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Western European Adventures

august - oktober 2018
And so it begins ... 45 days of new horizons to fill our hearts and souls! We are going to try to highlight our joys and delights and probably even our snags and snaffues ... right here on this little blog! Læs mere
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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    111
    Dag 10

    A little more gratitude

    29. august 2018, Irland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    And so ... I'm playing with an option on this blog called "an aside". I'm not sure if it will do what I am hoping, because I don't want to add an extra day ... just an aside to this day. There have been so many other moments to be grateful for! For Example ... upon arriving home from our travels today, I took a pic from the billboard of the pub next door advertising their very loud music that keeps us awake aat night. And ...YAHOO ... it's Wednesday today!!

    I also forgot to mention that we were having a soup and and an appy (or two!) at the pub on the other side next to our accommodations when the bartender informed us that our AirBnB owner had been by and bought us another round. He indicated he would hold it for us until we were ready by saying: "We've got one on the tap for ya."

    We continue to be appreciative of the great location of our accommodations! And ... the fact that 10 days into our travels, my hubby took it upon himself to do our laundry. He doesn't do it at home ... but .... he did it here!! I am mucho grateful for clean dry garments as we enjoy our last day here in Ireland tomorrow and prepare for our time in England!

    Okay ... looks like I can put a few more pics from our travels today!    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    2
    34242
    Dag 11

    Happy in Howth

    30. august 2018, Irland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We awoke this morning for our last day in Ireland and my heart felt a wee bit heavy.  I realized that I have become captivated with the loveliness of the landscapes and the authenticity of the people. 

    GAHS: We've only had a taste of what these lush lands have to offer ... and for me ... I just didn't get a big enough bite of it! I could surely have stayed longer to sample more of her offerings ... but then again ... we never had any days when it was wet and dark and dreary.  Perhaps I would be less enamoured with it all if the weather had been less beautiful!

    GRINS:  I am delighted to report that I won the photo competition yesterday! Picture #2 claimed the most votes ... followed by #4. And ... I took both of them! Photos #7, #6 and #1 also placed! Thanks for your votes ... not that I'm competitive! 😁

    GROANS: We hustled to the train station after taking the LUAS tram as far as we could go ... before making our connection with the DART (the train) north to Howth today.  We had another lovely Irish breakfast with both an americano AND a cappuccino ... because they were so good! I expected I could relieve my bladder before boarding ... BUT ... there were NO toilets in Tara train station!  Oh Ireland ... how can you build a train station with no loos? I don't understand. 🤨

    GRATITUDES: Despite the full bladder we arrived in Howth in time for lunch!! Howth is a fishing harbour village. And the life style looks so different from that on the prairies. The day's catch determines the menu to some degree! And so .. we sampled some fresh fruits of the Atlantic at Crabby Joe's. When John asked if they were fresh ... we were told were "they were still breathing 5 minutes ago"!  😄

    I had the fish and chips and John ordered oysters and crab cakes!!  No fish smell ...and ... no fish taste! Just delicious!!! We took a stroll around the harbor before we embarked on a 6 km hike around the cliffs of Howth!  The rugged beauty was nothing short of stunning in its display.  Every step we took was another invation to capture the exceptional essence of the experience with our cameras! Once again ... we have far too many pictures than we have space to display them.

    John stated it was the most beautiful walk/hike he had ever been on!  At one point I even got a bit dizzy!  I looked down to admire the landscape on the the cliff and realized how close we were to the edge! I guess it was a bit much for my anxious mind!

    And once again, the weather was unseasonably warm, bright and sunny.  We met some lovely locals along the way ... who chatted it up with us as if we were kin! In fact, an older fellow passed us enthusiastically encouraging us to keep climbing because it was a fabulous hike! We later met him nearer the top of the trail ... he was already coming back. And, we've learned the Irish hold nothing back. And so he cheekily says " Is this as f#*king far as you've got?" And then winked at me and added "It's nice that you took the elderly for a walk". It was so unexpected that we burst out laughing! 😁

    Honestly ... I am lost for words. Ireland is a diamond in the rough ... brightening my spirit as it casts light into all the corners of my heart.

