Category Archives: BeNeLux

BeNeLux

Ten things I learned in The Netherlands…

I usually like to sum up my trips with a list of things I learned while traveling.  The trip Bill and I took to The Netherlands was our first time really visiting Holland, though we had been to Belgium and Luxembourg, which are the Be and Lux parts of Benelux.  I thoroughly enjoyed the week in The Netherlands, despite missing my dogs.  So here it is… ten things I learned in The Netherlands.

1.  Bikes are EVERYWHERE.  Seriously, everyone in The Netherlands seems to enjoy riding bikes.  If you visit, you can rent them with ease.  I didn’t rent a bike during this trip because I spent enough time riding them as a kid.  But it really did appear to be a great way to get around.  I saw a lot of happy looking families riding together.  It was pretty cool.

2.  Pot is not everywhere.  A lot of people think there are coffeeshops on every corner in The Netherlands.  I didn’t see any in Apeldoorn, though for all I know, I was looking in the wrong places. I only saw one in Haarlem, though I know for a fact there are more there.   In Amsterdam, pot is everywhere.  It is quite the tourist attraction, along with sex.  Buying marijuana in cities with coffeeshops is no big deal at all.  It’s totally legal.  And space cakes can be fun, as long as you don’t overdo it.

3.  Beer comes in smaller bottles and glasses than it does in Germany.  In a way, I kind of liked this because it made it easier to try different ones.  I did discover Jopen beer in The Netherlands, which I will be looking for here.  It’s good stuff.

4.  Many Dutch people are very tall.  I say this as a woman who is only 5’2″ tall.  I would have thought no one would think of me as a local simply because I am so short, but quite a few people spoke Dutch to me before realizing I am American.  That, in and of itself, is kind of cool.

5.  A lot of Dutch words resemble German words.  A lot resemble English words.  And a lot are totally unrecognizable to the uninitiated.  Fortunately, many people in The Netherlands speak English beautifully.

6.  Free WiFi is widely available, much more so than it is in Germany.  I also found that it’s easier to watch YouTube videos in The Netherlands.  They aren’t as strict as Germany is about copyrights.

7.  If you want tap water in a restaurant, you can get it.  You don’t have to buy bottled water.  It’s totally fine and even offered.  Bill and I actually prefer German style bubbly water, which not everyone had.  I was surprised about that.

8.  Stores aren’t necessarily closed on Sundays like they are in Germany.  Some are closed.  Some have shorter hours.  You won’t have to sit on your can on Sunday, though.

9. Sex is no big deal.  Prostitution is legal and you can see women selling their wares in the Red Light district of Amsterdam.  Don’t take pictures of them, though.  I didn’t try to because I had been warned by Samantha Brown.

10.  If you are in Amsterdam on a Saturday, you may see some rather raunchy hen and stag parties in progress.  For that reason, I think it would be funny if one of the Duggars honeymooned in Amsterdam.  I think it would cause Ma and Pa Duggar to have a stroke.  I almost had a stroke when I saw the huge masses of people walking away from the train station.  It was crazy.

Pretty tulips!  I think these were made of wood, though.
 
Bird takes off in Haarlem.
 
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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 13

So this morning, we got up early to come home to Germany.  We were checked out of the hotel by 7:40am.  Bill had a heck of a time negotiating the streets leaving Haarlem, thanks to a wonky GPS.  We finally found our way out and I saw a shot I regretted missing during our walks around Haarlem.  Now I have another reason to go back there.

I am really happy I took Rick Steves’ advice and stayed in Haarlem instead of Amsterdam.  Don’t get me wrong.  Amsterdam is pretty and full of excitement and things to do.  I just preferred the smaller, quainter, less overwhelming and crazy atmosphere of Haarlem.  It was also a lot cheaper to stay there and it’s only two stops by train to Amsterdam.  Haarlem is also very convenient to the airport.   So if we go back, we’ll probably stay in Haarlem again.  Indeed, I would book the Carlton Square Hotel again too.  We liked the location, the rain shower, comfortable bed, and the very generous free minibar.  The service was great, too.  It’s not a hotel I would necessarily recommend to the price conscious or really young folks– it’s a bit old fashioned and not so cheap.  I liked it, though.  I’m getting old.

