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European Vacation 2025
  • Debra Kooy
  • Debra Kooy

European Vacation 2025

A 31-day adventure by Debra Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 14, 2025
    Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Our vacation has begun
    Layover cheers in Montreal3Oh, another cheers, why not! Amsterdam bound1At Rotterdam and all smiles before we got manhandled by crowds getting on the train2Beautiful door and color2Scan in on this photo. Such a cool building with so many windows framed in1Cinqantenaire Park7Tribute to Jaida on her 23rd birthday🩷🌷, Surrounded by love of family & friends 🧡😘3Gorgeous cherry blossoms2One last cheers to Jaida2Charcuterie to the max😆White swan in Leopold ParkCute baby1Rudder up!!The black baby swan popped up from under the white swan just chattering away

    YVR- Montreal, Amsterdam, Brussels

    April 15, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    It was so great to start this vacation after all the planning. We had smooth flights through to Amsterdam. We quickly found the trains to find out that Belgium is having train strikes April 14 & 15. We heard from many that the strike days have been pretty regular They told us to get on the train to Rotterdam Central then on to Brussels from there using our existing tickets. We had one minute to get down the escalator and on to the train...we made it!! Next train from Rotterdam was a different story. We had to get elbows up as the crowds were all trying to get on the train within 5 minutes. Everyone pushes, so not pleasant, but we managed to get seats. We had one more unexpected change outside of Antwerpe to get to Brussels Central quicker. We arrived and decided to walk the 25 minutes to our hotel to get some fresh air and stretch our legs. We didn't anticipate the cobblestone streets all the way! Our wheels made it!! We had a short break then went to explore our area and look for restaurants. The parks are beautiful here, with tulips, cherry blossoms and the greenery of Spring. The buildings have so much charm. We had our last cheers of the day to Jaida for her 23rd birthday🩷🧡Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Grand Palace Square w City Hall Tower
    Asymmetrical which we didn't notice until our guide pointed all the imperfections out11St. Hubert Galleries built in 1840's1The King, Queen & Prince each have a Gallery and contain high end shops1Standard building designs in the main center5Manneken Pis1The Pissing boy is represented everywhere2Fun with the bikes1Part of our tour group1A unique candy to Brussels4He found it!!3This shop makes tiny model figurines of all types3Touring with Tom & Shaun2Easter eggs5Belgian waffles😋😋31Frites come in the cones and many different, unique sauces1There are lots of parksThe bell bike!1Grand Palace SquarePissing Boy or Manneken Pis

    Brussels Day 2

    April 16, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today we started our day with a free ( for tips) Tour of Central Brussels around the Grand Palace. Our tour guide was originally from Edmonton, AB. Our tour started in the main square which was a marketplace in the 18th Century. It houses the City Hall, which is quite asymmetrical ( longer on left side, diff. Windows, the arch below the tower doesn't line up) because it was built in 3 phases, the ancient guild houses such as the Beer and Butcher Guilds and the Brussels Museum. The Butcher Guild is the location where Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto before he was ousted from Brussels! We saw the 60 cm tall statue of the "peeing boy" or Manneken Pis. He has 1150 different costumes for different occasions. The most plausible story for its origin is that there was a leather factory in the center and pee has ammonia which is needed for leather tanning! Brussels is very divisive because of the 2 main religions of the Dutch and French in the 1600's being Catholic & Protestant. Now it's more divisive because of their 2 main languages of French and Dutch. It's bilingual, and the Dutch speak both, but the French don't necessarily speak Dutch and don't have to learn it. Brussels has a history of brutal Colonization where millions were killed and the money made from it was used to build the Royal Palace and fund the city. We tried the Belgian waffles, frites ( double fried in beef tallow😆😋) and the Belgian chocolate👌 It is some of the best because they have strict quality controls and use a higher quality of cocoa. These standards attract talented chocolatiers.
    We met up with S & T late afternoon and walked around the center. A great day exploring.    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    The Atomium, site of the Brussels 1958 World Expo
    1958!13Manneken Pis costume!!Just a few of the 1150 costumesStart of our self-guided Belgian Chocolate Tour😋1The first female chocolatier in Brussels and Royalty approved2Love the window display!1So many optionsThis kitty has great taste...see next pic1Wowza! So many Michelin Stars1We managed to find Jeanette Pis, cuter than Manneken!!The best Belgian Beer Bar in Brussels. So good 👍2We worked up a thirst eating all the chocolate🤣I had the Oompa Loompa beer. I'm not normally a beer drinker, but it was excellent👌2When in Belgium, eat waffles😋Riding up to the top observation bubble at the Atomium1So many beers to choose from and they serve in specific glasses for the beer

