Journey Around The Globe

Hamburg, Germany

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Globe Runner

HAMBURG, GERMANY: If you did a little bit of reading on the destruction of this town during WWII, you will be surprised to see how quickly this town achieved its ultra-modern look of present-time. This town was heavily bombarded under operation “Gomorrha” and was destroyed to the ground over the course of 3 nights and days in July 1943. Allied air planes attack killed more than 35,000 people and made 900,000 people homeless by destroying over 250,000 houses. The town was left with miles after miles of broken bricks and skeletons of buildings.

: Canals of Hamburg, Germany

Despite its recent horrified history, the city didn’t take much time to stand on its feet and be one of very well reputed German cities. This is the 2^nd largest city of Germany, Hamburg has country’s biggest port and the second busiest in Europe. Interestingly, the beef patties on a bun originally were invented here, but unfortunately, you won’t find any traditional hamburger in Hamburg.

: A cool baby Hamburger (People of Hamburg are called Hamburgers 😉 )

Hamburg has been an independent city of Germany for few centuries, which means Hamburg has its own Parliament and senate. The Parliament is headed by its own President and the Senate is headed by the Mayor of the city.

: Relaxed city Hamburg, Germany

TIME OF TRAVELING: Hamburg was our first destination when we were on our road trip to Legoland in Billund, Denmark in the 3^rd week of July, 2012. It was about little more than 5 hours drive from our home in Tervuren, Belgium. Although, it was almost end of July, it felt chilly like March or April. We were well prepared, but I was really wishing for some nice hot summer days.

: Hamburg Triathlon 2012, competitors running thru Rathausmarkt

OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Marriott Hamburg here. I loved the location of this hotel. Not only it’s about 10 minutes walk from the Rathaus (Town Hall) and city center, but also it is a premier location to do some high-end shopping. The hotel doesn’t have any free breakfast and free Wi-Fi but did have a parking garage (additional charge), which many European hotels don’t have.

WHAT TO EAT & BUY IN HAMBURG:Our first dinner in Hamburg was at an Italian chain restaurant, Vapiano (it was late and that was the only option we had). They have stores all over the world, like New York. It’s a decent place with great food and very reasonable price. We really didn’t have any typical German food here. We mostly ate whatever we had in front when we were hungry.

PLACES WE HAVE VISITED: We spent about a day and half in Hamburg and saw all the things we wanted to see in a very relaxed way. Here are all those places:

: Sailboats on Binnenalster in Hamburg, Germany

1) RATHAUS (TOWN HALL) & RATHAUSMARKT: Rathausmarkt is a big, I mean huge square in the heart of Hamburg by a canal. The square has old and new buildings lined up in one side and Rathaus on another side. The building behind the city hall is Hamburg’s House of Commerce (Börse), which was also severely damaged in WWII.

You can easily identify the town hall in Rathausmarkt with its 112 meter tall turquoise green tower and sandstone building in Northern Renaissance style. Luckily, the building escaped bombardments of WWII. It is free to go to the main lobby of Rathaus, which is decorated with pretty lamps, decorative doors, and tall columns. There were some temporary exhibitions going on when we went. 2^nd floor of the town hall can only be accessed by a guided tour. The tour gives you a chance to see the luxuriously decorated representative halls and chambers on the upper level. You get to visit the Parliament, Senate, Civil Chamber, Great hall, and few other rooms gorgeously emblazed with giant fire-place, exquisite leather wall-paper, more than 100 years old expensive furniture, paintings, and chandeliers. All these adornments were used to show off the wealth and power of Hamburg. It felt more like being in a palace than a town hall.

: Hamburg Rathaus (Town Hall) in Rathausmarkt

Guided tour fee is 3 euros per adult and 14 years or below is 0.50 cents. Below are the hours of the tours, English tours are available every 2 hours within this time:

Mon – Fri: 10:15 – 3:15

Sat: 10:15 – 5:15

Sun: 10:15 – 4:15

: Main lobby of Hamburg Rathaus

2) CHURCHES: There are 5 major churches in Hamburg that were totally damaged in WWII during air-raids. All of them were rebuilt on their original foundations except St. Nikolai Church, which only has remaining from the bombings.

a) ST. NIKOLAI: Founded in 1195, St. Nicholas Church is one of the oldest churches in Hamburg. Over the centuries, it develops from a little chapel to a huge hall church. Which once used to be a church before the air-raids of 1943, St. Nikolai, is now a memorial against war and dedicated to all the victims of war and persecution from 1933 – 1945. The steeple, some rubbles, and part of the walls in front of it give a tiny bit of visual feeling of what the city went thru during WWII.