    And so ... what's a weary hiker to do at the end of the trail?  Recharge with some refreshments ... an olive tray ... some bread ... and ... a Grilled Whole John Dory!  Yes ... somehow this fish is related to the infamous Dory on Finding Nemo! And yep ... we got the whole darn delicious dory!! 😲

    GRIPES: We were sitting ever so comfortably outside in the sun until John got splatted by an overhead bird! Although they say its lucky ... we opted to move under the awning after that! And ... my hubby will be doing laundry again tonight! 😉

    GRINS: Oh ... we also realized that we hadn't yet had an Irish coffee! So, we stopped at the pub on the way home ... and ... much to the expressed chagrin of the bartender ... we got one 'to go'. It actually wasn't too bad. 😋

    All in all, our last day here gifted us with a fabulous finish to an extraordinary introduction to Ireland! I know we only scraped the surface ... but ... we adored all the minutes of it!! 💚💚💚    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    1
    112211
    Dag 12

    On the Fly Again ...

    31. august 2018, England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It is with heavy hearts that we slurped our last cappuccino in Dublin this morning before we left for the airport ... at our favorite little breakfast spot ... right under our room!

    GRATITUDES: It's a great little cafe called PSTwenty6! We were a bit rushed for time so the chef offered to make us some take-away breakfast sandwiches!! And then ... believe it or not ... they told us that they weren't going to charge us for them! They also offered to give us a 'pour over' to take in our to-go cup.

    GAHS: I had no idea what he was talking about ... and when I found out ... I wish I had known about it sooner!! A `pour over ' is when they top off your cappucino with filtered drip coffeel I could have and would have done that countless times ... if I knew such a thing existed!! Anyway ... you just can't get better service than that! The Irish are amazing in their hospitality and humanity! 😀

    MORE GRATITUDES: And so, instead of taking a taxi again, we took the 747 Air Coach back to the airport and saved ourselves $25 Euros ... which is close to $40 CAD! And once we arrrived here in England, it was going to cost $130 - $150 euros to take a taxi from Gatwick to our accommodations!! So, we courageously opted to utilize a variety of public transit instead! So, we were armed with our directions and hoping like crazy that we could find our way to our new home in London ... without too much confusion, duress or agony! And ... guess what! It was relatively painless! We took the train to London Victoria station ... then hopped on the tube ... a quick transfer to another tube ... and a bit of a walk from there to our little house! Once again ... we remain deeply grateful for the help of kind but complete strangers!!!! We would have gotten very lost without their willingness to help a tourist!

    We are staying in Soho ... so our quaint new little home is in the beating heart of London. We are staying in the "smallest house in central London" that used to be a stable for working horses over 200 years ago. We are sleeping in the loft! yes ... we have to climb up the ladder ... and over the sitting room ... which is up the semi-spiral staircase from the kitchen and bathroom areas! I may be graoning about this later ... but for now ... it all seems so very cute! And for sure ... this renovated stable is fabulous when it comes to the old adage about "location, location, location" being of prime importance. We are close to the theatre district and have all kinds of restaurants and inviting nightlife right here ... all around us. We can walk to Buckingham Palace and many other of the sights to see here in London. We may even see some 'ladies of the night' in these parts ... but for us on this day of travel ... we grabbed a bite to eat at KILN (an Asian inspired eatery right beside our place!) and then ... wandered down the street to stock up on groceries! Yes!! Location, location, location!! Makes all the difference in the world for the quality of your trip if you are not driving!

    GRINS: Doesn't sound terribly exciting ... but John was in his glory at the Whole Foods store just up the street from us! There were quail eggs, fresh bread, baklava ... and ... it had a deli with an abundance of meats and unfamiliar cheeses and olives and wines and all kinds of goodness to pop into the basket!!! It just feels so good to us to get stocked up for breakfasts ... so that we can cook a bit now that we will have a kitchen. And ... it is lovely to simply relax and sip on a lovely Chilean(sp?) Merlot while we regroup after our commute today!!

    GRIPES: No gripes to report for today at all!! Amazing to be able to say that on a day of travel!!

    Tomorrow will be our first full chance to get acquainted with London. And ... we are eager for the fun to begin!! Someone said London is like New York ... and ... we LOVE New York!! So ... good night from us ... and ... good morning to all of you back at home!!