    Brussels Day 3: Atomium & faves😋

    April 17, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today we took the metro to meet Tom & Shaun and started the day by boarding the Tram to Heysel to see the Atomium and grounds from the Brussels 1958 World Expo. It was very interesting with displays. Laser shows, the observation deck. We enjoyed a nice Thai lunch then trammed back to the Grand Palace area where we started our self-guided chocolate tour. We started off with 2 favorites, Neuhaus & Mary and several others along the way.
    We found the Jeanette Pis which our Day 1 tour guide told us about and our self-guided tour blog gave the directions to, which just happened to be beside the Delirium, the best beer bar in Brussels. So we enjoyed a Belgium beer 🍺 We followed that with Frites then waffles 🧇 😋 Today was a good day😀🥰    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Beautiful canals
    Medieval Belfry Tower11Oldest Pub in Brugge422Close call!!1They opened the Palace to the public & have everyday people 's photos amongst the Governors2Trying more Belgian beers2Unique facades141Old Fish Market3Market Square

    Brussels to Brugge

    April 18, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We took the train to Brugge today. Our lovely host, Catherine, picked us up from the station and drove us to her Airbnb. It is a beautiful 3 story home on the canal. We walked to the oldest pub in Brugge ( over 500 yrs) and had a quick bite. We then walked to the main Market Square and started a self-guided tour around the beautiful center. Brugge means bridge and there are many!! It dates back to 840-875. The building and facades are very old & charming. We met Shaun & Tom for dinner and tried more Belgian beers. We then walked to the old windmills on the canal then back to the Airbnb to greet Joanne & Andrew.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Look how many steps on the upper red house....12Cute statue, very playful!1Nunnery1Lake Minnewater with Castle like building where we had beers on the patio1Hoge took a great group shot near our Airbnb1More steps, more wealth back in the day1Video credit to Andrew Snow, the lowest bridge we rode under1The Kissing Bridge

    Day 2 in Brugge, Belgium

    April 19, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today, we and the Snow's had a leisurely start to our day with a small breakfast "snack" & coffee then went to look for a breakfast Cafe. We meandered around the Market Square, Provincial Palace and the Kissing Bridge and then Burg Square before meeting up with the Windt's & Mackenzie's for a Canal Boat Tour. We had a 30 minute ride passing under many bridges and seeing the sites from the water. We learned that the greater the number of steps on the roofline of the houses indicated the wealth of the family. Next stop was Pur Chocolat, our new favorite Chocolate truffle spot, and on to see the white swans, then the Nunnery with the whitewashed dwellings and peaceful spaces.
    We took some photos by Minnewater Lake, walked around it to enjoy a beer on the Patio of the Restaurant on the Lake. We walked back to our Airbnb in time to meet Paula & Hoge, who just arrived in Belgium. We had some appetizers and drinks then walked for dinner where we tried traditional Flemish stew & shrimp croquettes. We ended our night with a walk to Market Square to see it lit up at night. Another fun day with friends🥰    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    2
    1Another fun sculpture we came acrossArriving at the Fluvius1Our cabin for the next weekThe skull on the left of the arch represents what they did to Traitors in Medieval timesOur group for the test rideTest ride. The ring rode around Bruge is shaped like an egg! Appropriate for Easter 🐣The windmills were used to grind the grainA replica of a crane. Children were used to turn the wheels like a hamster wheel!1

    Day 3: Brugge & start of Bike&Boat Tour

    April 20, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Happy Easter 🐰🐣We woke and enjoyed a really nice Easter meal & Belgian chocolate treats with Joanne & Andrew, Paula & Hoge. A few of us walked to get supplies for the bike trip then we all met up at a cafe & patisserie for coffee and delicious baked goods. We collected our suitcases from our Airbnb and were able to thank our host in person before leaving to walk to our boat. We had a good long walk and reached the Fluvius for check-in. We are a large group of 12 from Abbotsford and our friends, Mary & Keith from the UK are here as well. We had a group briefing for boat safety and bike safety, then we prepped our bikes and did a test ride for 10 km. We practiced different road crossings and enjoyed riding along the outer canals passing old windmills & houseboats. On our return, we had a small break before dinner. They ring the bell to indicate the food is ready. We were introduced to the crew and Captain Niko. They are a culturally diverse crew from Tunisia, the Phillipines & Netherlands They encouraged us to sit with different people over the next week. We sat with Bon & Ewan, who we know, and a couple from Australia. After dinner our guides briefed us on our ride tomorrow, a bit of history of the area and the communication and photo sharing apps. We were back in our rooms by 9pm. We are excited for a long ride tomorrow to Ghent.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1This was a memorial to thank the Canadians for support in a battle liberating against the Germans.
    1Our boat going under the bridge we rode toBolles used for Rolle Bolle gameOur teacher and Pub owner1A castle now uninhibited. It was a fortress in the Middle Ages. It has been renovated many timesWe love the old windmillsCity of Ghent1The Medieval CastleThe Ghent nose candy. They have a jelly-like filling. They are very sweetThe moodiness of the skyline. It did not rain on us!!The beautiful vaulted ceilings in the church2My poor attempt at Rolle Bolle. I didn't know which side was weighted, obviously!!1The main square in Ghent