: Steeple of St. Nikolai in Hamburg, Germany

The steeple of this neo-Gothic church St. Nikolai is 483 feet (147.3 meters) tall and was the highest in the world when built in 1874. Since 2005, it can be accessed by a lift to get one of the best striking views over contemporary Hamburg from 76 meters height platform. Ticket is 3.70 euros per person and 2 euros for children from 6-16 years. The service is open from May – September: 10 – 8 and from October – April: 10 – 5.

: Statue in front of St. Nikolai War Memorial

The same ticket can be used for Documentation Center too. This is a museum under the glass dome, which was the crypt, in between the church spire and the other side of the ruins. The permanent exhibition features the history of St. Nicholas as well as history of the air war and its consequences exemplified by the city of Hamburg, Warsaw, and Coventry.

b) ST. MICHEL’S CHURCH: This is city’s landmark and the most beautiful and most crowded church we’ve seen in Hamburg. Interior of it is very elegantly decorated with white and golden walls, pillars, and ceiling. The altar has a huge painting with few maroon marble columns with Jesus on cross on the top. Don’t forget to check out the beautiful organ in the back too. This is a must-see even if you don’t visit any other churches in Hamburg.

You can go on top of St. Michel’s Church by paying 4 euros per person to get a panoramic view of the city. We didn’t go on top since we already went on the steeple of St. Nikolai Church.

: Altar and main prayer hall of St. Michael in Hamburg, Germany

c) ST. PETER’S CHURCH (HAUPTKIRCHE ST. PETRI): This is the city’s oldest parish church, with records going back to 1195. The church is very simple inside. But the old paintings from 15^th/16^th century are something to appreciate, as well as the giant church organ in the back. Visitors weren’t allowed to take pictures inside.

d) ST. JACOBI CHURCH (HAUPTKIRCHE ST. JACOBI): Construction of this church started from 1340. Three altars of this church date back to 1500, the pulpit is from 1609, and the organ is from 1693. The church was destroyed in WWII and was rebuilt from 1951 – 1963. This is not as dull as St. Peter’s Church. The altar is simple but the organ is very impressive and big.

e) ST. KATHARINA CHURCH: This is one of the five main churches of Hamburg. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside the church because there was some work going on inside it.

3) SIEVENKING PLATZ: This is a pretty square/park for the locals to chill and the tourists to explore different corners. The square houses some important judiciary buildings, such as Constitutional Court, Civil Court, and Criminal Court. We couldn’t go inside any of these buildings (closed on Saturdays), but it is nice to walk past these nice architecture even from outside.

: Sievenking Platz in Hamburg, Germany

4) CANALS & BRIDGES: Hamburg has many canals flowing through almost every corner of the city. With more than 2400 bridges, Hamburg actually surpasses cities like Venice or Amsterdam. Here are the noticeable bridges and canals we saw in Hamburg:

a) TROSTBRUCKE: We passed this bridge on our way to St. Nikolai. This is for both vehicles and pedestrians. The 2 statues on both sides of this bridge are of Graf Adolf III (holding a sword) and Bishop Ansgar (holding a church).

: Statue of Bishop Ansgar on one side of Trostbrucke in Hamburg, Germany

b) KORNHAUSBRUCKE & ZOLL CANAL: The bridge is only few minutes walk from St. Katharina Church. This is also for both vehicles and pedestrians. This bridge gives a wonderful view of the surroundings and Zoll Canal. On the south side of the bridge is Speicherstadt, where you will see old red buildings lined up the water side, one of them is “Hamburg Port Authority” building. At one end of the bridge, there are statues of 2 famous explorers, Columbus and Vasco da Gama.

