Sharryn And Garey’s Day on Jungfraur (the top of Europe) Thursday 12th June 2008

Entered by Gill but written by Sharryn

Gill and Peter were going to St Gallen and Zurich and we planned to go up a mountain to the top of Europe. We boarded a train at 9am which ground it’s way up the mountain. It took a over an hour and we chugged up hill the entire way reaching a height of 3571 metres or 11,722 feet. Bloody high and not much air. The railways are cog rails to stop them slipping on such steep tracks. The views are not matched anywhere that you can go without a Sherpa or a helicopter. When you get to the top there are signs everywhere saying take your time as the air is so thin that you get very puffed very quickly. We were able to play in the snow and it was very soft as there had been a fresh fall the day before. We went tobogganing but although it was heaps of fun we could not do it for too long as climbing back up the hill was exhausting. I climbed up the side of a bank to go on a flying fox. That was very cool but I did start to worry when I could see the snow getting closer and I was not slowing down at all. I soon realised that my feet and my bum were the brakes! Also at the top were huskies taking people for a ride but the idea of making a couple of dogs tow us around on a sleigh did not seem fair. The weather up there was outstanding; we had blue skies and views for miles. The trip down the mountain took equally as long and most people on the train were asleep.
We had a quite night back in Grindelwald with wine cheese and bread for dinner.

Walking the Rivene

On Friday when we returned to Grindalwald we met Sharryn and Garey, who had gone by train to Interlaken for a few hours, and then returned to Grindalwald. I was keen for Sharryn and Garey to experience walking up all the steps to the glacier, just as Peter and I had done in 2004. They were not so keen, so instead we walked the track hugging the mountains at the base of the glacier. It was a kilometre each way and was really interesting. There was a bungy jump from the top, but no one using it as it was around 5 p.m.

Meeting up with Nicole, Nina and Sarah

On Thursday, 12th June, Peter and I drove from Grindalwald to St Gallen (some 280 kms) through the Brinig Pass over the mountains and around Lake Lucern, through Zurich city and then to the village on the outskirts of St Gallen to meet up with Nina and her parents at their home for lunch. It was lovely to see Nina again as it is twelve months since she returned from Melbourne. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and then as the weather was closing in we were not able to go to the mountains as they planned. Instead we drove to St Gallen and visited the very famous library in the kloister there. This library is very small and holds original books from 900 BC onwards and had some amazing exhibitions on display including, for some reason, an Egyptian mummy which has been on display since 1820. We stayed in the library for over an hour, it was so interesting. We then visited the cathedral next door and finished our time in St Gallen at a local chocolate cafe to meet up with Nina's boyfriend, who Peter has always called "Neck Chew" but whose real name is Ramon.

It was a lovely few hours and we did enjoy meeting Suzanne and Thomas.

From St Gallen we drove back to Zurich where we stayed the night and had dinner with Sarah (who had lived with us as an exchange student in NZ in 1998/1999) and her mother Marie Therese. Again it was great to catch up. On Friday morning we spent a further couple of hours with Sarah in the city before heading back to Grindalwald.

In the evening we shared a beautiful home cooked meal with Nicole (who had lived with us as an exchange student in NZ 1999/2000), her dad Markus, Maggie (Nicole's school friend from NZ) and Sean the Australian boyfriend.

Wet walkers on the mountain

Our day in the mountains

Climbing the mountains

We had been warned that the weather was not going to be very good for the four days in Grindalwald which was very disappointing as it is a most beautiful part of Switzerland and very picturesque. From each of our bedrooms in the chalet we have a beautiful view of the lower mountains dotted with Swiss chalets and the chairlift commencing it's journey up the mountain. On Wednesday morning we woke to blue sky and sunshine - a real bonus. Nicole had to go to school for an interview around 10 a.m. (she is a teacher at a local rural school and has eleven students across three levels in her class) and then had the rest of the day off. Along with Maggie (her friend from Upper Hutt) and Shaun (the new boyfriend from Adelaide), and Nicole's black lab called Kira which goes everywhere with her, we all caught the chairlift (which is apparently the longest chairlift in Europe) to the top of the mountain. At the top after a few attempts at a snow fight we had an early cuppa and bread and cheese with meat at the cafe and then headed off on a three hour walk across the mountain, following a track, to meet the train back down the mountain.

Peter now says he had no idea we were heading off on such a long walk, as he would have been more than happy to have caught the gondalier back down the mountain without walking! Ignorance is bliss and off we headed. The beginning of the track was quite difficult, particularly for me, as in parts it was very icy and thick snow. However it got better and we were able to amble along at a reasonable pace and enjoy the views. It is springtime and there were various flowers along the way and I enjoyed looking out for the different types and photographing them.