    Bike&Boat: 60 km Bruge, Ghent, Beremeke

    April 21, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Our day starts with coffee, breakfast at 7:45. We pack a lunch and then meet out at the bikes for 9am. Today was a 60 km ride through the Flemish countryside. We ride single file with our large group. Our guide is at the front and sometimes, if just one guide, one of our group becomes the sweep. We are a big group so they remind us often about safety and rules of the road. We stopped at a cafe and we ordered a drink, coffee or beer!! For lunch today we stopped at a pub and ate our lunch with our beer. The couple who runs the pub have been there for 50 years. The owner taught us a game called Rolle Bolle. In 2022 the Rolle Bolle Club celebrated its 100th year. There are two small wooden stakes stationary in the ground, one at each end. The bolle is a weighted disc on one side, so it can curve. Closest to the stake gets the point. We had a fresh strawberry farm stop to sample. They were so sweet and red all the way through. We enjoyed riding in the countryside with wide open spaces. We arrived in Ghent, which has medieval churches and a castle. It is now a University Center. We walked around to the castle, into one of the churches, enjoyed a waffle and took lots of photos before biking 8 km to where the ship was moored. Our dinner is served around 6:30 followed by a debriefing of the next day's ride.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Quick drink break, love this treed area
    1Beautiful castleThe Leap of Faith Sculpture2We are all taking a leap of faith!11Interesting artwork, love the hat on the deer!A quaint little church in the middle of farmlandsAll-encompassing sign for this roadwayHeavy traffic in the sky!Our ferry to the other side. Took longer to load than the ride over1The hole where the bell fell after the German bomb hit it1Our relax beers at the end of our dayDendermonde history. The bottom photo looks like something from Monte Python!!1Love this in our rooms❤️The bells ring every quarter hour

    Bike&Boat: Ghent to Dendermonde

    April 22, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We cycled downstream for 34 km through a diverse landscape along the tidal Schelde River to Dendermonde, a quiet little town, located at the junction of Dender and Schelde Rivers. We enjoyed the ride today which had beautiful suburban tree-lined streets and paths with gorgeous country homes, a variety of animals ( goats, horses, dogs, alpacas), a small church, another beautiful castle, and lunch at a park on a lake. Dendermonde has a beautiful town hall located in the main square. It also has a church which has the hole from the top to the lower floor where a German bomb hit the bell and the bell fell to the lower floor. We enjoyed a beer to end our day😀👌Evenings are fun because we chat with everyone about the day. We try to sit with different people for meals. There are many countries represented onboard.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Lady by the river statue1A castle we stopped atOur guides on the oldest iron bridge in Brussels or possibly the world!!De Waterbus we took into AntwerpeThe elevator down to the tunnel under the river from the 1930's1St Paul's ChurchOriginal paintings by Antoon Van Dyck1

    Bike&Boat: Dendermonde to Antwerpe

    April 23, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Dendermonde – Antwerp (50 - 55 km)

    Today we followed the Schelde River further downstream through the Temse region and the small village of Baasrode to Antwerp. This part of the route is along a beautiful and winding section of the Schelde which over the centuries held strategic importance for the Romans, Vikings, Spanish and Napoleon. Today was colder and we had rain off and on. We stopped for a drink and had the best hot chocolate with Belgian chocolate chips mixed into hot milk. We had a quick stop at a local museum to see the weaved purse collection from around the world. Next was a stop to see a mechanical butterfly on a village building. We wound our way through villages onto the dyke to see the statue of the lady by the river. Her body is curvy and meant to mirror the flowing of the river. We rode to see a tidal mill, the only one of its kind in Belgium. Then it was a 40 minute, wet, windy ride to lunch. At a farm museum and pub. Antwerp, our destination for the day, is a harbor city situated on the river Schelde famous for handling up to 80% of the world’s rough diamonds and is the birthplace of the famous painter Sir Peter Paul Rubens. There are many highlights in the city to discover including: the City Hall, one of several majestic buildings constructed during the Renaissance period, the historical City Square Grote Market, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Cathedral and the medieval Steen Castle. We arrived on the Waterbus and rode to the oldest underground and under the river bike tunnel which is 33m below and a half mile long. We took the elevator down and rode across and back to experience it. We visited the St Paul's Church outdoor garden with its statues and had a look inside at the original paintings of Rubens and Antoon Van Dyck. We rode 10 floors on escalators to see the view of Antwerpe from the top floor of a local building. We had a nice dinner all together then rode back to the ship.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    A photo from a boatmate of our guided group
    1Canadian War CemetarySo beautifulLunch break. Fun water break1The WatchtowerOur lunches we pack from the boat and always order a drink from the Cafe we stop at.Tholen City HallReady for Kings Day, April 27thLoved the bike!Very cool bike with a beautiful wood carriageReminded me of the houses in Halifax except these are pastel colorsBack to the boatThe crew and Captain line up our bikes on deckOur Captain ( in blue coveralls)pitches in each dayArendina & Joan debriefing our options for the evening and tomorrow's rideThe drawbridge we passed to dock for the nightThe last lock we passed through

