I liked Amsterdam. I am not sure the weekend was the best OR the worst time to be there...because it was madness.The weather was wonderful and a nice change from the rain and cold. I found AMS tiring...there is so much to do. I did take a day trip outside the city,but it was a long day. I really like the landscape of The Netherlands-- lots of farms and it is very green.All the farm babies were out...so cute. In AMS I went to the Van Gogh museum which was definitely a highlight of this trip. I met another Canadian who was good company on the last night there. Fortunqtely/unfortunately he kept me out very late (not hard I suppose ha) so I was very tired yesterday bythe time I arrived in Brugge. Last night was about taking it easy... though I did meet this younger American girl who was traveling by herself and Icould tell that she was very down. Having had those days myself I stayed to talk to her and just have some company. This morning at breakfast I discovered that she had left me a lovely note. It is so nice to be In Brugge.Though it is busy with tourists it is very pretty and clean.

AND---- what are the chances.....a Salvador Dali gallery WITH a MIRO exhibit???!!!! Some things are meant to be, I say.

Other than that no big plans. It is a beautiful day. Time to relax..if the gallery is open today then I will go to that and then maybe go tour the parkland that surrounds the small city, read my new book, etc etc.

X

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 24, 2010 from Brugge, Belgium
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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Last I left off I was in Heidelberg sitting in the bar attached to my Heidelberg home away from home with my laptop trying to figure out where exactly it was going the next day. Just as the battery was at 0% and I was going to go back to my room (that's where the charger was) the owner asked me to sit and have some wine with him. Of course, I couldn't pass that up...so I did....which led to other sorts of beverages, a surprising discussion on Miro and his connection a city in Germany, and an invitation to go with him to walk his dog (??) later on. I thought if I could figure out and book my plans for the next day that I could probably fit this walk in before I left. But then.... I ran into two Americans I had met the day before and we ended up talking for hours...... no plans were getting made....I was starting to get anxious as I knew that because it would be the weekend that finding a place to go would be more challenging. In the end.... I mean, very late, WE had decided I should just go to Amsterdam. So that's how I came to Amsterdam.

So this morning I slept in (was actually wanting to catch the early train lol) and caught a mid-morning train to Amsterdam via Frankfurt. Sounds easy enough....but no...once again, there was an accident and the train could not continue it's path and there would be a 90-120 min delay. Great. That's when I started talking to my train-mate beside me (we had one of those booths). What would be the chances that he too worked for an airline!? AND it turns out the airline that I've been blabbing on about since before this trip-- German Wings! Well that was it...after that we were good friends and talked the whole way through the delay and diversion. It turns out he was flying from Amsterdam to Madrid because he has tickets to the Champions League game this weekend. Needless to say, he was nervous about missing the flight. As we finally approached Amsterdam we both agreed that it was bittersweet because it was very nice company.

Now I am in Amsterdam and it is ........ well, there's a lot going on here. I don't think I really need to elaborate. I have a day trip tomorrow. It's a funny place to come if you're seeking a little bit of quiet, but here I am... !!! And it's all sunny and warm....it's actually warm!!! *sigh*

To be continued.. x

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 20, 2010 from Amsterdam, Netherlands
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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Lovely day in Heidelberg. Well, sort of misty and rainy at times, but it's gorgeous never the less. It's one of those quintessential German towns. I'm staying in the old town by the castle hovering just above us. This place is just what I needed (I know, I'm needy!)

Yesterday was a long day... I got up super early to catch the first train out of Copenhagen to Hamburg... and I was impressed with myself that I actually made it and didn't hit snooze. But you know how these things go.... right before we arrived in Hamburg there was some sort of emergency and the train was stuck for an hour. So I missed my connection ... luckily there was a later one through Frankfurt. I could have slept those 2 extra hours in Copenhagen, eh? Ah well... Eventually I did arrive in Heidelberg and all was well. I've been eating very German food...good hearty meals, you know. Oh and German wines, of course ;) I saw the world's largest wine barrel today hehehe... have you ever watched the movie "Strange Brew?" ...

Today I climbed up to the castle and it was well worth the view of the town and area surrounding it. My goodness... I have pictures, but you'll have to wait until later as my camera battery is charging.

I'm feeling pretty good lately and I could keep going I think for a while. Hmmm, I'm already thinking of my next trip ;) Work a bit and then play...ha.

As for my plans in the next couple of days I'am still pretty "citied out".. you've probably noticed I have yet to hit Berlin. Sadly, I think Berlin is off the table right now. I went a few extra places not on my list on this trip and so I feel quite satisfied with that.... I can come back and see Berlin very soon if I want.... right now I'm enjoying the smaller places and if I could, I would love to see more flowers and gardens. I have heard of an amazing garden in Holland...so... I would really enjoy that.

Also, I feel like I need to have a blowout in Paris haha....whatever that means. Yes, I have been there 2 times already, but who can tire of this place?? PLUS I'm very much looking forward to wandering Versailles again and Giverny.

Ok, that's it for now. I'll try to get more pics up.

