Journey Around The Globe
ready for the next destination
Revisiting Luxemburg
Last weekend my little sister, who lives in Virginia, was here in Belgium. We went to Luxemburg for the weekend and stayed there overnight. I didn’t forget the serene beauty of Luxemburg from our last visit 4 years ago, (I don’t think anyone can forget whoever visited this lovely country), but this visit was much needed to freshen up some of the magnificent places that the place has to offer to its visitors. Here is a picture of the old ruins of Luxemburg…enjoy
Share this:
A modern city of The Netherlands – Rotterdam
ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Rotterdam is a big and spread-out city, nothing like Amsterdam where most of the tourist spots are concentrated near Dam Square. You have to know where you are going here and what you want to do here, otherwise you will just keep wandering around the city not finding the real place to have fun. I am warning you, this is not a traditional Dutch village/city where you will see an old church, a decorative town hall, or big squares with statues of famous people. This is a spontaneous city with big and shiny architectures and busy life-style. It’s a highly diverse city unlike some of its neighboring small villages…people from everywhere are here.
- City center of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
After spending some time on where to park, we were a bit confused as in what to do and where to go exactly. Although we had our to-do list for Rotterdam and asked some locals, nothing really helped us to give us some directions. Then we saw the World-Trade Center and the underground mall near it. It was a relief to finally see some crowds and shops there…phew, I thought to myself, if we can’t find anything, the least we can do is spend some time on shopping 😉 So, that was our starting point to explore Rotterdam and as we kept walking following the long stretch of long pedestrian zone, we were exactly where we wanted to be in the beginning.
TIME OF TRAVELING: My parents visited Belgium in May 2012. The Netherlands was our first destination and Rotterdam was our second city there (after Gouda) to get some ultra-modern taste of Holland. The weather was fantastic and we were energetic to explore this not-so-typical Dutch city.
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Holiday Inn in Leiden, a very nice, big, and spacious place to accommodate you with free parking and play areas for children. The location was great, because Leiden is about half an hour drive from other Dutch cities like Rotterdam, Gouda, the Hague, Utrecht, and Delft. All of these places are perfect to experience real Dutch culture and people.
WHAT TO EAT AND BUY IN ROTTERDAM: There are lots of open-air markets near the World-Trade Center of Rotterdam or the Cubic houses. This is a perfect place to do shopping and taste some traditional Dutch knickknacks, like raw herring sandwich or fried whole fish/fillet with white sauce. I saw lots of natural cosmetics and bath supplies stores in the underground mall, if you are into these stuffs.
- Fried fish in open market of Rotterdam on Hoogstraat, The Netherlands
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: We spent about a day, may be a little less, in Rotterdam. We lost some time in finding a proper parking garage and the hot spots where locals actually go.
1) UNDERGROUND MALL BEURSPLEIN or KOOPGOOT: Koopgoot means “Shopping Gutter” in Dutch and it is very close to Rotterdam City Hall and right beside World-Trade Center. The design of this marketplace is very unique and a must-see in Rotterdam. This is a pedestrian area and is very crowded in weekends. Go down the stairs to go to Beurspleain underground shops. The whole Buersplein is a combination of indoor and outdoor shopping center, probably one of the liveliest places of the city. If you keep walking straight, keeping the shopping center behind, you will see the pedestrian path stretches long way to some more open-air markets (I think it’s called Korte Hoogstraat). This whole area is a lovely place to do shopping, to take a stroll, or just to stop and do people watching.
- Beursplein underground market in the center of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2) GROTE OF SINT LAURENSKERK (GREAT or SAINT LAWRENCE CHURCH): The church is standing here since 1449. The late-Gothic design of this building looked really nice from outside but unfortunately we couldn’t go inside since it is closed on Sundays, like any other Dutch churches. It is a historical landmark of Rotterdam city center, not too far from the Cubic houses or the World-Trade Center.
3) CUBIC HOUSES (KIJK-KUBUS): The yellow Cubic houses are something very unique and original of Rotterdam. Architecture Piet Blom designed these “playful” buildings in 1970s to give a different look to the city when Rotterdam was booming with many of these architectural evolutions. The apartment complex which features these cubical shaped houses is very close to the National Library and metro station Blaak.
- Cubic houses in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
There are tenants inside these apartments, but you can visit its museum by going to the courtyard and following the sign. The tight spaces inside these cubes are just fine for students, single tenant, or may be a couple. But you definitely should check-out the life-style and how it is decorated with contemporary furniture inside these apartments. It is 2.50 euros per person to go inside. The display apartment is open until 5 pm in weekdays and 6 pm in weekends.
