn't slam is foot down on for every single move he made. However, getting into Paris makes it all worth it.
8. Training was great - neat project I'm working on. Excited about it.
9. I didn't know what time the training would end so I booked a later flight (9PM) back. Normally, if you get out early from training, you rush to the airport to try to catch an earlier flight. Not so with Paris. I caught the Metro into town and had some tea with some old coworkers/friends who happened to be in town from Houston. Love the cafe life of Paris. I could so live there...other than the language. That part is so much worse than the Netherlands.
10. I got back late. I had enough gas to get back and forth to Schiphol 2x, but was feeling bold, so I stopped at a gas station and filled up. No problems- it was really easy! Drove in rain (rain is the recurring theme of this blog), no issues there either.
11. I've been trying to learn a Dutch word, street name or name of a person (like Parliament, football player, etc) each day. Disclaimer: To all my Dutch friends, I'm trying to get established before jumping into language lessons. It's not that I don't want to learn, I just am trying to not overwhelm myself with everything going on. Don't get offended by the below - it would be my reality in just about any language. I would also equate the below to Irish football cheer songs, which I've had the pleasure of hearing at the last adventure to an Irish pub. It sounds exactly like the below.
Right now, when I hear Dutch, I hear something of a combination of the below. Keep in mind this happens pretty consistently through out the day. Hopefully this will get better one day.
Coming up: Bible Study tomorrow night, trip to Milan this weekend!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Dutch observations
It's been quite the eventful last few days! Here's a summary:
1. Work is still going really well. Getting into the swing still, but going much better than I could have hoped or dreamed of. And to top it off, I think I made a Dutch friend on the team! Score!!!! I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, only 20 more to go :)
2. Dutch Problems: Not enough vases for all the beautiful, relatively cheap flowers. If you come over to visit, it's BYOV (bring your own vase). They are just too tempting not to buy. The temporary apartment only had 2 vases, both of which are full right now.
3. Another Dutch observation: I think I've written before about how tall the Dutch are (too lazy to check, but I think so). So far, this has only caused minor issues for me - the biggest of which is that EVERY chair in the Netherlands is too big for me. Quite uncomfortable to sit with your legs dangling all day. I'm so silly too - I packed my work footstool into my shipment. So I either need to get a new one off of Amazon or wait for 2 months.
4. Made it to Amsterdam again today. I say again, but this time was completely different. In another blog post I discussed the first visit on that first weekend. We took the train, got thoroughly lost, but enjoyed the time there. This time, since the company is comping my miles (er - KMs I mean)and gas as part of the package, I decided to drive there. I drove to a park and ride on the outskirts of Amsterdam and then took the tram in for free as part of the parking. Worked like a charm! No incidents driving - it's really easy to drive here. Everyone (gasp!) goes the speed limit, which is frustratingly low. But it makes it easy to drive. Big Brother is everywhere though. They use cameras to monitor speed and Faith (the GPS) tells me everytime there's a camera watching me. She tells me that a lot. And reminds me when I'm over the speed limit. She's super picky. I've been told though, that even if you are over by only 2-3KMs/hr and the camera catches you, you can get a ticket. It gets paid directly out of your salary check. Talk about a tricky tax.
5. Amsterdam review of RS book. I'm including both the sites seen last time and the new ones today. I think you could spend 3-4 leisurely days in Amsterdam - probably what it deserves. I'll spend a lot more there, because it's so close. Excellent people watching with things to do.
a. RS recommends getting the Museumkaart if you are going to see 6 or more museums in the Netherlands (good across the country). I highly recommend this if you are going to spend time here. It's saved me a ton of hassle waiting in line and eventually will save me money. I've done 4 museums, each would have been 10-15 Euros -> Almost made my money back on that one. And it's good for a year - I'm definitely going to win!
b. Rijksmuseum: Saw this today - Rick Steves gives it 3 pyramids (highest). I tend to agree. Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, Steen...all the big Dutch painters are there. I thought it was better than the Groeninge in Brugge that he also had the highest marks for. Famous paintings of note include the Night Watch by Rembrandt. His book includes a walking tour, which was awesome. Gave great insights into major paintings. The Rijksmuseum is currently under renovation, so it's much smaller in scale (the full building looks like a smaller version of the Louvre). Not sure if it will be reopened before I leave, but I would definitely see this again in it's condensed form - just enough to not get "arted" out.