This was our third stay in a Carlton hotel.  We’ve enjoyed all three in different cities.  Not all offer the free minibar, though.  We stayed at The Dominican in Brussels and the only free drinks we got came from the Nespresso machine.

Today’s lone photo… lunch at a German truck stop.  I washed it down with Coke for once.

 

I ate a third and final space cake on the way out of Haarlem and it made the drive back more relaxing and less boring.  I should emphasize that I didn’t do any driving on the way home.  Bill generally does all the driving on our trips and operates on a strict no marijuana basis.  He’s also very careful about not drinking alcohol when he drives.

The only time I got slightly grumpy was when we stopped at a truck stop for a pee and some lunch.  Several tour buses full of elderly people got there at the same time we did.  The rain was pouring down and I just wanted a whiz, but they were all in line for the potty.  I knew it would take awhile and we had to pay 70 cents for the privilege.

Bill was annoyed when I said we should go to the next truck stop.  But he obliged me and fortunately it wasn’t long before we came upon it.  There was a crowd there too, but it wasn’t as populated as the first place was.  I was able to pee and enjoy my burger in peace.

We got home at about 3:40pm.  We unloaded everything and I started a load of laundry.  Bill went to get the dogs, who were delighted to come home.  Apparently, there were no fights between them during our trip, which is a good thing.

I don’t know when our next trip will be.  My mom is going to visit next month, so I’m sure we will be entertaining her with the local sights.  I’ll get back to looking for local gems.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 12

Yesterday, we decided to take things very easy.  Neither Bill nor I felt much like going back to Amsterdam, though we didn’t get to see much of the city.  I hope we’ll have another chance to visit before we leave Germany and I’ll be more in the mood to look around and see more than the Red Light district, sex shops, and coffee shops.  It’s a great city and there’s a lot to see and do there.

Bill enjoys coffee…

Sunday morning in Haarlem was very peaceful and quiet.  After breakfast, we took a walk over by the Basilica and watched people play with their dogs.  I saw one mom ride her bike past us with one child sitting on the handlebars and one standing up behind her.  None of them were wearing helmets, which I thought was kind of refreshing.  It’s the kind of thing my generation did.  Of course, if I were a mom, maybe I’d be horrified at the lack of safety consciousness.  I think I was just enjoying being in a really cute town in another country.

The basilica…

Electric cars are all the rage…  This is a Tesla.


I was tempted to go in here…

 

At about noon, we went to the Napoli Restaurant, which was very close to our hotel.  It was a really nice place for lunch.  We had a table right by the window, so I could people watch while we waited for our food.  Napoli has a pretty extensive menu and it was hard to choose a dish.  I ended up with cannelloni served Bolognese style.  Bill had ravioli made with truffles.  We started with a shared salad and finished with a piece of tiramisu and a “shake” made with lemon ice cream, vodka, and prosecco.  One thing that was really cool about this restaurant is that a lot of stuff is done table side.  We watched the waiter mix pasta in a giant wheel of cheese for the people next to us.  We watched him make my dessert, too.

Montepulciano for lunch…

Salad dressed tableside.

Cannelloni and ravioli…

The makings of my dessert.

Finished product…  the tiramisu was killer!

We picked up two more space cakes from a different guy at Willie Wortel’s Sinsemilla cannabis shop.  He was a lot crankier than the first guy was, but we were emboldened.  I noticed a whole lot of young folks in there smoking and watching car racing on TV.  The air was thick with pot smoke and we had to get out of there quickly.

We went back to the hotel because Bill had some school work to do.  I ate a second cake and basically spent the day relaxing.  The second space cake wasn’t all that powerful and did nothing but make me doze.

But after awhile, I was ready to scarf down a steak and fries.  I think it’s safe to say that marijuana makes me want to eat… even more than I regularly do.

   

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 11

I already blogged about my experiences with my first space cake.  Overall, I’ll just say that it was a fun experience.  I basically got very relaxed, although the cake seemed to really kick in once we went to dinner at a Croatian restaurant in Haarlem.

 

I picked up some Cannabis chocolate in Amsterdam.  It’s very good chocolate made with hemp seeds.  It doesn’t get you high… just makes you fat.  