    Warmest smiles from our hearts to yours ... k&j    Læs mere

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Dag 13

    London's First Act was a Show Stopper

    1. september 2018, England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had the best sleep in that little loft bed ... and awoke with plans to prepare a nice breakfast in our  new abode with our grocery purchases from last night!  And, may I say, the gooseberry jam was a delicious addition to our toast and eggs and fruit!  It was suggested that walking is the ideal way to see London ... but we wanted to orient ourselves to the city with the Hop On Hop Off Bus !  And ... now we understand why they recommend walking! At one point there were about 5 buses and a girl on a bicycle and a taxi all gridlocked in traffic near Buckingham Palace!!  GAH!  We must have spent 20 minutes at that intersection! 

    I didn't know it but Trafalgar Square is right in the middle of London. And, it can fit 80, 000 people! It's only a three minute walk from our place.  The sun was shining brightly today ... it was almost too warm at times ... but I am not complaining.  I am expressing my GRATITUDE for the extraordinary weather!  It's supposed to be warm and dry all week.  I hope that it will be, because it would not be nearly as enjoyable with umbrellas!

    GROAN: We couldn't see Big Ben because it's being refurbished. Its leaning slightly and they anticipate it will fall over in 800 years if the tilt is not corrected!  So all you can see is the clock face at the moment.  They seem to be working on many of the older buildings ... they seem to keep them in very good repair!

    MORE GRATITUDES: We took a cruise on the River Thames ... floated under London Bridge and then on down to the Tower of London.  For me, it was extra lovely to spend some time on the water ... away from the overstimulation of all the busyness and people and commotion!  We also enjoyed the panoramic views of the city from the London Eye! It's a magnificent ferris wheel that takes 30 minutes to make a full circle! Gives you stunning 360 degree views of the city!

    Stopped in for a few appys and a cool drink at The Admirality Ale & Pie and ordered the Hamshire Black Pudding Croquettes; Frontier beer battered haddock goujons; Steak and London Pride pie (with carmelized shallots, button mushrooms & thyme); and curried spiced sausage roll! So good! Once again, the food services is second to none here in the UK.

    We were meandering back to Soho ... and ... found ourselves wandering through China town. Lots of people out and about ... street musicians entertaining the passersby with their exceptional talent! We strolled past an all you can eat Chinese buffet ... for $10.95. It looked so good and smelled so good that we got the urge to fill our bellies ... again ... before we went on to the Picadilly Theatre to see "Strictly Ballroom; The Musical." When we got to the theatre we were delighted to learn that if you bought two large glasses of wine you could get the rest of the bottle for $3.00. And ... they would give you a number and place it on the ledge for you to refill your glasses during the intermission! So ... THAT is what we did!! 🥂

    GRINS:  And lots of them. It was sheer delight ... such talent and scripting  and acting and humor and dancing and singing!  We even got showered with confetti at the end of it!  John said it was the best theatre show he has ever seen!  We have tickets to see "Wicked" on Monday ...so we'll see how it holds up to that competition!  

    GRIPES:  Aside from the fact that I have picked up a head cold  ... it was truly a very enjoyable day in London!  Five Star kind of day!!  Talk to you tomorrow! k&j    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    2222
    Dag 14

    A Walk-About London ...

    2. september 2018, England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After a horrible night's sleep due to congestion, headache and scratchy throat ... we were greeted with another day of bright blue skies and warm ... dare I say hot ... sunshine here. 

    GRINS & GRATITUDES: We opted to walk over to Buckingham Palace ... and on our way over we noticed a counselling service being offered out of a small mobile trailer. It was called "Caravan Drop -In." It had such a welcoming energy about it.

    It may sound strange, but in all honesty, neither one of us had any real desire to pay a fortune to see the changing of the guards. As luck would have it though, we bumped into a couple of nice guards in their finest red regalia and those big tall puffy black hats ...I'm not sure what their official name is! Anyway, they were not at all stuffy and proper ... and ... they were kind enough to pose for a picture! 

    We then wandered the streets to get our bearings for where "Wicked" will be playing tomorrow. It's sad because we have seen so many homeless people on our travels around London. And a couple of them had made the steps of the theatre their temporary home. After that, we sauntered fairly aimlessly ... until we found ourselves at Bag O'Nails. I really wish I'd been hungry enough for the All day Sunday Roast ... but I opted for one of their other classic pub favorites... the lasagna!!! Yes. I never expected to find pasta at the pub ... but there it was!! And ... it had a pureed texture to it. Great taste but it seemed odd for lasagna to feel like whipped mashed potatoes in your mouth! John enjoyed the fish and chips ... rated it 9.5/10!