c. Van Gogh (3 pyramids): Seen 2 weekends ago. RS got this one right too. LOVED IT - more than the Rijksmuseum. Too many great paintings to list. I love impressionist works, so this was right up my alley. Another great RS walking tour as well. One of the floors was under renovation again. I would have liked to see that floor. The other floor w/o VG was a waste. Such a travesty to kill a whole floor with graphic print modern art - it was not cool.
d. Anne Frank House (3 pyramids): I agree - wrote a lot on that last time. I've gotten in line at the library to check out her diary again. The whole house was moving.
e. Amsterdam Museum (2 pyramids): I did this one today. I disagree with RS. I give this one pyramid. I think that based on sheer size, he went with 2. I think the bigger the museum, the harder it is to grasp the theme and the message being displayed (although, more bang for the buck). The first exhibit was called "Amsterdam DNA", which walked the viewer through the history of the world's most liberal city from 1300s to present day. I liked this part. It was easy to follow with clear signs and good English translations. That took about 1 hour to get through. There were a ton of tour groups, which knocks it down in my mind - mostly teenage or college study abroad groups, most of whom looked and acted hung over from the night before. It was hard to get around them and get a feel for the museum. Maybe a second trip would be better. The second part of the museum is the permanent exhibit featuring artifacts, paintings, porcelain, etc that all had something to do with Amsterdam through the ages. This part had a lot of potential but failed miserably in design of the museum. I kept getting lost. At one point, I thought I would never find my way out, much less move successfully from the 1800s to the 1900s. It was a complete disaster of a lay out in my mind. There were some cool things in there, but to be honest, I was really trying to pay attention to where to go next. My first hint that this probably wasn't a well visited area was that all of the tour groups suddenly vanished. Then I thought I was going to need to take up residence in the museum because I would never find my way out and no one goes into the permanent exhibits, so I guess living here would be ok. The most interesting part was the 1930s-1950s section - I believe this is a prelude to what I hope to see at the Dutch Resistance Museum on my next trip. RS failed me on this one - his walking guide of this museum was useless. Interesting tidbits on items or paintings I never found.
f. Museumplein (one pyramid): Saw this today. I agree with RS. Lots of people watching to do. I sat and ate a late lunch there - people watching was good, food was ok. Nice if you have time to relax.
g. Leidseplein (one pyramid): Liked it - same concept as Museumplein. If I had done it right, I would have lingered more at Leidseplein and not as much at Museumplein.
h. I also saw the Flower Market - which is a bit misleading, because the street with vendors essentially sells mostly bulbs. But I do know now where to get bulbs and all things Holland (I found an orange shirt I'm considering buying!). Next trip I'll look for another area that actually has cut flowers.
i. Since my P&R tram into town was free to ride in and then out one time, I took the tram all the way to central station and then walked back along the same line (line 2) just so I knew I could always jump on that tram if I was ready to be done. This worked really well - I walked a ton, but I also saw a lot more of the city than last time. I felt more comfortable jumping off and walking knowing I just stayed in a relative similar line to the tram. Most of the stuff on my itinerary for today was on that line, so it worked out perfecto. Next time, I'll try a different line and walk up it. Amsterdam is confusing!
j. Almost forgot - I made it to a quilt shop today in Amsterdam that has real Dutch repro fabric. It is so pretty - I bought a few small pieces for my travel quilt so now I have Dutch, French, German (thanks Mom!), and Kenyan. Hopefully I can find some Italian in Milan...doubtful, but maybe?
6. I signed on an apartment on Friday. Move in is Oct 1. Also walked a new area of the Hague I had not been too. Found a new place to try dry cleaning.
7. No movement on house or car. Added lease to the house - if you are looking for somewhere to rent in Houston, let me know.
8. Tonight after I got back from Amsterdam, I checked the "Out in the Hague" guide, which is a monthly publication of things to do every night. Its in Dutch, but sometimes words don't translate, so the print them in English. I saw the word "bluegrass" under one, which clearly doesn't translate. So I went to the pub to check it out. First thing about going to a pub by yourself I've learned: Sit at the bar. So much easier than trying to rangle a spot at a table. Second, live music is a great conversation starter. Met Dutchies, English ex-pats, etc. Nice time. Third, cover bluegrass done by a Dutch band was pretty good. I put some videos on facebook - I don't think it's crazy to say that they sound as good as something you would hear in the states. It's a local band out of Rotterdam called Stringcaster. I went because of the selection they had online - it's actually better live. Shocked - I loved it.