: Row boats on Zoll Canal and old buildings on the sides, Hamburg, Germany

5) ALSTER BOAT TOUR: Taking a boat tour on Alster, also known as “Pearl of the City”, is almost a must-do here. It gives a view of Hamburg from the water or from the white Alster steamers to the city’s beauty. From here, city’s different faces can be truly appreciated. The boat takes you to the Binnenalster (Inner Alster), passing 2 bridges – Lombards Bridge and Kennedy Bridge. Then to Aussen Alster (Outer Alster) with view of soaring towers of all 5 main churches along with the tower of Hamburg Town Hall. In Aussen Alster, residential areas for wealthy Hamburgers and the city’s grandest villas can be seen. It is also a popular water sports location among sailors, rowers, and canoeists.

: Jungfernstieg – The bank of Alster in Hamburg, Germany

The boats can be accessed from Jungfernstieg – Alster boat tour deck, which is about 5 minutes walk from Town Hall. The tickets can be bought right there on boats. There are couple options when choosing the tour; you can take either 1 hour tour or 2 hours tour. We took 1 hour boat ride and it was 13.50 euros per person, kids under 6 years of age are free.

: Aussen Alster in Hamburg, a popular water sports location among sailors, rowers, and canoeists

6) TRIP TO BREMEN, GERMANY: You can’t leave Hamburg without making a day trip to Bremen. It’s less than an hour drive by car. Bremen’s city hall and its surrounding is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage site. The twisted, narrow alleys of the old town are magical and fun to get lost in, where you also get to see “probably” the smallest hotel in the world.

: Statue of Roland in Marktplatz in Bremen, Germany

Hamburg in Germany (avicenna2020.wordpress.com)
Roal D. Smeets – Cheap Hotels in Hamburg (roalroalroal.wordpress.com)
Hotels in Hamburg by Roal D. Smeets (roalroalroal.wordpress.com)

Beautiful Basel, Switzerland

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Globe Runner

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BASEL, SWITZERLAND: Basel is a perfect gateway spot if you have few days to spare in Switzerland. The city itself has many things to explore which includes contemporary architectures, museums, arts, and its famous zoo. In addition to that, the location is great to visit other nearby Swiss cities like Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Interlaken and regions, like French Alsace, German Black Forest, and finally, the mighty Alps. Its medieval old town is a colorful and vibrant place to relax and watch people go by.

: View of River Rhine and the city from the top of Basel Munster tower

The main attractions of the city are within walking distance, but trams are very efficient and well-served here. Unlike many other cities, the tickets can be bought right in the bus/tram stops. 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.

: Barfusserplatz in Basel, 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. The weather was extremely cooperative, not too hot, not too cold, and luckily, no rain.

: Sunset near Mittlere Rheinbruck (Middle Rhine Bridge)

OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Dorin Hotels & Resorts in Basel. We took tram # 14, which dropped us right in front of Rathaus in Marktplatz in about 7 minutes. 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.

WHAT TO EAT AND BUY IN BASEL: Of course, Swiss chocolates are something to eat and buy in Switzerland. Other than Lindt, “Villars” is a good brand of Swiss chocolates and if you want something original of Basel, then try “Läckerli Huus”. 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, they cost about the same anywhere else in the world.

PLACES WE HAVE VISITED: We spent a whole day in Basel and saw all the things we wanted to see in our list. Here are all the places we could hit in a day:

: A bi-cycle wrapped in coloreful woolen outfit on Freie Strasse near Marktplatz, Basel

1) MARKTPLATZ & RATHAUS (TOWN HALL): This is the heart of Basel and the center point of everything. Marktplatz is usually very energetic and crowded during the day time with shops full of customers and restaurants packed with hungry or thirsty people. Fresh fruits & vegetables, bakery, cheese, flowers are always available every morning with more vendors on Saturday mornings. Freie Strasse is a lively small street on the right side of Rathaus (when you stand facing it), which has most of the stores and cafes.

: Basel Rathaus (Town Hall)

The beautiful red building with Renaissance façade at one side of Marktplatz is the Town Hall (Rathaus) of Basel which catches your eyes the moment you walk into the square. Check out the frescos on the outer wall and detailed design of this building. It’s free to enter the inner courtyard. It is small but the rich colors and designs on the walls are definitely unique and something I have never seen before. The town hall is still in official use; therefore you cannot go in without a guided tour, which is only doable on Thursdays. We didn’t go inside, but really enjoyed the small courtyard and going up the stairs to get an overview of the whole architecture.