    To Kreekkrak Locks, Tholen, Dortrecht

    April 24, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Antwerp – Kreekrak locks,| Kreekrak locks – Tholen | Tholen – Dordrecht  (20 - 45 km)

    This morning, the ship sailed along the Schelde-Rhine Canal and over the huge Kreekrak lock system prior to and as we were waking.. Our bicycle tour, 38 km,started through the beautiful “Wouwse Plantage” forest to Tholen, We really enjoyed the forested areas, farmlands and beautiful homes along the way, before a drink break. We visited a Canadian War Cemetary from WW Ii. It was beautifully kempt with flowers amongst the gravesites. The ages of many soldiers was on avg. 20 years. We were thankful to pay our respects. We rode through heavy winds today. We enjoyed seeing flocks of sheep and their babies, mares and their colts,& dogs in the cafes we visited! We had lunch at a unique Watchtower. Tholen once was an island in the middle of the large Zeeland streams, where many people fished for their living. Tholen today is connected to the mainland in various ways. It was decorated with orange flag streamers for the upcoming Kings Day celebrations. We visited the City Hall, town center and an old windmill. From Tholen we joined the ship again for a nice afternoon sail to Dordrecht, one of the oldest towns in Holland. Halfway, the ship passed through the Volkerak lock system. We enjoy our conversations with our boatmates during the relax time before dinner.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Kinderdijk with the 19 windmills along beautiful canals
    12The Dutchman with the windmillsA presentation at an original and working mill which is Unesco recognized b/c a Millar still runs itThe son of the millar telling us the history, precess and his philosophy of using organic grainsThe site of the Avro Lancaster plane crashOur Canadian group in front of the bent propellor1Our guided tour groupOur guidesLunch stop along a canal in SchoonhovenThe competition site for ditch/canal vaultingCity Hall from 14252Shenanigans back at the boat with Joanne1Starting the Kings Day celebrations1Belgian🇧🇪 beers cheers🍻4Photo by Arendina, our guide.1Our entertainment for the evening!

    Alblasserdam, Kinderdijk,Vianen

    April 25, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Dordrecht – Alblasserdam | Alblasserdam – Kinderdijk – Schoonhoven – Vianen (32 - 57 km)

    We took a quick ride to see part of Dortrecht, the oldest city in Holland before hopping on the fast ferry to Alblasserdam. From here we cycled to Kinderdijk, a village famous for its impressive row of 19 UNESCO cultural heritage-listed windmills. This was a highlight. There are 1100 windmills left and originally there were 9,000. The windmills were constructed in the 18th century to pump water out of the low Alblasserwaard polder (a polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments). They were also used to grind grain. We visited an original windmill from 1844 still using the original stones as well as an electric grinding motor. They follow traditional, organic milling to produce their grains. Today was my favorite cycle day. We had a sunny, but windy day. We wound our way through beautiful villages lining the canals. We saw immaculate homes and yards with a variety of styles. The thatched roofs are a favorite. We saw so many varieties of birds including huge white swans laying on their nests and so many hobby farms with horses, chickens & other animals. I would love to come back and stay in this beautiful area. We saw the site of an Avro Lancaster that crashed. This is the type of plane Andrew's dad flew in. We cycled via Schoonhoven, since the 17th century, nicknamed Silver City – is renowned for its talented silversmiths, though we oddly did not see a silver shop while walking around!! Our destination was Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek where we spent the evening, enjoying the sun, Belgian beers , debriefing the day, then another fantastic meal and live entertainment by a local accordian player and singer.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    The boat all decorated for Kings Day
    Tompouce cakeReady for our ride. We got our orange on🧡!!!First Breuklen Bridge!! It was thefirst drawbridge of the day. The operator lifted it just for us👌One of the beautiful mansionsThe cheese farmOur samples😋😋A garden grandma, no gnomes here!!The two Millars who look after/operate the windmillThe design and function of the windmillTompouce cake for the passengers for King's DayComing into Amsterdam Harbour1A picture with Hanni, our eldest rider at 83, one of our guides, Arendina, and moi!!Celebrating our crew on our final night2Lunch in the garden on the canalArchimedes' screw from the original windmill. It lifts the water up & out to protect the polder.Arendina took a video of us riding. Such a cool vantage point