    GROANS: On the map it looked like we could walk to Harrods ... just to experience the posh, pomp and circumstance of the West End of London. It turned into 16,888 steps or a 12.26km walk. I had on the wrong shoes for a trek of that magnitude... but ... John' eyes were the size of dinner plates as he noticed all the high end vehicles ... McLaren, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Austin Martin ... all the super cars. John said some of them would be worth upwards of $250,000!!! 😯 GAH: It's hard to fathom that most of them are driven by older men ... but ... many of them seemed to be accessorized with younger women. 😉

    GRATITUDES: We stopped at the 'chemist' (aka pharmacy) to get some bandaids for our wounded feet ... and ... continud our walking home. It was then that we stumbled upon Caffé Concerto ... and went in for afternoon tea!! And so ... we sipped our tea with fancy chandeliers over head and lively jazz music tickling our eardrums. We thoroughly enjoyed this old English custom ... but we had enough to feed two more people!

    GRATITUDES: On the bottom tier there were sandwiches with the crusts cut off in four varieties: cucumber and cream cheese ... smoked salmon with cream cheese ( John's favorite) ...egg salad... and ham and pickle with a dijon mustard ( my favorite!).
    The second layer offered us four hot scones with whipped butter and teensy tiny little pots of strawberry conserve! And the top layer was generously filled with SIX decadent desserts! Wow!! I am not sure where we expected to put it all ... but ... we gave it our best shot!!!

    Okay ... we are calling it a night early this evening! Hoping to get a better sleep ... fingers crossed!    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    22
    Dag 15

    Wicked and Wonderful Wanderings ...

    3. september 2018, England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    GRATITUDES: After almost 12 hours of sleep ... I was feeling a bit more rested.. we lazed in our loft bed while we added 2 nights in Utecht and 5 days in Paris to our itinerary.  We are hoping we will be as pleased with our accommodations in these places ( as well as Amsterdam) as we have been here in London. 😊

    We opted to get an "Oyster Card"  for our explorations today! This is like a prepaid card and gives us some freedom to come and go on the tubes without having to buy individual tickets! Oh my ... so far we've done well at mastering the tubes!

    Our first stop, at the great suggestion of our good neighbor Doug, was Greenwich.  I had failed to put it together that THIS Greenwich is the standard by which global times are oriented! It's fascinating to be at the center of time ... so to speak!!  It's a quaint little village filled with history and the The University of Greenwich is now where the Old Royal Navy College used to be.  The stone buildings are so mammoth and grand that they inherently command your respect! 

    And, after a nice little lunch at the Tipsy Moth (table 107 outside) we wandered this beautiful little haven on foot.  Only 8881 steps today (6.42kms)!

    GASPS ... of the best kind: We experienced something very unexpected and extra special! There was an opera music exam happening in the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul.  No pictures were allowed ...and ... we were summoned to be absolutely silent. 

    GAHS: We slipped into the pews ... and of course ... my hubby pulls out his video camera!! When I shook my head in utter dismay ... he emphatically whispered his defense in my ear!  "I am not taking pictures  ...  avideo is not a picture!!"  He only captured a second or two of video ... before one of the staff started in our direction. 

    GREAT BIG GRINS: Fortunately, we didn't get expelled for bad behavior!! Instead we were blessed with chills and goose bumps galore!!  After she was complete, we spoke with the student  who performed.  It was her final moment before her degree!! And a stellar ending to her time in school! I expect it is also the beginning of her success as a singer!  She was exceptional! 🤩

    We also got to see vestibule of The Painted Hall!  They were doing some work and much of it was hidden behind layers of scaffolding.

    GRINS: And we enjoyed a stroll through Greenwich Market and stopped in a quaint little lane for a cappuccino and a carrot cake! And then ... I mosied into a little shop and found two blouses to try on.  The lady pointed me towards the fitting room.  I opened the door ... and it was the toilet.  The other door was a closet.  It took me a moment to realize that the fitting room was the space between the two doors.  You just had to pull a curtain.  Too funny! 

    GRATITUDES: But ... better yet ... I bought both tops!  And then came across some fabulous neck pieces that are so artistic!  I  took a video to remind me of how to play with them.  Hopefully it will load so you can see how fabulous they are!!

    After that we got back on the tube ... headed home to give me a little rest and fashioned a little charcuterie board (actually it was a plate) before heading back on the tube to the theatre!!