I've most likely lost everyone's attention at this point. Need to learn to shorten my posts - but a lot of good stuff happened so it needed to be written! On deck - tomorrow is church in the morning. Not sure about the afternoon - Haarlem or a castle maybe? Monday - Paris for a quick training. Super early flight, so not going to go too crazy tomorrow. Milan on Friday!!! That's 4 countries in less than a month. So crazy!!!
1. Work is still going really well. Getting into the swing still, but going much better than I could have hoped or dreamed of. And to top it off, I think I made a Dutch friend on the team! Score!!!! I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, only 20 more to go :)
2. Dutch Problems: Not enough vases for all the beautiful, relatively cheap flowers. If you come over to visit, it's BYOV (bring your own vase). They are just too tempting not to buy. The temporary apartment only had 2 vases, both of which are full right now.
3. Another Dutch observation: I think I've written before about how tall the Dutch are (too lazy to check, but I think so). So far, this has only caused minor issues for me - the biggest of which is that EVERY chair in the Netherlands is too big for me. Quite uncomfortable to sit with your legs dangling all day. I'm so silly too - I packed my work footstool into my shipment. So I either need to get a new one off of Amazon or wait for 2 months.
4. Made it to Amsterdam again today. I say again, but this time was completely different. In another blog post I discussed the first visit on that first weekend. We took the train, got thoroughly lost, but enjoyed the time there. This time, since the company is comping my miles (er - KMs I mean)and gas as part of the package, I decided to drive there. I drove to a park and ride on the outskirts of Amsterdam and then took the tram in for free as part of the parking. Worked like a charm! No incidents driving - it's really easy to drive here. Everyone (gasp!) goes the speed limit, which is frustratingly low. But it makes it easy to drive. Big Brother is everywhere though. They use cameras to monitor speed and Faith (the GPS) tells me everytime there's a camera watching me. She tells me that a lot. And reminds me when I'm over the speed limit. She's super picky. I've been told though, that even if you are over by only 2-3KMs/hr and the camera catches you, you can get a ticket. It gets paid directly out of your salary check. Talk about a tricky tax.
5. Amsterdam review of RS book. I'm including both the sites seen last time and the new ones today. I think you could spend 3-4 leisurely days in Amsterdam - probably what it deserves. I'll spend a lot more there, because it's so close. Excellent people watching with things to do.
a. RS recommends getting the Museumkaart if you are going to see 6 or more museums in the Netherlands (good across the country). I highly recommend this if you are going to spend time here. It's saved me a ton of hassle waiting in line and eventually will save me money. I've done 4 museums, each would have been 10-15 Euros -> Almost made my money back on that one. And it's good for a year - I'm definitely going to win!
b. Rijksmuseum: Saw this today - Rick Steves gives it 3 pyramids (highest). I tend to agree. Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, Steen...all the big Dutch painters are there. I thought it was better than the Groeninge in Brugge that he also had the highest marks for. Famous paintings of note include the Night Watch by Rembrandt. His book includes a walking tour, which was awesome. Gave great insights into major paintings. The Rijksmuseum is currently under renovation, so it's much smaller in scale (the full building looks like a smaller version of the Louvre). Not sure if it will be reopened before I leave, but I would definitely see this again in it's condensed form - just enough to not get "arted" out.
c. Van Gogh (3 pyramids): Seen 2 weekends ago. RS got this one right too. LOVED IT - more than the Rijksmuseum. Too many great paintings to list. I love impressionist works, so this was right up my alley. Another great RS walking tour as well. One of the floors was under renovation again. I would have liked to see that floor. The other floor w/o VG was a waste. Such a travesty to kill a whole floor with graphic print modern art - it was not cool.
d. Anne Frank House (3 pyramids): I agree - wrote a lot on that last time. I've gotten in line at the library to check out her diary again. The whole house was moving.