: Marktplatz in Basel, Rathaus on the left

2) MÜNSTERPLATZ & BASEL MÜNSTER (CATHEDRAL): This also a part of old town. This is a rather calm and quiet square with a line of several medieval buildings on one side, opposite of the cathedral. We saw only one restaurant in that big square and no shops or anything. It’s less than 5 minutes’ walk from Marktplatz, just walk up the cobbled street (Münsterberg) to Münsterplatz after taking a left from Freie Strasse. River Rhine and a view of Black Forest on the side of the river can be seen by going around the church to its backside.

: Basel Munster

Basel Münster is definitely an important landmark of the city. The cathedral is easily recognizable with its red sandstone architecture and colored roof tiles. The cathedral was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic style. Both the towers of the cathedral can be climbed up by paying only 4 CHF per person and free for kids under 14. There are 237 very narrow and steep steps to go on top, but once you are there you get a stunning view of the whole city, Black Forest region on the other side of River Rhine, then Mittlere Brücke and Wettstenbrücke (the 2 major bridges on Rhine).

: Munsterplatz in Basel, Switzerland

3) THEATREPLATZ & ELISABETHKIRCHEN (CHURCH of ST. ELIZABETH): Theatreplatz is another peaceful square of Basel old town featuring a beautiful, one of a kind fountain, Basel Theatre and Elisabethkirchen. It’s only few minutes’ walk from Marktplatz and Münsterplatz.

: Fountain in Theatreplatz Basel, Switzerland

Elisabethkirchen is a neo-Gothic church, which was built between 1857-1865. By the time we got there, it was closed and therefore, couldn’t go inside. But it definitely looked very impressive from outside. Basel Theatre is situated right beside the church. The theatre is a contemporary architecture with four glass pyramids in front…a nice and calm place to hang out.

: Basel Theater, Switzerland

4) SPALENTOR: This is an old city gate and a part of former part of Basel’s city walls. This was built after the great earthquake of 1356. Couple of these gates still exist within which once used to be a medieval city. Tram# 3 from Barfusserplatz takes you right in front of this in just few minutes. There is nothing much to do other than appreciating this beautifully decorated gate with colored roof tile, a small portion of cobbled street, and an old wooden door.

: Old gate of Basel, called Spalentor

5) PUPPENHAUSMUSEUM BASEL or SPIELZEUG WELTEN MUSEUM (TOY WORLD MUSEUM BASEL): This is an awesome and only one of its kind museum in Europe. This 4 leveled museum boasts having the world’s greatest collection of teddy bears housing more than 2500 in their display. This interactive museum will give you a richly varied journey thru the world of teddy bears, impressive doll’s houses with detailed home décor of by-gone times, exclusive collection of dolls from all over the world from as early as the 19^th century, perfect miniatures, and various carousels faithfully recreated models of the originals. I was as excited and amazed as my 6 years old daughter to check out each and every doll’s house/villa with fascinating details. My favorite part was the miniature world, which represent the old way of life-style for different earning levels in the society by recreating variety of shops (bakery, meat/fish market, fresh produce, and fashion), salon, church, carnivals, and many more. This is a fun as well as educational place for kids or adult, boys or girls.

The museum is located in Barfüsserplatz, within walking distance of Marktplatz. The fee is 7 CHF per person and children under 16 are free only when accompanied by an adult. They are open from 10am – 6pm every day.

: 100 years old teddy bears in Puppenhausmuseum, Basel

6) MITTLERE RHEINBRÜCK (MIDDLE RHINE BRIDGE): Also known as the Central Bridge, this is the oldest existing bridge on River Rhine. Replacing its original bridge (partially wooden and partially stone) from 1225, a new stone bridge was completed around 1905. This is for cars as well as for pedestrians. It gives a very charming view of the city on both sides of the river. We went there around the sunset time to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner at one end of the bridge. The atmosphere was simply appealing and romantic. Also, the view of the bridge, curves of River Rhine, and river banks were marvelous as the sun was setting down.