Bill indulged me with a foot massage before I tried my first space cake…

This is it… I pictured it in my post about eating it, but I thought I’d put it here, too.

Ironically, after seeing all the rubber butts, dicks, and boobs in Amsterdam, I found a Jack Chick tract in Dutch.  It was not far from where a couple of JWs had set up to proselytize.

JWs at work…

I had noticed the Croatian restaurant to and from the train station.  I figured it would offer a nice change from all the stuff we had been eating this week.  I had never had Croatian food and Croatia is on the list for a future trip.  So off we went… Bill ordered a bottle of dry red wine and the waiter brought this one from Macedonia.  It was pretty good.

Macedonian wine… perhaps another country we could see?

Bill tastes it…

I had a giggle fit over this piece of buttered French bread.  The space cake was at its peak at that point, since my laughing fit went on for several minutes.  

 

This restaurant had little plate warmers generated by candles.  Made for easily keeping things warm.

I had salmon and Bill had grilled meat with mashed potatoes and gravy…

I had fries…

And for dessert, I had Irish coffee and Bill had Croatian coffee, which was made with a pear liqueur.  

If you want to try Croatian food in Haarlem, Dubrovnik is a good bet.  

On the way back to the hotel, I shot some more scenes around Haarlem.  It really is a cute town and a great alternative to Amsterdam.

Even the McDonald’s is cute.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 10

So today is my birthday… We started off with breakfast at the hotel and being stared down by some grumpy looking guy.  I declared him an asshole. Then we walked through an antique market and came back to the hotel, where I changed shoes and put on sandals and socks because we decided to go to Amsterdam and I knew my feet would kill me in my warmer clogs.

We walked to the main square in Haarlem and wandered around.  I was able to take some nice photos before we went into the cathedral.  It was five euros for both of us to go in, but it was well worth the cost because a choir was rehearsing.  Their singing was beautiful and the acoustics were amazing.  I got all teary as I heard it… I wanted to join in, but I also really just wanted to listen.  It was very moving.

Yes, this is an ad for an opera about the Costa Concordia…  

And there are sex shops in Haarlem too.

And cool old bikes.

Then we walked to the train station.  Haarlem is just two stops from Amsterdam.  It takes maybe fifteen minutes to get there.  Once you do, wow… Amsterdam is huge, busy, and obnoxious with people!  There were literally throngs of people pouring out of the train station.

Bill and I found our way deeper into the city and were soon confronted by lots of sex shops, coffeeshops, and prostitutes.  Amsterdam is definitely a city where a person can sin freely.  We soon ran into a group of men, one of whom was wearing a pacifier around his neck.  He was obviously drunk and waiting for his companion to finish peeing at one of the pissoirs in the city.  After we passed them, we ran across a sex shop with a replica of a woman’s butt made out of rubber.  Next to it were huge fake boobs and a couple of male versions of fake genitals.  There were plenty of didos, harness gags, and leather outfits offered, too.  I saw many bored looking hos.

We walked around for awhile and when we got hungry, stopped by a little hole in the wall restaurant.  The guy cooking and waiting tables was wearing a chef’s outfit and appeared to know what he was doing.  Bill had piri piri chicken and I had another cheeseburger.  The Dutch seem to season their meat differently than we do.  The burger tasted a little like sausage.  It wasn’t bad, but I kind of missed American burgers.

I thought about having some cheesecake, but decided I just wanted to move on…  Parts of Amsterdam are truly pretty, but it was just too busy and noisy for my liking.  We got back on the train to Haarlem and I discovered that there is free WiFi offered, which is really awesome.

On the way back to the hotel, Bill and I stopped into the coffeeshop and picked up a space cake.  I ate it about an hour ago.  It’s my first experience with marijuana ever.  I’m still waiting for it to kick in…  Maybe I will blog once it does.

Yeah… Blogging is essential.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 9

Yesterday, we moved on from Apeldoorn to Haarlem.  Originally, I had planned to stay in Amsterdam, but Rick Steves advises that Haarlem is much homier and friendlier and less crowded.  Also, I found the hotel prices were much more affordable.  Before we went to Haarlem, we decided to visit Apenheul, a special zoo that is home to monkeys and other related creatures.  I knew it would be a very kid friendly place, but it was also fun for us to explore.  We got there fairly early.  As it turned out, getting there somewhat early was a good thing.  The park wasn’t too crowded and there was plenty of parking available.  It was 17,50 euros for each ticket, which was less than I was expecting.