- Inside a cube house in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Share this:
A Flemish city in Belgium – Brugge
BRUGGE, BELGIUM: Brugge is the 2nd most visited city of Belgium after Brussels. We really didn’t see the charming side of Brugge in our first short visit of the city. But this time it was a great day-trip and saw a lot more than the last time. It is a Flemish city of Belgium and a nice one too. It is very similar to Gent (another Flemish city in Belgium and my most favorite one among all the Belgian cities I’ve been to so far) with old guild houses, small canals, old town etc.
- Old town of Brugge, Belgium
TIME OF TRAVELING: My uncle-in-law was in town in the 1st week of September, 2012. He has been in Europe many times for his work purposes. He lived in the Netherlands for 2 years and visited Brugge from there few times before. So, he wanted to visit the city again and walk down the memory lane while visiting us in Belgium. It was less than an hour drive from our place and made a great day-trip for us all. The sky was blue and clear and the weather was sunny and golden…just perfect to have some quality family time.
- Walking around Brugge, Belgium
WHAT TO BUY AND EAT IN BRUGGE: Belgian chocolates, tapestries, and laces are famous world-wide and Brugge has tons of stores selling these items. For a meal or drink cafes in Grote Markt is a nice place. We had lunch in one of the Italian restaurants there which also sells traditional Flemish dishes.
PLACES WE’VE VISITED: We spent about a whole day in Brugge. We really didn’t research on Brugge before going there. We just enjoyed and visited the place as they came along during our walk.
- Beautiful Brugge, Belgium
1) SINT SALVATORSKATHEDRAAL: We entered this church without knowing much about it and just by looking at its grand outlook. It is free to enter the cathedral. It’s a big church with nicely decorated high altar, many over-sized old paintings, colorful stained-glass windows, beautiful Belgian tapestries, and detailed wood and marble carvings. The cathedral houses mausoleums of several saints from the late 1600s. Many well-to-do class citizens, the nobles, and the clergymen who could afford it have their resting-place inside the church. There are different types of stones from different places, like East Flanders, Brabant, Germany, and France, which were used to build this cathedral. The oldest bricks, from the 14th century, were made in the brickyards which were situated around Brugge.
- High altar of Sint Salvatorskathedraal in Brugge, Belgium
2) GROTE MARKT: This is something similar to Brussels Grand Place/Grote Markt, may be a bit bigger square and has a statue in the middle of it. You will see all the cafes and restaurants lined up in one side of the market place with typical Flemish style guild houses. The old post office is also located here (orange and beige building) at one side of Belfry. This is also a good place to hire a horse-wagon ride to get a tour of the historic places of the city. It is a great place to just chill and enjoy the surrounding old architectures.
- Typical Flemish style buildings and cafes in Grote Markt, Brugge, Belgium
Belfry in Grote Markt is part of an impressive 13th century building. In the Middle Ages the hall was used for storing and displaying different goods. The top, octagonal lantern tower in Brabant limestone was built between 1482 and 1486. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site to mainly draw attention to the symbolic significance of the belfries as testimonials of the prosperous and autonomous late-medieval cities in the region. Visitors can go to inner courtyard that contains some temporary museums and occasional outdoor concerts. This 83-meter high tower can be accessed from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm everyday by paying 8 euros per adult and 4 euros for kids 6 – 15 years of age. There are 366 steps to climb to go on the top.
- Belfry of Grote Markt in Brugge, Belgium
3) DE BURG: De Burg is another little but beautiful square situated right beside Grote Markt or the Market Place. You can follow the narrow alley from Grote Markt on the left side when facing the Belfry. Brugge’s present City Hall and old city hall are both in this square. The architecture of old city hall and Basilica of the Holy Blood are simply beautiful. We didn’t go inside any of these buildings and not sure if the visitors are allowed to go in. There is a café here and some shops on the alley that connects De Burg and Grote Markt.
- Buildings in De Burg in Brugge, Belgium
4) BOAT RIDE: Boat ride in Brugge canals costs 7.60 euros per adult and 3.40 euros for kids for a 30-minutes ride. The captain gives English tour along with French and Dutch. The boat takes you thru the old multi-colored houses, cafes, and bridges. You also get to see the skinniest building of the city the ride and one of the most romantic hotels of Europe. The ride is very pleasant, educational, and entertaining for the kids too.
- Our boat ride in Brugge, Belgium
Related articles
- A Weekend Get-away in Brugge, Belgium (porterstakeduesseldorf.wordpress.com)
- Brussels – Knokke – Brugge (elenakonkova.wordpress.com)
- Brugge, Sept 15 and 16, 2010 (theinspiredpacker.wordpress.com)
Share this:
My 10 favorite travel quotes
We’ve travelled quite a bit in the past few years, especially last year after we moved to Belgium from U.S.A. Leaving comfort of your own home and heading towards a strange land do take some guts and an open mind. It’s sad but true that though we went to many cities and countries, quality of some of those trips weren’t as perfect as I’ve expected them to be. I would rather travel less and have higher quality of vacation. When I say “quality”, I don’t mean flying in First Class or staying in a 5-star hotel or eating in the fanciest restaurants. My vision of any great trip is to make good memories with my family. I may not remember all the details of all the places we went to during our visits but I always remember how I felt with my loved ones when I am in a new place. Pleasant feelings of being in a certain place are tied together with the people I am traveling with…for me that makes a perfect vacation.