    GROANS: I wasn't going to mention it, but we had splurged on our tickets for "Wicked" and ended up seated beside a very uppity couple from Washington DC. They seemed determined to impress us with their social status. I wish you could hear the American drawl drawl they spoke with.  We learned they had just come from Ireland too ... but found it..."well ... rather disappointing." Apparently it was just a "tourist trap".  And ... he shuddered to think that people actually drank the entire pint of Guiness that was part of the tour at the Stonehouse.  At this point ... I couldn't stop myself from asking ... with no apology for the bit of an edge in my voice: "What DID you like about Ireland?" I think he liked the history he learned at the jail. His wife ... was as quiet and timid as a mouse. I hope they find some joy in the rest of their travels!!

    Aside from the energy of our seat mates ... "Wicked" was ... dare I say ... wickedly wonderful and marvelously magical!  It brought me tears ... with that beautiful reminder ..  that I am better because I met you! 

    Sending love ... 💚💚💚    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    1
    Dag 16

    Our Last Full Day in London

    4. september 2018, England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We awoke to our last full day in London with no firm plans.  We had some ideas in our pocket ... but ... decided to let our hearts lead the way.

    GRATITUDES: We headed towards Westminster Abbey on foot and opted to enjoy a cappuccino and a nice bowl of soup at the crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Field's church. There are tombstones all around you in the floor ... and ...the walls and ceilings display the most amazing brickwork!  We thoroughly enjoyed it and would never have found this remarkable spot without the super suggestion of our great neighbor.  Thank you again Doug!

    GASPS of AWE: We continued down to the Abbey ... and were struck by the monumental majesty of this structure.  The antiquity and reverance displayed within it can simply not be rivaled. It actually sparked some deep conversation between us about what we would like to be remembered for ... if ... we were ever to be talked about through audio headphones in numerous different languages.  🤔

    GRATITUDES: And, with another note of appreciation to Doug, we meandered our way back to Sherlocke Holmes for a "Cumberland Scotch Egg"; some "Sticky Pickle Sausage Rolls"; "Devilled Whitebait" ... and ...a "Dirty Burger." I know ... we ordered a lot... but ... we were running out of moments to taste the local English fare!

    GRINS: Interestingly, John ordered a Sherlock Stout and it is served room temperature! He really, really liked it.  And he really, really liked the Devilled Whitebait.  He thought they were breaded sardines.. but ... the server said not.  I did not dare to try them.

    Okay ... a small GROAN or maybe it's actually a GRATITUDE: it occurred to us as we were in Sherlocke Holmes ... reflecting on our time here in England that we have not had any of those 'Jack the Ripper' foggy nights under the street lamp moments that I have seen on postcards and always associated with London.  It could be ... that it hasn't rained  or maybe it's just that we haven't been out much past 10:00pm!!  😉

    Anyway ... London has been so lovely.  There are still so many things left to do and see ... but ... we are so very grateful we've become acquainted with her flavor and essence! 💚

    And, we are up at it early tomorrow! Our train leaves for Amsterdam at 8:30am.  We're excited for the next leg of this fascinating journey! 

    Thanks for joining us here ... 🧡🧡    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    442133
    Dag 17

    Amsterdam - A Very Wet Welcome Indeed!

    5. september 2018, Holland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It was a bit bittersweet to take our last climb up the 8 feet to our loft bed in London.  I wont miss the tricky and tenuous descent in the middle of the night to tinkle ... but ... it was so nice and cozy up there.  I was hoping our bed in Amsterdam would be as comfortable!

    GRATITUDES: John has been reading blogs about travel (while I was under the weather and tucking in early!) and one tip he picked up was not to use the barcode check-in device at the train station, but rather to go to the desk to check and ensure your seats are facing forward!

    We did so ... and ...discovered our seats were not!! THAT could have been a bit challenging for my motion sickness ... so ... the kind Eurostar staff reassigned our seats ... AND... gave us a table!!!  Turned out there was no one seated across from us so we had lots of space and room to breathe!!! 👌👌👌

    Let me begin by saying how much we enjoyed train travel! We were so impressed with Eurostar!  No wasting 4 hours in airports prior to departure and claiming bags after arrival! We only needed to arrive 30 minutes before departure.  It was sleek, smooth, swift, spotless and silent ... except when we were underground!

    GASPS: According to the stats, 334.7km an hour is it's fastest.  We were travelling @300km/hr for most of our trip! AND apparently their are 50.45 kms of train travel through each tunnel between the UK and the mainland ... and ...each tunnel is 75 meters below sea level!! It was such a stress free mode of travel.