We saw gorillas, ring tailed lemurs, orangutans, and other adorable primates, many of which were free range and allowed to walk among the masses.  Most of them didn’t mingle too much with park visitors, but there were a few that were practically tame.  Some people carried monkey bags with them because if you aren’t careful, they can get into your stuff.  We had no such trouble.  The only trouble we had involved rain, which got a little harder as we were leaving the park.  We got out of there at just the right time.

It took about 90 minutes to get to Haarlem.  Once we did, we found the hotel and the vast parking garage located right next to it.  We checked into the executive suite I booked.  I was lucky enough to have a $150 coupon, so it was really a steal.  We are staying at the Carlton Square Hotel, which features a full and complimentary minibar.  And when I say full, I mean full.  There are generous decanters of whisky and cognac as well as vodka, gin, wine and beer.  There are also soft drinks, peanuts, and chocolates…  We stayed at the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow and The Dominican hotel in Brussels.  Both are sister hotels, but only the Carlton George had a free bar in it.  The Carlton George wasn’t as nice as this hotel is.  I have decided I like this chain, though.  I would have booked their Amsterdam property, but it was too pricey.

Nice bed.

After offloading our stuff, we went to a local restaurant and enjoyed some beer and burgers.  Just across the street is a coffeeshop, where one can buy weed.  Bill was a little put off by it, but I read up on it and it actually gets pretty good ratings.

Later, we went to the hotel bar, which offers a nice selection of whiskys and great 80s music, which did a lot to make me feel less old.  Bill and I downed a few rounds as I said goodbye to my 42nd year on the planet…

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 8

On Thursday, Bill said he thought he’d probably be done with his conference early.  I decided to go to the pool, where I started reading another fascinating book.  This one is about a guy who has visited every single country on the planet.  After a suitable time allowed for the housekeeping staff to clean our room, I did some blogging.  I got tired of fighting with the terrible internet in this hotel, so I decided to go have some lunch.

This duck was fantastic… I actually had to sit and bask in the afterglow after this meal.

I had given some thought to walking back to the Centrum and maybe picking up a souvenir or two, but it turned out to be chilly and windy and I was afraid it might rain.  So for the third time this week, I went to De Heerlijekheyt, the delightful restaurant next door to the hotel, where the male waiter on staff– who bears a passing resemblance to a young Kirk Cameron (before he turned into a religious wackjob) immediately recognized me from Sunday night.  I was seated at a nice window table and enjoyed a delicious duck entree with vegetables and a couple of glasses of wine.

When I got back to the room, I felt strong enough to fight with the Internet again.  I finished my blogging.  Bill got back at about 3:00.  We enjoyed one of the bottles of wine we brought and watched TLC as Bill told me about the conference.  Then, at about 6:00, we visited De Bon Vivant, a local French inspired place that didn’t seem all that French to me.  I had been curious about it since our arrival, but we finally got around to visiting last night.  Apparently, asparagus is a specialty.  They even had asparagus inspired desserts.  We made a reservation for six o’clock, but that wasn’t really necessary.

Bill checks out the menu.

 

Bill tried the asparagus soup with smoked salmon while I had a soup called Grandma’s Sorrow, which was mustard based with smoked salmon.  They looked identical, but had wildly different flavors.  Both were excellent.

I had steak and asparagus.  Bill had a game stew.  Our waiter made our eyebrows raise when he said the game was fresh because it was just shot on Monday.  Good to know.  We also had frites and spinach with boiled eggs on top.  My steak came with a small dollop of mashed potatoes and Hollandaise sauce.  It was all a bit much, though very tasty.

We weren’t going to have dessert, but were talked into it… I had an Irish coffee and Bill had a D.O.M. coffee, which was made with some liqueur whose name escapes me right now.  I think it might have been B&B.