I gathered some quotes on traveling that really speak my mind. Hope they inspire everyone to go out there and take the big challenge of going to a place where you don’t know the people, culture, language, food, and religion.
1) “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
2) “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
3) ″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” – Moslih Eddin Saadi
4) “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
5) “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener
6) “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
7) “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli
8) “Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”— Gustave Flaubert
9) “Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block
And finally, my MOST favorite one which many travelers forget when going to a new place
10) “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman
Related articles
- To Travel (managuagunntoday.wordpress.com)
- Culture – Benjamin Disraeli and Cosmopolitan Jerusalem (interactblogs.wordpress.com)
- Gustave Flaubert, the XIXth Century IMAX (sunbea.wordpress.com)
- It’s Never Too Late… (jolifebeautiful.wordpress.com)
Share this:
A day by the Alps in Lucerne, Switzerland
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND: Lucerne was completely different from what I had imagined it to be. After looking at some Google images, I knew it would be surrounded by the Alps, has a lake, and some nice views. Of course it has the giant Alps guarding the city from different directions and deep blue Lake Lucerne being a huge home for lots and lots of elegant and friendly white swans. But the city itself is charismatic and charming as well as loaded with Swiss history and a feeling of medieval city life. In addition to that, the location is great to explore other nearby Swiss cities like Zurich, Berne, Basel, Interlaken and regions, like French Alsace, German Black Forest, and finally, the mighty Alps.
- Lucerne Bay, Chapel Bridge, the Alps in Luncerne, Switzerland
The main attractions in Lucerne are within walking distance. Taking a stroll or just chilling by Lake Lucerne is half the fun here. The official language of the city is German, but I’ve heard people speaking French and most of the locals are very fluent in English as well. One thing to remember when driving on autobahn and entering Basel (or Switzerland) is that you have to pay 40 CHF to get a toll ticket. The ticket is valid for one calendar year indicating on the sticker. There are few garages close to The Chapel Bridge or the old town, don’t have to take any risk of parking by the curbside.
- Majestic swans of Lucerne Bay in Switzerland
TIME OF TRAVELING: We drove to Basel during first week July, 2012. It was a nice and scenic 5 hours of drive from Tervuren, Belgium. From there, we came to Lucerne for a day trip, which was about an hour drive from Basel. The weather was extremely cooperative, not too hot, not too cold, and luckily, no rain.
- Summer blooms in Lucerne, Switzerland
OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Dorin Hotels & Resorts in Basel. The hotel didn’t have free breakfast but free Wi-Fi and paid car garage were perfect for us. The best part of the hotel was that they gave us free tram pass for 4 of us for the duration of our stay which we could use both in Basel and Lucerne. Also the location of this hotel was perfect. It was only 7/8 minutes tram ride from Basel city center and about an hour drive to Lucerne.
WHAT TO EAT AND BUY IN LUCERNE: Of course, Swiss chocolates are something to eat and buy in Switzerland. Other than Lindt, “Villars” is a good brand of Swiss chocolates. Additionally, Swiss knives, watches (if you have some extra cash to spare), and cowbells are some of the popular souvenirs to take back home. Buying Swiss watches from Switzerland doesn’t mean that you will get them cheaper here, these cost about the same anywhere else in the world. There are tons of Swiss watch stores in Lucerne and some of them are actually open on Sundays too.
PLACES WE HAVE VISITED: We spent a whole day in Lucerne and saw all the things we wanted to see in our list. Here are all the places we could explore in a day:
- Swiss cows on the Alps, you can actually hear the bells clanging around their necks
1) Mt. PILATUS: If you want to enjoy the breathtaking view of one and only Alps, consider going to Mt. Pilatus for that and it is a one of a life-time experience. A trip on Mt. Pilatus involving the cogwheel railway (world’s STEEPEST cogwheel railway) or various cableways is an experience not to be missed. Mt. Pilatus offers a spectacular view of Lucerne Bay on a clear day. If its cloudy and you can’t see the bay, don’t worry, looking at soothing greenery up on the mountains, listening to Swiss cows clinging their bells as they roam around the hills, hugging the clouds, and enjoying fauna & flora are just some of many things to do and see here. This is a great adventure for all ages and visitors get a good impression of the rocky and wild side of Alps.