After about an hour the mist got quite low and then the rain started and got steadily heavier. There was no point in turning back, so after resting for a few minutes under a tree we continued on our way. At one point we had a choice of train stations to head too - about 30 minutes uphill or 40 minutes downhill so the decision was to head down hill. Boy were we all pleased to see the little cafe serving hot drinks to dripping wet cutomers when we arrived at the station. Even though we were all wet and cold it was a great experience, but I must say the muscles are still telling some of us that we did more exercise than normal.

We caught the train back down the balance of the mountain - it was very steep but because of the mist and the condensation we couldn't really see out the windows. There were heaps of Asian tourists on the train - their tour bus had dropped them at the station and they had caught the train up and back down and then on to the bus again. Even though we were very wet at least we did experience a little more of the Swiss mountains. Afterall you can't see the flowers from the train!

We decided that a quiet night in was just what was headed and Garey had thought he had caught up with his washing duties, but there was a lot more ahead of him as we were all soaked right through! Just as well we were staying in the chalet with their own washing machine and drier facilities. Oh well, the washing fairy has had it reasonably easy up until now.

Nicoles Restaurant In the Mountain

Twin Towers in Town Square Boppard

Shops Boppard

Peter Looking Cool on Chair lift Not to sure about Gill

Hotel that has been empty 20 years with tables still set - Boppard

Gill & Sharryn Overlooking Rhein

Garey trying to look cool on Chair lift

Container Boat on Rhein

Coal Boat on the Rhein

Beer O'Clock on the Rhein

Accom Boppard

Monday 9th June Boppard on the Rhine Germany To Grindelwald (Sharryns post just I have put it up for her!)

Boppard is a village on the Rhine. The village has been adapted to cater for the large number of tourists who now visit. There are Bed and Breakfasts or Zimmer as it is said in German everywhere. Souvenier shops and restaurants take up much of the rest of the town. In saying that it is a lovely spot and would be recommended.. There is always something happening, a barge or four passing, a river cruise boat pulling in or one of the 750ish trains passing each day. Although that all sounds very busy it appears very laid back, old men playing cards on a table in the park and a couple more on a giant chess board.

We have become very accustomed to a slow and leisurely morning. This is made all the better by the quality of the breakfasts at Haus Wellar in Boppard. They are outstanding. Bread of at least three varieties, meats, cheeses, eggs, yoghurt, fruit and fish as well as jam, cream cheese, quark to be enjoyed with orange juice and coffee. Haus Wellar is a very old 14 room bed and breakfast which is perhaps a little tired but that is made up for in hospitality. We enjoyed each of our three days/nights there.

After a visit to the information centre we took a train to Emmelshausen. The track to Emmelshausen winds its way up the hill through some beautiful forests and over an old stone viaduct. This train is the steepest normal train in Germany and has been made been made a historical/national icon. Peter and Gill both decided that this would be a good town to get a hair cut and to be honest it was a good choice especially for Peter who is now not continually saying “I must get a hair cut”. Garey and I wandered around the shops (there were not many) and we caught the train back to Boppard an hour after arriving. We had planned to catch another boat down the Rhine so that we could see what was down there and could then say we had been both ways. Unfortunately this was not to be as the only one that went up was late in the day. Not to worry we had Peter and the Navman so following the Lonely Planet set off. We went to Koblenz which was the next town but as we were now small town people we did not stay and went on to Cochem. This is a traditional looking town which was also on the Rhine. It too has a chair lift which we had to try. Gill, Peter and I ventured up and Garey chose to visit the town. The view was worth the trip and the castle on the opposite hill was just as you see in postcards.
We meandered back along what we assumed was the Rhine, Garey and Peter were sure we were wrong as the water volume was not enough and where were the barges. Alas they were right! It was the Mosel which is a tributary to the Rhine. The grape vines are planted from the road directly uphill or mountain as the case may be. They have a type of miniature rail running up the hills between the vines, we assume to take the workers back up. The entire area is very very steep but it does not appear to deter people from planting grapes. The wine industry on the Rhine is huge.
We finished the day with a fabulous meal at a small restaurant in the back streets of Boppard. It appears that one of the staple meats in Germany in pork and you can buy it cooked almost anyway you choose. The food was beautiful (I did not have pork) and we had three courses for an excellent price.