: Mittlere Rheinbruck (Middle Rhine Bridge)

7) LUCERNE: If you have a spare day in Basel and want to enjoy the Alps up close and personal, then Lucerne is a great choice for that. It is a picture perfect town with Lake Lucerne and the Alps. The drive was about an hour from Basel and made a perfect day trip for us, since we wanted to get some fresh Alpine air. Check out the things you can do and see in Lucerne here.

: Chapel Bridge (the oldest wooden bridge in the world) and Water Tower in Lucerne, Switzerland

Another Dutch city Maastricht, The Netherlands

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Globe Runner

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MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS: Unlike some of the other Dutch cities we’ve visited recently, i.e., Gouda, Leiden, and Delft, Maastricht is more like a modern city with some old touches. Ofcourse it has old churches, a prominent town hall, and a big market place, but somehow it didn’t feel like I am in The Netherlands. Either way you look at it, this is a great place for a day trip if you are nearby.

: Maastricht by the River Maas, The Netherlands

TIME OF TRAVELING: We drove to Maastricht in end of June, 2012 on a Saturday. It’s about little more than an hour drive from Tervuren, Belgium. The weather forecast said it was going to rain, but luckily it didn’t and it actually turned out to be bright and sunny day.

WHAT TO EAT AND BUY IN MAASTRICHT: We really didn’t try any Dutch food this time. We saw KFC in the Markt and we were missing some American good food…so, there we were eating some fried chicken with fries (they don’t sell biscuits here) while enjoying Dutch environment.

Maastricht is a great place for shopping. The small alleys from Vrijthof to the Markt and towards the river Maas have many brand name stores, local boutiques, and sweet treat places which are hard to pass by.

: Fashion streets in Maastricht near The Markt, The Netherlands

PLACES WE HAVE VISITED: We reached Maastricht little bit later than we intended to around 1 pm. By the time we had lunch and visited all the churches and other sites, we figured that we didn’t have enough time to explore the museums, which I really wanted to do in this trip.

: A white Cadillac waiting for the newly weds outside Basilica of St. Servatius, Maastricht

1) VRIJTHOF SQUARE: This is a huge square featuring 2 of the main churches of Maastricht, St. Jan’s Cathedral and St. Servaas Church. The square has couple museums which we didn’t cover this time. It’s a perfect place for to have drinks or meals or just simply admire the atmosphere. When we went there, this square was a playground for the kids with some bouncy castles, music, and other play areas. The surrounding is beautiful with the churches and long red tower of St. Jan’s in one side and all the cafes and restaurants on the other side.

: Cafes and restaurants in Vrijthof, Maastricht, The Netherlands

a) BASILICA of SAINT SERVATIUS: This church was built on the site of the grave of St. Servatius. This Romanesque style church is beautiful both inside and out. It’s a huge church when you go inside with many doors and small chapels. We didn’t go to the courtyard of the church (costs about 4 euros). There was a wedding going on when we went there, so couldn’t get near the altar or walk around the church freely, but it is absolutely gorgeous inside with its blue and white high-ceiling. The altar looked sophisticated with pretty lights and shiny decors.

: Inside Basilica of St. Servatius

b) ST. JAN’S CHURCH: This Gothic church can easily be recognized by its unique 70 meter high red tower looking over Vrijthof. The church, built in the 12^th/13^th century, is rather simply inside with stone pillars, memorial stones on the walls, and a few murals. There are 115 tombstones dating from 1378 to 1771. The new organ, built in 1992, replaced the original one which was built in 1780.

: St. Jan’s Church on the left with red tower and Basilica of St. Severatius on the right, Maastricht, The Netherlands

2) STADHUIS & MARKT (TOWN HALL & MARKET PLACE): Another great place to hang out in Maastricht is the Markt, not too far from Vrijthof…just follow the signs. The Stadhuis is standing right in the middle of this big square, surrounded by many shops and cafes. Every Saturday there is a farmer’s market in the market place selling fresh produces, flowers, fish, and bakeries. The only souvenir store we found in Maastricht was here near McDonald’s. You will find some American fast food here like Subway, Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s along with many local restaurants. On one side of the square, there is a statue of Johannes Petrus Minckelers holding a torch with eternal fire.