 

A very pleasant female waitress came in a little later than her colleagues and talked to us.  She asked if we were there for business or pleasure.  We explained that we were in Apeldoorn on business and headed to Haarlem and Amsterdam for my birthday.  She said Apeldoorn will seem rustic in comparison.  Not so many trees as you head west.  I am very impressed by how pretty Apeldoorn is.  It’s been a nice place to spend the week.  I wouldn’t mind coming back.

Outside the restaurant.

The tree lined main drag.

I guess some Dutch folks don’t like the police, either.

Before we go to Haarlem, we will stop by Apenheul, which is a primate zoo park where monkeys walk freely among the masses…  should be fun.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 7

The Bilderberg hotel in Apeldoorn has a restaurant open for dinner that offers “surprise” meals.  You tell the server what ingredients you don’t like and the chef makes you a “surprise” menu.  You can order up to five courses.  This sounded like an intriguing idea to Bill and me, so we decided to try it.  We asked for three courses, a bottle of wine, and a bottle of water.  We asked that mushrooms not be a part of the meal.  In retrospect, I really should have included other items to the list.  But hell, it’s good to expand the old palate and try new things.  My mom would be sooo proud.  I was the kid who once would not willingly go to any restaurant other than McDonald’s.

The first thing the waitress brought out was an amuse.  It was red beets covered with goat cheese foam and a Parmesan cookie.  Now, while I thought this amuse was very pretty, I don’t usually like beets or goat cheese.  But I decided to be brave…  and I have to admit, the beets and goat cheese were pretty good.  The beets were a little sweet, almost like cranberries, and the goat cheese was mild.  I was expected to be the least offended by the Parmesan cookie and it was actually a bit strong for me.

It was a pretty amuse… and I actually enjoyed it somewhat.

The bread was very good.

The next course was a pair of raw tuna and duck liver pinwheels that came with a seaweed salad and some kind of wasabi inspired sauce.  There was also a small trough of crumbs that we could draw the fish and liver through.  I don’t like liver.  It’s not something that would ruin my meal if it was mixed up in something, nor do I get freaked out if it’s on my plate the way I do when I am served mushrooms.  But I don’t like the way liver tastes, nor am I keen on the idea of eating organ meats.  The raw tuna was very good.  The waitress offered to bring me something else, but I was okay with just the tuna.  Bill said the duck liver was tasty.

Another attractive course… the liver was too icky for me, though.

Next came the main course…  lamb.  I almost never eat lamb because the first time I ever tried it was when I lived in Armenia.  What I probably ate there was mutton and it was so gamey I almost puked at the table.  I will admit that the lamb served here in Apeldoorn was very good.  It was tender and not too strongly flavored.  I still wouldn’t have chosen it off a menu, but I have to say the chef surprised me.  I ate and enjoyed the whole course.

It was tasty and attractive… and I never eat lamb!

Finally, for dessert, we had raspberry sorbet with white chocolate mousse and raspberry mousse.  It came with a decorative cookie and, clearly, I had no issues with it…  until we had coffee and the waitress brought out housemade caramel with yogurt to go with our double espressos.  Plain yogurt is yet another food I almost never eat.  But I decided that being almost 43 makes me old enough to take a chance.  I did and mostly enjoyed the coffee.

Dessert was a winner.

I’m finding out that coffee in The Netherlands often means a second dessert.

I noticed most of the others who were having dinner were getting the same or similar dishes, so it wasn’t like the chef was coming up with something special for every diner.  It was more like the menu was a mystery and they hoped you liked it.  I have to say, I ate a lot of stuff on Wednesday night that I definitely wouldn’t normally choose to.  Fortunately, I lived to tell about the experience.

Ahh…

There were a couple of kids in the restaurant who were very well behaved and tolerating the grown up dishes very well.  I was very impressed!  They were better behaved than I would have been under those circumstances when I was their age.  As we left the restaurant, the dour waitress invited us to take a couple of homemade peppermints.  Always a good idea.

This trip to Apeldoorn has been for getting me out of my comfort zone, though I am not sure any of the foods I ate the other night will be foods I start eating on a regular basis.

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anecdotes, BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 6

Yesterday, I was determined to see something.  Paleis Het Loo is literally right next to our hotel.  A bonus is that there are restaurants there.  I could have lunch and not walk my ass all the way to the Centrum.  And I could see a palace dating back 300 years that, since 1984, has been open to the public.  Paleis Het Loo (The Woods Palace) served as home to the royal family of The Netherlands, princes and monarchs of the House of Orange Nassau.