e. Amsterdam Museum (2 pyramids): I did this one today. I disagree with RS. I give this one pyramid. I think that based on sheer size, he went with 2. I think the bigger the museum, the harder it is to grasp the theme and the message being displayed (although, more bang for the buck). The first exhibit was called "Amsterdam DNA", which walked the viewer through the history of the world's most liberal city from 1300s to present day. I liked this part. It was easy to follow with clear signs and good English translations. That took about 1 hour to get through. There were a ton of tour groups, which knocks it down in my mind - mostly teenage or college study abroad groups, most of whom looked and acted hung over from the night before. It was hard to get around them and get a feel for the museum. Maybe a second trip would be better. The second part of the museum is the permanent exhibit featuring artifacts, paintings, porcelain, etc that all had something to do with Amsterdam through the ages. This part had a lot of potential but failed miserably in design of the museum. I kept getting lost. At one point, I thought I would never find my way out, much less move successfully from the 1800s to the 1900s. It was a complete disaster of a lay out in my mind. There were some cool things in there, but to be honest, I was really trying to pay attention to where to go next. My first hint that this probably wasn't a well visited area was that all of the tour groups suddenly vanished. Then I thought I was going to need to take up residence in the museum because I would never find my way out and no one goes into the permanent exhibits, so I guess living here would be ok. The most interesting part was the 1930s-1950s section - I believe this is a prelude to what I hope to see at the Dutch Resistance Museum on my next trip. RS failed me on this one - his walking guide of this museum was useless. Interesting tidbits on items or paintings I never found.
f. Museumplein (one pyramid): Saw this today. I agree with RS. Lots of people watching to do. I sat and ate a late lunch there - people watching was good, food was ok. Nice if you have time to relax.
g. Leidseplein (one pyramid): Liked it - same concept as Museumplein. If I had done it right, I would have lingered more at Leidseplein and not as much at Museumplein.
h. I also saw the Flower Market - which is a bit misleading, because the street with vendors essentially sells mostly bulbs. But I do know now where to get bulbs and all things Holland (I found an orange shirt I'm considering buying!). Next trip I'll look for another area that actually has cut flowers.
i. Since my P&R tram into town was free to ride in and then out one time, I took the tram all the way to central station and then walked back along the same line (line 2) just so I knew I could always jump on that tram if I was ready to be done. This worked really well - I walked a ton, but I also saw a lot more of the city than last time. I felt more comfortable jumping off and walking knowing I just stayed in a relative similar line to the tram. Most of the stuff on my itinerary for today was on that line, so it worked out perfecto. Next time, I'll try a different line and walk up it. Amsterdam is confusing!
j. Almost forgot - I made it to a quilt shop today in Amsterdam that has real Dutch repro fabric. It is so pretty - I bought a few small pieces for my travel quilt so now I have Dutch, French, German (thanks Mom!), and Kenyan. Hopefully I can find some Italian in Milan...doubtful, but maybe?
6. I signed on an apartment on Friday. Move in is Oct 1. Also walked a new area of the Hague I had not been too. Found a new place to try dry cleaning.
7. No movement on house or car. Added lease to the house - if you are looking for somewhere to rent in Houston, let me know.
8. Tonight after I got back from Amsterdam, I checked the "Out in the Hague" guide, which is a monthly publication of things to do every night. Its in Dutch, but sometimes words don't translate, so the print them in English. I saw the word "bluegrass" under one, which clearly doesn't translate. So I went to the pub to check it out. First thing about going to a pub by yourself I've learned: Sit at the bar. So much easier than trying to rangle a spot at a table. Second, live music is a great conversation starter. Met Dutchies, English ex-pats, etc. Nice time. Third, cover bluegrass done by a Dutch band was pretty good. I put some videos on facebook - I don't think it's crazy to say that they sound as good as something you would hear in the states. It's a local band out of Rotterdam called Stringcaster. I went because of the selection they had online - it's actually better live. Shocked - I loved it.
I've most likely lost everyone's attention at this point. Need to learn to shorten my posts - but a lot of good stuff happened so it needed to be written! On deck - tomorrow is church in the morning. Not sure about the afternoon - Haarlem or a castle maybe? Monday - Paris for a quick training. Super early flight, so not going to go too crazy tomorrow. Milan on Friday!!! That's 4 countries in less than a month. So crazy!!!
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