: Stadhuis (Town Hall) of Maastricht, The Netherlands

3) RIVER MAAS: You don’t see small canals making their ways to the different parts of the city in Maastricht like many other Dutch cities. Here River Maas is the heart of the city. It is only 5 minutes’ walk from the Markt. It is amazing to stand on the pedestrian bridge that continues from the street Maastrichter and enjoy some great moments by the river.

: City of Maastricht by River Maas in The Netherlands

Layover in Limburg (judefensor.wordpress.com)
Belgium Through the Eyes of a Beer Monger Gone Mad: Part 9 – We Found Ourselves in Maastricht (landlimages.wordpress.com)
Pensive (billanders.wordpress.com)

Top 6 things I miss about being away from home

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Globe Runner

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It has been about little more than 10 months since we’ve moved to Belgium from Portland, Oregon in August of 2011. I absolutely fell in love with Belgium, or to say, Europe from the day we moved here. We’ve been to many new cities and countries in the past several months; we had the chance to experience breathtaking nature, ancient history, marvelous structures, religious artifacts, variety of people, mind-boggling cultures, and tried some of the best dishes in our trips. We plan to undertake a lot more places before heading back to The States in summer of 2013 or may be 2014…let’s see how much we can manage. Apart from enjoying almost everything that Belgium or Europe has to offer us, I must confess, there are times when I miss my home really bad. They don’t get to me as much as they used to a few months ago. I am trying to enjoy everything to the fullest, since I know that we eventually will have to go back to The States sometimes in a year or two. So, here we go, these are the things I miss the most about Portland or U.S.A.

6) GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE: This is not to say that customer service in Europe sucks everywhere, but I am totally spoiled by the great customer service we get back in the USA. I have seen some grumpy faces from several sales persons back home too, but the degree of attitude or the lack of professionalism that I receive here sometimes surprises me. I once had a lady in our local bank in Belgium who was pissed because I had to close my account with them and then this lady in a supermarket said to us once something like “you Americans…” (in French) followed by some stereotype phrases. It doesn’t bother me as much now; I figured may be it is in their culture…so I should just learn to live like that.

5) CALLING MY FRIENDS & FAMILIES ANYTIME I WANT: We brought Vonage VOIP service with a local USA number along with us in Belgium, so that we can talk to friends and family for a much cheaper price than using calling card. That’s great news but the problem is that my families in the east coast are 6 hours behind us and the friends in Portland are 9 hours behind us. They are sleeping when I have free time to talk during daytime and when their day start or get off from work at 5 or 6 in the evening I am almost ready to go to bed. This really drives me nuts sometimes when I am very upset or too excited about something and I can’t talk to my sisters or my dad or my friends and relatives about it.

4) KNOWING WHAT I AM BUYING IN THE MARKET: I am not really a big fan of smoked salmon. Few weeks after we moved to Belgium, I bought a pack of salmon, not knowing that they were smoked salmon. After cooking it, I didn’t know what was wrong with the dish and why it smelled weird. Then I realized it was smoked salmon. Oh man, how would I understand those Dutch or French writings on the package? That’s a big problem not knowing the local language and therefore, not knowing what I am actually buying sometimes. Thanks to my iPad language translators that made life little bit easier. But I don’t carry it every time I am in a market. Sometimes some choices of food here look so good from outside, but since I can’t read the package properly, I was fooled couple times. I am trying hard to pick up the local languages, French & Dutch, and it is getting better day by day… I hope.

3) TACO BELL & OLIVE GARDEN: These are two of my most favorite restaurants in America. I can compensate Olive Garden with some of the Italian dishes we tried during our few trips to Italy but Taco Bell… no way. There is no other place in this world like Taco Bell. My heart sometimes cries for their Mexican Pizza (or Chalupa) with “fire” sauce on top…so good, so delicious. I wish to make a trip back to USA soon just to get some bites off of these little pieces of heaven…blahhh, I can’t fantasize anymore.

2) WEEKEND GET TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS: We had a great friend circle where we lived in Portland. Our kids were of similar ages and the friends were with about similar mentality and background. We used to do camping together every year, arrange surprises for each other’s birthday and other special events, eat out, watch movies, have potluck parties, make day trips to nearby places, rent big houses for everyone every now and then to just chill, relax, and cook together. The most that I miss about the friends in Portland is that when we had no actual plans we used to just get together at someone’s house, bring a dish, and just chat till we all were sleepy and tired. We know very few people here in Belgium, but don’t really share that kind of casual friendship with anyone. I very much miss those great moments.