To be totally honest, I don’t usually find palaces to be that interesting, especially in places where I have to work to understand the language.  Paleis Het Loo does offer information in English and Dutch in the house and there are headsets that can be rented.  Some of the exhibits are only in Dutch, though.

I didn’t care too much.  I wanted to kill some time and see something different.  And I’d be an asshole if I didn’t venture next door to the hotel and see this historic residence for myself.  I could have purchased tickets online and saved a couple of euros, but I didn’t have the means of printing them.  I decided to walk to the main entrance, which required a short stroll.  For future reference, if you stay at the Bilderberg hotel in Apeldoorn, you can buy your tickets at the reception or you can walk to the main gate from the entrance closest to the palace.  Since I didn’t know what was going on, I walked to the main entrance, where the parking lot is.  I’m glad I did it that way, since I got to see the pretty wooded drive into the palace.

A couple of shots of the dog park, which I passed on my way to the palace.  I probably would have had as much fun hanging out there.

 

This cool looking building was across from the Palace entrance.

 

Welcome, y’all.

As I approached the cashier, a Dutch guy stopped me and asked something in the local language.  I think he was a tour guide and maybe thought I was meeting his group.  I responded in English that I didn’t understand.  He apologized and I went on my way…  I have to admit, I get a thrill when Europeans don’t immediately take me as an American.

I paid 14,50 euros for my ticket.  I could have paid another 3 euros to see Sisi, a temporary exhibit they have going on right now.  I actually wanted to see Sisi, but the cashier either didn’t hear me or didn’t understand when I asked.  And then I realized I probably didn’t care enough to see it anyway.

I walked into the palace grounds and was immediately confronted by one of three wandering peacocks.  A large restaurant was to my right, while the stables were to my left.  I went into the barn, which was chained off.  I could peer inside and see two draft horses being kept company by a barn swallow.  I breathed in the seductive scent of the equines and remembered how much horses helped me get through childhood.  Someday, I hope to have them in my life again.  Maybe when I’m not traveling so much.

Horses…  I wish they’d said hello.

You can actually visit the stables and the coach area without a ticket.  I saw a lot of folks on bikes who appeared to be doing just that.  If you want to see the palace and the grounds, you have to walk along a pretty tree lined lane to the fenced off interior.  As I approached it, I was suddenly reminded of Colonial Williamsburg.  Everything from the country landscaping to the architecture of the buildings reminded me of my adopted hometown in Virginia.

Don’t walk on the grass.

I pretty much did things backwards.  The first thing I did was visit a restaurant just inside the entrance.  I had to pass through the Sisi exhibit to get to it.  If you want to buy a ticket for it, you can use a vending machine.  I might have tried that but noticed a couple of Dutch visitors struggling with it.  I decided I didn’t mind not seeing everything.

Lunch consisted of a Heineken draft beer and a chicken salad with yogurt dressing.  The chicken was very spicy and coupled with green apples, tomatoes, cabbage, and cilantro.  I was kind of proud of myself, since I’m usually not a salad fan.  The restaurant also offered high tea, which was 22,95 a person.  I would have probably gone for that had Bill been with me.

Lovely dining room.  WiFi is free and easily accessible!  Look at the back of the menu for the password.

 

Haven’t had one of these in a long time.

 

Spicy chicken salad!

 

High tea, anyone?

After I ate, I walked around the grounds.  Honestly, I think just walking through the gardens would have been enough for me.  They are very beautifully kept, serene, and tranquil and you can just sit there, gaze at the lake, watch the waterfowl, and dream.  But I felt compelled to check out the house, too; so I wandered back to the palace and found the gift shop.  I left the gift shop thoroughly confused about how to enter the palace until I finally found the route… which I proceeded to do backwards.