    Vianen to Amsterdam on King's Day

    April 26, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Vianen – Breukelen | Breukelen – Amsterdam 35 km

    During breakfast the barge cruised to Breukelen where we disembarked and started our final day of cycling. It is the Kings birthday and we all adorned our bikes with orange balloons, lays and some wore orange. Our guide shared a special vanilla cake called tompouce with cream and/ or custard and orange icing made available on Kings Day. Many towns, homes and locals were decorated or dressed in orange. We rode along the Vecht River in an area famous for its beautiful mansions, small castles and beautiful houses with large gardens and parks all along the canals. Throughout the day we rode over several draw bridges. After cycling through the villages of Nieuwersluis, Loenen and Vreeland we arrived at Nigtevecht where we visited a traditional cheese farm. The owner toured us around the farm and explained the cheese making process. We had our lunch in their garden on the canal and purchased cheese. We Continued cycling and stopped at a windmill where we met the 2 millars who look after the windmills. One of them showed us pictures of the construction and told us the history of it. We rode on through the historical town of Muiden and on to the outskirts of Amsterdam to board the boat for the final time. We sat on the upper deck as the Captain took us into the Amsterdam Harbour for our last dinner, speeches from the crew, reminiscing about the week of cycling and final night on the boat. This has been a really fun group of people to tour with.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1
    113Trying the pannekeok1Julia, our friendly local who invited us in to see her home1Julia's main living roomTheir beautiful garden space1The restaurant Bonnie chose with Anthony in mind🥰Dinner at the HangarKing's Day celebrations. This is how many people are in the canals

    Amsterdam, disembarkment from Fluvius

    April 27, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We had our final breakfast on the Fluvius and said our goodbyes to new friends and fellow passengers. As everyone said, you bond with people, extend sincere invites to come visit in Canada and really hope they take us up on it because they were really wonderful people. I had a tearful goodbye with Joanne & Andrew too as they head for their next few days of adventures. We took an uber to our hotel, dropped off our luggage and headed out to walk around Amsterdam with Shaun & Tom. We took the free ferry across the Harbour to Amsterdam Central Station and found a cafe for coffee. Tom went to watch the Dutch Ajax football game while Shaun, Anthony & I explored the canals and Nine streets district. Along our strolling we met Julia and we stopped to chat and see if we could help her carry her soil i to her home. She ended up inviting us in to see her beautiful home on the canal dating back to the 1600's. She was so kind and toured us through and showed us their artwork, gardens and lovely spaces. A similar experience happened the last time we were in Amsterdam with Jacob.
    We walked and ferried back to our hotel area, checked in and met back with Bonnie, Ewan, Andy & Susie ( friends from Scotland). We had appies all together, including Hoge & Paula, Brad & Annalisa. We said goodbyes to Hoge & Paula who leave for Italy early am and headed for dinner at a restaurant called the Hangar booked by Bon. It was an incredible meal and such a unique space made to look like an airplane hangar. We were all tired and headed to our rooms. A great first day in Amsterdam.    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    This company is creative. A fun bike to ride
    Skyline view of Amsterdam Central Station and districts beyondInside a historic building, now a shopping mallWall of cheesesOne of the graffiti walls we passedWe see so many of these small cars amongst the bikes. Easy to park!Fresh, raw Halibut with onions and pickle😋Look at how small this food truck is!! We had lunch here. Recommended by one of the vendors1Boat tour: Ewan, Anthony Bonnie1Bonnie & Shaun1Far left, Andy, Susie, Annalisa, Brad, Tom & me31The dancing housesThe wealthier district with much wider homes1One of the older homes we passed from 1590Loved the top decorative facade11Many homes have shuttersA Shipping Museum

    Amsterdam full second day

    April 28, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We met our group for breakfast in the hotel. We enjoyed their yogurt, fruit and pastries. We booked a boat tour then started out for the free ferry to the Central Station side to walk to the Albert Cuyp ( 17th Century Painter) Market in the De Pijp neighborhood. It is a very culturally diverse area. The streets are named after Dutch painters such as Vincent van Gogh. It is the largest daytime market in Europe with products aimed at residents from Turkish, Moroccan and Antillean backgrounds. We ate at a Lebanese stand. The food was delicious. We took the metro back and met everyone for a canal boat tour. It was a fun tour on an open boat. We saw some new areas such as the Dancing houses at Damrak which are crooked historic houses that lean in different directions. Then the wealthy area with wider Canal houses that you can rent for approx. 30,000 euros per night including a personal chef, concierge and butler. Most of the houses are narrow in Amsterdam because they were taxed on the width of the house. Amsterdam originated in 1275. This year will be the 750 year celebration. It was known for Herring and spices from Indonesia, India and Spain. Now it is known for tourism, companies such as booking.com, and real estate used as head offices for various firms. Following our tour we walked back to the hotel, grabbed a quick bite at the Food Center next door. We sat and visited all together at the hotel. Brad & Annalisa fly home tomorrow. It has been so nice to spend time with Andy & Susie.
    A fun day today.    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    3When in the Netherlands....
    31This is more my style!2😂 best sign!!1We saw lots of cats today. Loved how this one is laying out on the ledge muralHarry Potterish!1😂21Night train to Vienna then on to BudapestReading before bed1Relaxing & reading before bedCozy quartersWe had to tape the cup holders so we didn't bump our heads in the nightNight Jet train