1) MY JOB: I was a science/math teacher in a small private school back in Portland. Although I have worked there only one school-year, this was the most rewarding job in my little career life. I miss every bit of that school… the environment, the staff, to be able to share my thoughts on improving the education level, and most of all… the students.

I guess grass is always greener on the other side. We always envy what we don’t have at the present. May be, when I go back home, I will write a post on “Top 10 things I miss about living in Belgium”. I miss my home in Portland everyday that we bought just about a year before we moved here. But thanks to the almighty who gave us this opportunity to live and experience this wonderful life in Europe…no complaints whatsoever 🙂

A cheesy city – Gouda, The Netherlands

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Globe Runner

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GOUDA, THE NETHERLANDS: The name itself makes my mouth watery instantly. The city is world-wide famous for its Gouda CHEESE. Other than that, Gouda is a typical yet a pleasant Dutch village and a very popular destination for a day trip. Its old buildings, calm canals, big market place were truly entertaining.

: The old town of Gouda is adorned with big and yellow cheese-shaped decorations

TIME OF TRAVELLING: My parents came to visit us in Belgium in May 2012. The Netherlands was our first destination and Gouda was our first city to give them some Dutch experiences. Not to mention my dad loves cheese, so he absolutely fell in love with Gouda. Luckily, the weather was incredibly nice that day, I enjoyed every moment of being in the market place in the old town of Gouda.

: Beautiful canal of Gouda, The Netherlands

OUR HOTEL: We stayed in Holiday Inn in Leiden, which was about half an hour drive from Gouda. It was a very big and spacious place to accommodate you with free parking and huge play areas for children. The location was great, because Leiden is less than 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 GOUDA: What else would you want to eat and buy in Gouda other than eating and buying more and more of Gouda cheese? If you are there on a Saturday, you can buy cheese from the market place for great prices. They can vacuum seal the cheese, so it doesn’t go bad even if it’s outside for a day or two. Also try out their battered fried fishes and raw herring sandwich…they are so yummy.

: Cheese, cheese, and more cheese

PLACES WE VISITED:We spent about half a day in Gouda. Sampling and buying Gouda cheese was our number one priority in this trip, and we did it as much as we could (sampling free cheese that is) 🙂

: A puppet show on one side of Stadhuis that takes place every hour in Gouda, The Netherlands

1) STADHUIS (OLD TOWN HALL): This is located in the market square and is the oldest Gothic town hall in the Netherlands. It dates back to 1448. Presently it is a museum. Don’t miss the little puppet show on one side of this building that takes place every hour.

: The old town hall of Gouda (Stadhuis)

2) ST. JANSKERK (ST. JOHN’S CHURCH): This Gothic church is standing there from the 16^th century. It’s the longest church in the Netherlands and is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its famous stained glass windows from the 16^th century, also known as “Gouda Windows”. These windows depict scenes from the bible and the city itself. The church is pretty big and very beautifully decorated with big chandeliers and lots of paintings. It also houses many graves of Gouda’s well-off citizens, just look at the floor for their tombstones.

The church is open from 10-5 everyday and closed on Sunday. The entry fee is 4.50 euros per person and 10 euros for whole family.

: Inside St. Janskerk, Gouda

3) MARKET SQUARE: The market square is the main spot for tourists and a lively place for locals to hang out and shop. There is a big farmer’s market that takes place here every Saturday and is open until 5 pm. You will find fresh produces, clothes, purses, food stalls, and ofcourse cheeses. We saw some Dutch girls in their traditional outfit giving away free samples of cheese (they don’t mind if you go take pictures with them). Old Town Hall adds beauty to this square with its Gothic look and bright red colored windows.

: Girls in traditional Dutch outfit offering free cheese to sample in Gouda, The Netherlands

4) DE WAAG (CHEESE WEIGHING HOUSE): This is also located in the market square on the rear side of Stadhuis. This was built in 1668 and has mainly served as a place for weighing cheeses. Presently, it is a museum of…well, CHEESE!!! It also has a big cheese store inside selling variety of Dutch cheeses.