X

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 19, 2010 from Heidelberg, Germany
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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To be continued..

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 18, 2010 from Heidelberg, Germany
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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Yes, I'm still in Copenhagen and what a nice treat to be able to be outside enjoying some sunshine and 'warmer' weather. So glad I decided to stay at the last minute instead of hopping a train elsewhere. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy such a lovely day.

See, I'm having this real problem of deciding where I want to go... I thought about it all night. In fact, I even dreamt of it! It wasn't good... nobody wanted me *sigh*...

Anyhow... decision time.... over some tea and shortbread mmm.

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 17, 2010 from Copenhagen, Denmark
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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Kronborg Chapel

Boo!

Light!

Creeeepy.Ok I'm scared.

Creepy. Still not scared.

Holger The Dane!

This is not scary..

I nicknamed her Ophelia.

It was a very nice excursion. The town of Helsingor is very cute. Unfortunately, because it is Sunday, none of the shops were open. However, this made it very quiet and today that is what i needed.

Yesterday was miserable weather. I was freezing and wet! At the same time, it was a good day because it was the day i got to see The Radio Dept. in concert at Lille Vega! I have been listening to their music for quiet a while now and well, to be honest, my concert ticket is the reason I factored Copenhagen into my trip. All in all, it was a great opportunity. Anyhow, the show last night was great. It was a little bit confusing because there are two venues in one building called Vega. There's Vega and Lille Vega. So when I arrived, I went in the wrong door and there were all these people...so many...so I was waiting in the line to check my coat and I kept thinking to myself "All of these people are here to see The Radio Dept????" ...How was it possible that anytime I ever mentioned this swedish band that nobody had heard of them and then I come to the show and there are like a thousand people (all ages!!) around me?? So I thought something was up for sure so I asked the guy beside me in line and he kindly directed me to the REAL Vega..LILLE Vega! Ha. This was more appropriate .... smaller crowd and ummm age appropriate (???).... much cooler (kidding). The show wass great.

The Radio Dept.

So this brings us up to speed--

Now I have to decide what the next move is going to be. Or rather, where. I thought I had it all figured out but after today and how much I enjoyed the quiet of a smaller town, I think i may have to rethink. I think maybe I'm citied out??

I could go anywhere...

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 16, 2010 from Helsingor, Denmark
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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I just arrived in Copenhagen where I'll be spending the weekend.

The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen took about 4hrs by land AND sea! I even got half-way through a book. The journey was one of the smoother journeys of this trip, I think. I didn't feel overly frustrated. In fact, I think it's fairly easy to get around here and people seem friendlier so far. I'm not saying they were unfriendly in Krakow or Prague, it's just a different lifestyle here I imagine.

My "hotel" is novel. When I walked into my room I got this giddy smile on my face-- not because it's big and posh, but because it's small and compartmentalised...like a cabin on a ship! I love it!!! It reminds me of the cruise to Cabo.

I think I might like this whole Scandinavian thing... hmm.

To Be Continued!!

Vi ses..(see you)

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 14, 2010 from Copenhagen, Denmark
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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Let me tell you what I've been up to lately. Wait, let me make some coffee and I'll continue the story....

.......Ok, my last entry ended with me tired after an overnight train from krakow. Well, I'm still tired (ha!) but I've been pretty productive. Once I refreshed myself and was able to start over it was much better. I walked all over the old town and ate traditional Czech cuisine (goulash, bread dumplings). Later in the evening I went to a concert in St.Nicolas Church. The concert was by the Prague Brass Ensemble.

The following day I took part in the ultimate organized tour of Prague. I don't always sign up for walking tours, but I thought it might be a good idea as I know nothing of the history of Prague and I could do with a little organization. WEll, the tour was 6hrs and my feet were already sore from before so you can imagine. I think cobblestone is beautiful, but it is really, really hard on your feet, legs, back etc. It's all so uneven and it really doesn't matter what shoes you wear. You're going to be sore. And as someone who enjoys wearing ballet flats, let me tell you....you can feel EVERYTHING! Anyhow the tour included a river boat cruise and a 3 course lunch where I got to know some of the people on the tour. This came in handy for after the tour...

The tour ended up at Prague Castle which is not like a castle at all.... more like a city within a city. Included in the ticket of the tour was a separate"ghost" tour later in the evening. So with about 3 hours to spare, a few of us walked back into town and went for a bite to eat. Yes, I even had a Czech beer!! When in Rome...

The ghost tour was very cheesy, but our guide (same as the day tour) is very sarcastic and funny so it was tolerable ...ha. I can see how Prague could be creepy at night with all the different little passageways and everything but there are so many people around it's not easy to get scared.

And this brings me to this morning. It's really nice to stay in bed a bit later and not worry about missing something as i think I've covered all the main points. However, there are a few little things I'd like to visit in a more leisurely manner. Also I'll be planning my weekend in Copenhagen! Very exciting.

More later..

written by  Sarah Andrea on May 12, 2010 from Prague, Czech Republic
from the travel blog: Europe 2010
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