    Amsterdam then night train to Austria

    April 29, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We woke early to have breakfast with Ewan, Bonnie, Andy & Susie before they left for their next adventures. We stored our bags then walked to the ferry and walked to Dam Square and the Jordaan District over 10km. We stopped for pannekeoken recommended from our self guided food tour. We had some time to sit & relax at the hotel before heading to Central Train Station for our night train to Budapest. We have a cabin for 4 on the train. We had to store some of our bigger bags up on the top bunk. Space was tight! We had some cheese and crackers and snacks before getting ready to sleep. Through the night it was really cold. At 2;30am Tom was attempting to shut the window and accidentally hit the emergency brake but it doesn't activate until the train stops then attempts to start again. I was helping get the window shut from my side and blinds down when we felt the train start then stop suddenly and the next thing we know there's a knock at the door and 6 train employees are lined up wondering if we are all okay and why we pulled the brake🤭 We had a good laugh ( after they left!). On to the next adventures!!Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Breakfast on the train
    Our Airbnb2Our view across the street is the St. Stephen's Basilica4Hungarian ghoulash13

    Vienna & transfer train to Budapest

    April 30, 2025 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We woke at 7am and our Attendant set up our seats for us and brought coffee and buns with jam. We ate while enjoying the countryside in Austria and chatting about our night. We had a brief stop in Vienna with time to grab a coffee then back on the train for Budapest. We had some lovely people direct us to the ticket sales/ metro. It was not long to our Airbnb. It is very spacious and overlooks St. Stephen's Basilica. We had a great dinner with Hungarian specialties, picked up some groceries for the next 4 days and then had a relaxing evening at the Airbnb.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    3Shoes on the Danube Memorial to the Holocaust Victims
    1Reminders of the Jewish people killed by the Nazis1Langos Hungarian specialty with sour cream & cheese 😋4Chain Bridge to BudaOldest of the bridges and has also been rebuilt1View of Pest. Nothing can be built taller than St. Stephen's Basilica2The Parliament BuildingFisherman's Bastion1Castle District in BudaSt Matthias Church. The roof tiles were spectacular1Castle District1Riding the Metro. The escalators are so steep.Boat Cruise. Nice to rest our weary legs!Boat cruise on the Danube

    Pest Tour & Castle District, Buda

    May 1, 2025 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we started our beautifully, sunny day with a quick breakfast then out to our walking tour of the Pest side of Budapest. We walked for 2.5 hours to see:

    Elizabeth Square
    Old Stock Exchange building by 2 fountains, 1 loved, 1 not!
    St. Stephen's Basilica
    Liberty Square
    Danube Promenade where we could see the Buda side of Budapest with the Citadel and Castle District. Buda was originally where the Austrian leadership resided. The castles and churches were meant to show power and the Pest side was where all the trade happened on the Danube. There were no bridges across originally until they realized how lucrative the trading was.

    Soviet Memorial with statues of Presidents Reagan and Bush to show the balance of power. It was a mass grave, but the remains had been moved to a cemetary. This had been the site of many protests

    Parliament Building

    Budapest has quite the history of conquering but then being conquered or occupied through the years. All of the beautiful castles, churches & buildings were destroyed so they rebuilt them. None of what we see is original.

    Our guide gave us coupons for a free beer at a nearby restaurant which had the Langos, a Hungarian specialty. It is a sweet bread served with sour cream and cheese. It was delicious. We walked to see the "shoes on the Danube", a memorial with 60 bronzed shoes representing the Jewish people who were made to strip down on the edge of the river, 60 at a time, then shot and washed away in the river. It is a very depressed History. The last occupations were the German Nazis and then the Soviets.