    GAHS:  Well ... given we have escaped rain for our first three destinations (Scotland, Ireland and England) ... it should not have come as any surprise that we might get wet in Holland.  And ... we sure did!  Thunderstorms were booming and the water was falling in cascades when we arrived.

    We left Centraal Station on foot ... GPS in hand ... searching for our little abode amongst the umbrella laden lanes. And ... before too long we found it!  It was nestled almost invisibly between the "Seed Shop" and the Italian restaurant. And ... those seeds are not for gardening! 😏

    After taking the highest climb up the narrowest bank of stairs yet ... we got settled into our humble space ... and ... hastily unpacked our yet unused rain jackets!

    GRATITUDES: At the recommendation of the lady at the wine store ... we enjoyed a very nice Dutch inspired lunch of croquettes and spicy beef stew on baguettes at a place called "Blom"!  It was delicious ... 👌

    With full tummies we donned our rainwear and wandered a bit to acquaint ourselves a little more with our surroundings! I think I've already gone a bit 'nose-blind' to the 'pot'- pourri (if you get my drift). So so many skunks around here!! 😉

    GRINS: And, we barely logged any steps before we had to take off our jackets.  The thunderclouds cleared and we enjoyed the walk ... sans rain.

    GASPS OF ENTHUSIASM:   Guess what?  They have baked potato bars that you choose your toppings just like you would at a Subway.  We didnt have one ... yet ... but it's on my ' to experience' list. 

    A little further along the way ... we spotted a little table for two by a canal and stopped for a drink. A glass of wine was $3.50!!  The best price I've seen anywhere... and ... it tasted lovely! 😍

    Anyway ... wondered about trying to follow Google maps to restaurant we picked out and somehow ended up in the red light district in the midst of what appeared to be a movie shoot!! And... if you've ever seen those three windows with the ladies of the night selling their wares ... well ... we walked right past them!! Perhaps when we have more time we'll head back to take it all in ... but for that moment ... there was no time for window shopping!! 😀

    Oh my ... no shortage of unexpected moments to treasure! But ... now ... we are safely back in our room and looking forward to unwrapping more gifts from Amsterdam tomorrow! 🧡    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Dag 18

    Another Day of Dutch Delights!

    6. september 2018, Holland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We started our day back at Blom because we noticed yesterday that they served dutch pancakes! And then before I knew it, there I was, tearing up at the table to the sound the server voice at breakfast! She had a deep, husky voice with a cadence and intonation that reminded me of John's mom. It has been almost two years since we've heard Oma's voice.  I was moved with remembrance from memories tenderly tucked into my heart. 💙

    Breakfast was delicious ... and ... uniquely Dutch. While John had a bacon and apple dutch pancake ... I had a ham and cheese omelette. Mine came with 3 slices of soft bread (not toasted) with a wee little smear of butter that Oma would have scoffed at.  It also came with salad.  yep. Salad with breakfast! One of the joys of travelling for me is to experience all the different customs and tradition and rituals!

    And, it's interesting to note the difference in vehicle traffic here in Amsterdam. Far fewer buses and cars and many more cyclists on pedal bikes!

    John's Uncle Dick and his wife Wil picked us up and drove us back to their home for coffee. Enroute we passed some gorgeous scenery. We drove by the house John's Oma was born in ... and ... stopped by to see his son, Paul! Two of our daughters spent time with Paul when they were in Holland years ago. Paul asked us to send his best greetings to you Sherisse and Britt! He now has three children ... 6, 4 and 6 weeks! 😊

    Dick and Wil also took us to a Museum that explained the building of the polders ... which is where the water has been pumped off the land into the canals so it can be drained into the sea! It was fascinating to learn how the windmills were used to accomplish this until they became too inefficient given the demands of 3600 polders!! And hence ... the museum highlighted the transition to steam pumps instead! I'm not sure I understand the mechanics of it all ... but ... I was intrigued by the ingenuity behind the conceptualization of the feat!! Absolutely fascinating to see how people are living beneath the water line here in the Netherlands!

    We thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and the reconnection with family! And ... because of their kindness, we saw so much of the area outside of the city! They live right beside Schiphol Airport! We got some video of a plane taking off right beside the house. Surprisingly, you can't even hear the planes indoors!