I ran into a palace “goon”, a super tall, thin, Dutch lady who spoke Dutch to me at first.  When I looked at her blankly, she asked if I spoke English.  I said I did and she told me I had already seen the rooms I was about to enter.  Actually, I hadn’t seen them because I went through the house backwards.  But I went back the way I came, then found the correct route, which I enjoyed until I ran into her again.  She asked if I needed help leaving the palace.  By that point, I figured I had seen enough… I was getting tired and cranky trying to get around people with no situational awareness and I didn’t feel like explaining to the woman that I had initially come through the house backwards.  I docilely let her lead me to the elevator and offer an easy way out of the palace.  Then, feeling somewhat crabby and palaced out, I skipped the East wing and walked back to the hotel, where I proceeded to chill out with some wine.

I waited there until Bill showed up, somewhat early.  I sense his conference is winding down and with any luck, it will end today instead of tomorrow.  Then we can go see some monkeys before we head toward Haarlem/Amsterdam.

Stay tuned for my post on last night’s dinner…  a surprise menu consisting of things I usually hate eating.

This REALLY reminds me of Williamsburg, minus the Dutch flag.

Peacocks!

 

The “shell cave”, a grotto made of seashells.  I thought this was really cool… literally.

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BeNeLux

Our trip to The Netherlands via Luxembourg… part 5

On Tuesday, I was truly lazy.  I woke up sore and cranky and just wanted to rest.  So I was determined not to do anything at all and I mostly succeeded.  I started out by going to the pool, where I read more about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology.  I dozed off a couple of times and was a genuine pool rat until a couple of hours had passed and two women showed up to swim.  By that time, the room was made up again, so I went back down there and took a nice hour long nap.  That did a lot to help restore me.

After my nap, I went down to the lobby/bar and had the same lunch I had on Sunday…  asparagus and ham soup and a grilled tuna salad and cheese sandwich.  The tuna salad was made with olives and tomatoes and it tasted like they used Gouda cheese.  I washed it down with beer.  Then, at about 3:30, I went back to the room and started watching TLC.  I found myself watching Say Yes To The Dress and some other show about weddings.  Bill came back and we decided to go out to eat.

He drove us back to the Centrum.  We parked in a large garage and picked up some cash at an ATM.  I get the sense that the Dutch are not as cash oriented as Germans are.  Seems like credit cards are more easily used here, though we’re now in the habit of using cash.  While we were getting cash, a woman belched loudly and unabashedly.  It made me laugh.  We also witnessed a bunch of street workers (as opposed to street walkers) howl at a woman trying to climb over barriers they set up near their construction site.

We ended up having dinner at a Greek restaurant.  I think it was called Parthenon.  The guy who greeted us wanted to know where we were from.  Bill said we are Americans, but we live in Germany.  Then he said, “Maybe I should tell people we’re Canadians.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because people don’t seem to be as angry at Canadians as they are Americans.” Bill replied.

“Or you could act in a way that doesn’t embarrass anyone and be a good example of an American citizen…” I suggested.

“Yeah…” Bill agreed.

We were approached by a tall woman who appeared to be Greek, but was super tall like so many of the Dutch folks we’ve seen here.  Her English was passable.  She didn’t seem to understand when we said we wanted a bottle of water and a bottle of wine.  She brought us a pitcher of ice water (which I think was from the tap) and two glasses of Nemea red wine.  No harm, no foul.  She also brought out a couple of amuses that were made of eggplant.  I made the mistake of saying the eggplant reminded me a little of snot.  That immediately grossed me out.

Ice water in a pitcher!

Snotty eggplant…

A salad… this was confusing to us, because it looks like it’s for one person, yet it had serving utensils.  But we had no plates to share it on, so we had to wait until our main courses came out.

I had the Thalia platter, which was gyros, souvlaki, and a very small sirloin steak.  Bill had the Nemea platter, which was gyros and souvlaki.  The meals came with rice and potatoes as well as a small salad and t’zatziki.  Gotta say, I think it was some of the best Greek food I’ve ever had.  Afterwards, Bill had raspberry sorbet with whipped cream (slagroom) and raspberry sauce.  I had an Irish coffee.  There was no parting house shot of ouzo, but that was okay.

Thalia platter… yum!

Bill’s Nemea platter…

And our sides…

 

Irish coffee in a Greek restaurant…

 

And raspberry sorbet.

Parking cost five euros.  We passed a beautiful park on the way back that I may explore today.  We went back to the hotel and turned in somewhat early.

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