    We walked across the oldest bridge called the Chain Bridge to the Buda side. We walked up a lot of stairs to Castle Hill. We had great views of St. Stephen's Basilica and the Parliament in Pest. We saw Buda Castle, the National Gallery then over to Fisherman's Bastion and St. Mathias Church. We caught a bus then the metro back to the center near the Danube for dinner and finished our day with an evening Boat Cruise on the Danube River.    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Thermal baths
    Indoor bath4Starting his artistic swimming routine😂1This was my favorite 😻2Tuckered right out!1Longing for the outdoors!1Great SynagogueTree of Life Sculpture with the names of some 5000 Jews buried in the area1The names of the victims are on each leafCarl Lutz Memorial: Angel sending down a bolt of cloth to a prostrate victim. He saved many Jews1Ruin BarExtremely eclectic bars2Rooftop bar overlooking the Danube and Buda side11Buda Castle2Apperol Spritz1Margaret Bridge

    Széchenyi Thermal Bath & Jewish Quarter

    May 2, 2025 in Hungary ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Today we took the oldest metro in Europe, built in 1896, to Széchenyi Thermal Baths. It is one of the largest spa baths built in 1913. It was beautiful. The  Neo-baroque palace was specifically built for hosting medicinal baths. The Roman then Turkish occupiers built them for their natural mineral-rich qualities. The thermals were 21 C and it was 26 C today. We took the Metro back to our neighborhood for lunch. After a quick change, we walked around the corner to the Cat Cafe. They had lots of beautiful cats, but they were sleeping for the most part, so we carried on. We started our own self-guided tour of the Jewish Quarter. There were 440,000 Hungarian Jews deported to their deaths within 3 months in 1944. We saw the Great Synagogue, 2nd largest in the world and situated on the street that marked the Budapest Ghetto in WWII. The Tree of Life is a sculpture that commemorates 5000 Holocaust victims buried in the area and another that pays tribute to those who risked their lives trying to save the Jewish people. We visited the Rumback Street Synagogue and an Orthodox Synagogue (security was evident). While on Kazinczy Street, we found the Ruin Bars ( Budapest's ruin bars were born at the ti.e of the new millenium from the gentrified urban decay of the city's 7th district. These creative, eclectic and cobbled-together spaces quite literally hijack ruins – abandoned warehouses, empty parking lots, historic buildings – and call them home) and had a drink before taking a short rest back at the apartment. Our evening ended with drinks and eats on a rooftop bar overlooking the Danube and Buda side of the river. It was a beautiful evening with Tom & Shaun with spectacular views.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Opera Hall
    Inside the Opera HallThis is a stock photo of the New York Cafe. We couldn't get in due to very long lines.1I love the buildings here even though they are rebuilt to look oroginalWe shared the Dobos and Millefuille desserts12I bought a croissant to go. The reviews said they were the best they have ever tastedEven the pottery dishes were beautifulLove the facadesElizabeth Bridge1House of Terror during Nazi & Soviet OccupationChain Bridge after being bombed by the GermansVivid reminders of the atrocities inflicted on so many people1Two Crestonites! A fun reunionAmazing desserts😋1Likely another bachelor party...there were many!!

    Museum, La Boutique Cafe, dinner w Sandy

    May 3, 2025 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We had a nice slow start today. We were up late and took our time getting on our way to the House of Terror Museum. It gives the history of the Nazi Germany and Soviet occupations and the atrocities carried out against the Hungarian population. It left us heavy hearted. So many people suffered and/or died. We walked to LA Boutique by Meinhart recommended by Susie & Andy. The pastries are world class, literally. We met the Chef and his partner who owns the Boutique side of the Cafe. The coffee and desserts were outstanding. We walked back to the apartment and rested and packed before heading to dinner with a friend, Sandy, from my hometown of Creston now living in Budapest. I have not seen him since he graduated high school. Sandy treated us to the best dinner we have had since we started this vacation. It was a traditional Hungarian Restaurant. We tried 3 Hungarian desserts and a plum aperitif that was very strong. We had such a nice time catching up and asking lots of questions about Hungary. Sandy drove us to his family home for a nightcap. Their home and gardens are so beautiful in Buda. Sandy& Erica have lovely artwork from a relative of Sandy's who lived in Budapest. Sandy drove us back to our apartment around midnight. Such a great evening to end our time in Budapest.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    Bright yellow patches of Canola growing in the countryside near Prague
    The Praha/Prague Train StationOne of the cafe/restaurants on our list and Abdi's. So beautiful2Our numbered map, we are ready for a walkabout