    We look forward to seeing them again on Sunday when they take us to meet with some more Aunts and Uncles. For now, we are tucked on our room ... with some take away from down the street. Feeling content and very happy with our day! It's going to be challenging to narrow down which pictures to post for you ...💕    Læs mere

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    2
    Dag 19

    Tourist-ing is Tire-ing, but Terrific!

    7. september 2018, Holland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    GRATITUDES: We started our day at Pancakes and Waffles ... this is a little 4 table and 2 counter cafe with the kitchen area exposed to the patrons.  Big kegs of Nutella decorate the space. Rap music was amusing the cook as he aptly prepared our breakfast and displayed his expertise by tossing our pancake almost as high as the ceiling! 😲

    Then ... off to the Hop On Hop Off bus! We took the entire tour to get a sense of our surroundings then transferred to the boat cruise  It was so tranquil on the water! We were grateful for clear skies as we cruised along the canals!!  We learned that Amsterdam has a world wide reputation for tolerance of diversity. The locals are very hospitable to tourists. We also learned that there are veryfew houses over 4 stories... they all need to be built on piles driven into the sand beneath the layer peat under the polders. 

    Our first stop was Gassan Diamonds. Diamond cutting became an important industry in Amsterdam after the immigration of many Jewish people seeking exile ... around 1945.  We were able to get some lessons on choosing diamonds and got introduced to their own world wide patented diamond cut.  It has 121 facets rather than the usual 57 of a typically brilliant cut stone. Their logo promoting their unique cut is: "Glassan 121*; more than brilliant."

    John really enjoyed the tour and all he learned about the 4Cs of diamond quality ... cut, clarity, color and carat. It was a great reminder for me of my studies years and years and years ago when I got my Graduate Jeweller Designation in Nanaimo BC!

    GAHS: We also visited the flea market ...which started in the 19th century and continues to run daily. They were selling everything from fanny packs to t-shirts to hemp lollipops.

    GRATITUDES: We stopped for a light lunch at a funky little place called "Lunch Cafe Waterloo." John wanted to sit outside ... I preferred inside because it was windy ... and so ... we got lucky to sit right by the open window sill! We ordered the Dutch frikadel along with frietjes and a nice soup. Trip Advisor gave it 4.5 stars. We would agree!  Oh ... and I have noticed a custom in Amsterdam is to provide all the cutlery and serviettes tucked into paper envelopes.  We haven't seen this before in our travels!  It's seems so sensible!

    GASPS: Heineken is Dutch beer!! We always thought it was German! There are 2500 house boasts in Amsterdam ... all fitted with gas and water and sewage and electricity. They became popular after a housing shortage after WWII.  No more permits will be allowed.  Mooring charges are in effect and residents are not allowed to leave their moorings.There are 250 bridges in Amsterdam  ... and ... some of them open! One of them was lifted today during our canal cruise to allow boat traffic through! We learned there are 40 parks in Amsterdam.  Apparently, there are 200 plus 'coffee shops'... but they told us they don't sell much coffee! 🤔

    GASPS OF GRATITUDE:  We had been told that the Van Gogh Museum was sold out for today ... but one of the Hop-On Hop-Off staff said some spaces sometimes open up about 4:00pm.  So ... we thought we'd try our luck and show up there at 4:00pm.  And ... they were just closing down the ticket sale booth .... BUT ... we got IN!!! 😁

    It was definitely worth the effort to see it.  One could feel the sense of angst and darkness in so much of his work.  We learned so much about his life and were invited to a deeper appreciation of his passion for peasant workers ... and ... that he didnt care what color things really were!  It was so interesting .... ! 👌

    But ... in all honesty ... by 6:30pm we were pooped out!  So we decided to call it a day ... no more museums or tours.  Just eating a loaded baked potato ... and then ... back to our room, post our blog and head off to sleep. 😴

    GASPS: But ... on our way home a young man came running past us ... at warp speed ... with a bag in his hand! And then... low and behold ... another young man fled past us in hot pursuit! As it was becoming clear the first was a thief and the second was the robbed ... a policeman on a bicycle came speeding along as well! It was a real live 'chase' just like in the movies!! We have no idea if he got away or not ... but ... it certainly raised our blood pressure! And ... it was a great reminder to be especially careful with our things in these parts.

    Okay.... nighty night from us! We have more touristing to do tomorrow so we need our rest! Good afternoon to all of you! 😊    Læs mere

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