- A cog-wheel rail (world’s steepest cog-wheel ride) crawling up Mount Pilatus in Switzerland
This is a great place for hiking for the pro-hikers. The fantastic trails offer everything from easy to alpine. We really didn’t hike, but took some short walks with the kids to admire different parts of the mountain. Even if you don’t prefer hiking, plan to spend at least couple hours on Pilatus. I would highly recommend taking a fleece or light sweater when going 8000 ft. high in elevation. The weather is very unpredictable here, it kept changing from hot to cold and hot again.
- From top of Mount Pilatus, Switzerland
There are several different options to go on top of Mt. Pilatus. We took the cogwheel ride from bottom of Mt. Pilatus and within 30 minutes we were on top of the cloudy mountain. For the round trip of cogwheel ride we paid 70 CHS per adult, 35 CHS for our 6 years old and nothing for the 2 years old. There are few restaurants on top of Alpnachstad. Visit www.pilatus.ch to see all the options and packages are available for the visitors to make this trip a really great experience.
- View of Lucerne Bay as we were going down the mountain in Switzerland
2) THE CHAPEL BRIDGE (KAPELLBRÜCK): This is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe and a must see landmark in Lucerne. Built in the 14th century, the bridge served as rampart and town fortification during that time. Chapel Bridge was burnt down in 1993 around midnight, which unfortunately, also damaged a lot of the paintings there dating from the 17th century. But you can still see the remaining paintings while crossing the bridge.
- The Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland
Walking over the Chapel Bridge is a fantastic experience. During the summer, it is decorated with beautiful flowers on both sides. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the surrounding jaw-dropping view from the bridge. We were standing there surrounded by many white swans with the Alps on one side, old town and medieval buildings lined by the water on another side (which kind reminded me of Venice), and several gorgeous architectures on the other side. Jesuitenkirche, with its green twin towers, is an example of one of those beautiful buildings that can be seen from the Chapel Bridge. I am sure anyone will instantly fall in love with the view from the bridge after seeing such splash of colors all around it. Don’t forget to buy some souvenirs from the store right on the bridge.
- View of Jesuitenkirche and surroundings from the Chapel Bridge, Lucerne, Switzerland
3) HOFKIRCHE: This can easily be recognized by its twin towers. You have to climb some stairs to go inside the church. Interior is very nicely decorated with giant white columns and furniture in dark wood. There are several old large paintings here. The cemetery outside the church is very peaceful and calm. Also the view of the city from up the stairs near the church is simply lovely.
- Hofkirche in Lucerne, Switzerland
4) LOWENDENKMAL (THE LION MONUMENT): Also known as the Lion of Lucerne, is a sculpture of a mortally wounded lion, situated in a very calm and serene place shaded by lots of green trees. This mourning lion commemorates the Swiss mercenaries who, in the service of Louis XVI King of France, were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The inscription “Helvetiorum fidei ac virtruti” means “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss”. This stone-curved sculpture is 6 meters high and 10 meters long. Many writers have praised this sculpture in their works, one of them is Mark Twain, who said “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”
- The Lion Monument of Lucerne, Switzerland
5) ALTSTADT (OLD TOWN): This is a fascinating place to get lost and connect with Swiss history. The old town is rather small but remarkably well-preserved. Enjoy small squares like Weinmarkt, Kapellplatz, Theaterplatz and Lucerne Rathaus (City Hall) in Kornmarkt with its maroon clock tower. Its narrow streets, passages, and murals on buildings are truly admirable. You can also see Lake Lucerne and The Chapel Bridge once in a while thru those old buildings. Overall, the old town of Lucerne takes you back to past centuries and leaves you with a pleasant feeling.
- Old town of Lucerne near the Town Hall in Switzerland
6) TRIP TO BASEL: Basel is less than hour drive from Lucerne. It makes a great day trip to get some taste of Swiss city-life. The public transportation system in Basel is extremely well. Please check out my page on Basel on the right to get more travel information on this city.
- View of River Rhine and the city from the top of Basel Munster tower
Related articles
- Beautiful Basel, Switzerland (journeyaroundtheglobe.com)
- lucerne, switzerland (tinaineurope.wordpress.com)
- Where In The World..? – 22nd July 2012 (amateurarchaeologist.wordpress.com)
- Lucerne, Switzerland (letterpressedthoughts.wordpress.com)
- Day 30 — Mt. Pilatus and Luzern — Friday, July 13th (kandas-adventures.typepad.com)
Share this:
Business Excellence Award 2020 from AI Global Media for The Most Entertaining Personal Travel Blog – Pacific Northwest USA
Top Posts & Pages
Authors
Globe RunnerBusiness Excellence Award 2020 for The Most Entertaining Personal Travel Blog – Pacific Northwest USA
Business Excellence Award 2020 from AI Global Media