    Train to Prague

    May 4, 2025 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We were up early to metro to the main train station to travel to Prague for 4 days. We were 7 hours on the train then we took an uber to our Airbnb. Our host, Abdi, is such a nice man. He walked us through all the main sites, cafes and restaurants in the area on a numbered map he left for us. We tried one of the restaurants on their list and it was really good. They gave us a 10% discount as Abdi's clients. We picked up some groceries then settled in for a relax night.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1This is St. Wesnceles on the upside down horse...up for interpretation!
    One of the 100 spires1Powder TowerPowder Tower got its name from storage of gun powderMarket area. Loving the mix of building colors against the gray skyThe Astronomical Clock from 15th Century2Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, the primary church in Prague since the 14th centuryOld Town Square2I am loving the juxtaposition of color and dark old churches, or buildingsLooking across the Vlatava River to St.Vitas CathedralEntry to Charles Bridge1Holding each other up, it was a long day!Charles BridgeCharles Bridge StatueAn old water wheelThe gate to Lesser Town2Love this photoWe climbed there stairs overlooking Old & New Town3Every hour the Apostles.walk in the Astrological clockThere was an official visit from the King of Belgium

    Prague: New & Old Town

    May 5, 2025 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Prague is famous for its stunning
    architecture and museums, all with diverse styles and
    influences of different historical
    periods and cultures. It is the city of 100 spires. It has
    many UNESCO-listed monuments that we visited today such as the Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle, & the Astronomical Clock. The
    Old Town Square is the heart of the city and we saw Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance
    buildings. The famous Astronomical Clock shows the movement of the sun, moon, and planets, as well as the 12 apostles. The Charles medieval stone Bridge, one of the most iconic landmarks of Prague, connects the Old Town and the Lesser Town. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700, but now all have been replaced by replicas. We covered over 16 km and managed to see most of the main places on our list. We were all very tired and hungry so at the base of the stairs up to Prague Castle, we came across the Oldest (darkest) Medieval Pub in Prague and ate some beef Goulash. It was an interesting experience as they advertise being belligerent, but with a sense of humor, to the customers! Our waiter did not disappoint. He brought the sarcasm, attitude and light insults! They also do not provide cutlery. Everyone eats with their hands no matter what you order! It was a fun day and we all really love Prague.    Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1St. Vitas Cathedral
    Scary looking gargoylesYikes!!Holy Grail Auditions🤣Love the stairs and looking towards New & Old TownFranz Kafka sculptureWe don't know the significance of this, but unique!Loved this flowering treeMotorcade with King of Belgium and possibly other dignitaries

    Prague Castle, St. Vitas Cathedral

    May 5, 2025 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We walked to the Jewish Quarter to see the cemetary, but they now require tickets to go through, a change from our last visit over 20 years ago!! We carried on to Charles Bridge and up to Prague Castle and St. Vitas Cathedral. We saw a lot of police & military presence at the castle and just as we were passing into the inner courtyard, they were directing us to specific areas so the motorcade for the King of Belgium 🇧🇪 ( 17 vehicles total) could pass through. We came to the Cathedral which is my favorite with its Gothic architecture and gargoyles. St. Vitus Cathedral is the largest and the most important temple in Prague. Apart from religious services, coronations of Czech kings and queens also took place here. The cathedral is a place of burial of several patron saints, sovereigns, noblemen. They were having a mass, by invitation only, for the victims of WWII.Read more

  • Debra KooyEuropean Vacation 2025Traveler
    1Tom's Birthday and chocolate to celebrate 🥳
    12A local artisan who carves and paints the wood trees5Dancing House3Book Tower SculptureBeautiful skies today2Tom's birthday dinner at the Lokal beer hall. Cheers 🍻1

    Lennon Wall, Dancing House & more

    May 6, 2025 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today we woke up to celebrate Tom's birthday. We had a nice breakfast of fresh fruit and scrambled eggs with fresh vegetables. We walked along the Vlatava River this morning, stopping to see a few unique things: Lennon Wall, the Dancing House and the Tower of Books Sculpture. The Lennon Wall is a favourite spot for tourists and locals alike. Since the 1980s, people have been coming to visit this wall and covering it in graffiti relating to John Lennon and the Beatles. It represents all the ideals that John Lennon stood for; peace, love and equality. The origins of the first piece of graffiti are unknown, but it seemed to have caught on like wildfire. The Dancing house is a modern and quirky structure, symbolising the arrival of democracy in Bohemia in the late 1980s. We had a very nice birthday lunch for Tom at the Imperial Cafe and then went to the Municipal Library to see the Tower of books sculpture. The tower is made with more than 8,000 books, Some of these books have been donated by the library and some were rescued from being pulped and turned back to paper. The sculpture has mirrors at the top and bottom to create the “infinity effect” to find that it leads you to the endless tunnel of books. The mirror at the bottom of the piece creates the illusion of infinity, symbolizing the infinite knowledge you can gain from reading. We walked over 13 km today. We had a short rest at the apartment and then walked to Lokal, which we found out is a Czech Beer Hall & Restaurant. There must have been 200 people in the long hall. We tried a Czech beer and our meals were excellent. We have seen everything on our lists so searched for some more recommendations for our last day tomorrow.Read more

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