Tuesday on Road to Grindelwald
After yet another fantastic breakfast we were off on our longest driving day of our trip. Boppard to Grindelwald in Switzerland. We all agreed we could have stayed longer in the Rhine area as it is a beautiful area with plenty to do but we needed to move on.
Peter drove all the way which was approx 540km. We stopped for diesel, toilets and lunch. Yes we ate again! Once again we called into a small town about 45 min on the Germany side of Basel. Small towns are great. Gill and I had a lovely salad and Peter and Garey had goulash. For 6 euros and 50cents Peter and Garey got three courses, salad, goulash and dessert. Excellent value. Once again we were on the road and before long in Switzerland. At the border we were stopped and had to pay 40 francs for a road tax. This would have lasted us a year but unfortunately we are only here 4 days. This is still cheaper than some of what we paid in tolls last trip and the roads and tunnels are worth it.
We met Nicole at her parent’s chalet and she let us in and showed us where everything was. It was so good to see her again. This time she was accompanied by Maggie her very good friend from New Zealand and Shaun, her new boyfriend from Australia. Nicole had arranged for us to go ‘up the mountain’ for dinner. Well up the mountain was exactly what she meant. Peter described it as a “bloody good rally road.” It went up the side of a mountain; we had to stop twice for self opening electric fences and twice for cows. The restaurant was lovely and we had traditional Swiss food. The owners were very friendly as locals usually only frequent as the road is not open to tourists. We felt a little like we were in their lounge. The views were outstanding as you would expect as we were 1,904 metres up and looking straight across at the tallest mountains in Europe. Another very memorable day!

Saturday 7th Still sorry no Pics internet on a go slow

Ok so Gill has filled you in on most of what happened yesterday which in reality is good because you see, all she mainly is responsible for is that, accommodation, where to next and all that stuff, so really it is good to see her using her literary skills. Come to think of it am not to sure just what other duties the washing fairy has (for those of you who don’t know, that is Garey), well that is apart from having his own yes that’s right own iron that he takes on hol’s with him, mmmmmmm strange breed really!!

This morning we have woken up on the Rhein a beautiful place and as Gill described has about three million boats up and down the river and trains every forty eight seconds.

Yesterday, that is Saturday, as I am actually writing this on Sunday afternoon, we had once again about 6 hours in the car off and on with various stops along the way. I must admit that for some reason I was sleepy yesterday so Sharryn drove a great deal of the way with me only filling in the gaps and the last bit through the hills to Boppard.

Today that is Sunday we have really been exceedingly lazy. After another amazing breakfast we started the day with a ride up the chairlift to view the four lakes (BTW I could only see 1!). Gill is now telling me that I am wrong, oh well that’s not too far off of normal, the four lakes is just an imagination – at the hilltop you can see four bends in the river, amazing stuff really. (Mind you if you ask me that’s a bit stupid if you are supposed to see four bends why the $%$#@ don’t they just say that!)

Garey actually caught the chairlift as well which was fortunate for him otherwise he would have had about a two hour walk. At the top even though I did not see all of the lakes I did partake in one of my favourite occupations that starts with an ‘f’. No, not that silly I was talking about food – that’s right the first apple strudel since arriving.

This afternoon we took a boat trip up the Rhein to a small place called St – Goar, the place could have actually been quite interesting had it not rained just as we arrived and lasted for about half an hour, which was the precise amount of time that we were there. Well never mind got some R&R and sat around on a boat for a few hours.

The weather – well it has varied quite a bit from really summery to bucketing with rain, tonight was one of those bucketing nights. You see Sharryn had decided to put on her ‘pretty clothes’ to go out to dinner, I think really to try and shame Gill and I for wearing our other stuff yet again and we set off to walk to the restaurant area – halfway there and God decided to empty the great big bathtub that he has in the sky. Well at that point pretty clothes were very wet the rest were not too bad. You see we sheltered under a tree not Sharryn she ran for an archway and the more she ran the more the gods rained on her!!

Anyway eventually the rain stopped or at least lessened to drizzle status and we went and found this cute little restaurant where we could all dry out and enjoy a great meal and of course a couple of bevies.

(Note to self, look for place for washing fairy to perform duties, situation getting desperate he has only done one duty thus far and I am running out of undies! )

Amsterdam to Boppard Saturday 7th

It is time to move again, from Amsterdam to Boppard which is a village on the Rhein River in Germany. We had enjoyed our stay in the residential area of north Amsterdam and had an insight into how the local people live everyday lives. Before we headed for the freeway south there was one more place to visit that hadn’t been marked off the list!

Having the Navman with us makes a huge difference, and as long as we have the correct spelling, and then trust it, we can get to anywhere. In this case the village of Zaanse Schans (North of Amsterdam) was only about 20 minutes drive from our bed and breakfast accommodation. The only issue we had was that the bridge crossing to the village had been removed and a new road/bridge was being built. A couple of loops around the area didn’t help us, so resorting to asking a local, we found a small walking entrance between two industrial buildings that led to a walk on ferry that went backwards and forwards to the island.

The island village is still in for the format of the 19th century with the majority of the buildings wooden, with a very flat façade, and all painted bottle green. Nearest the river are the larger homes built for the rich and behind run roads of smaller houses which were built for the labourers. The majority of these houses are still lived in with a few converted to museums or restaurants. There were also about six working windmills. One could have made me feel a little like being at work on site as it was a timber mill. Quite different from those that Carter Holt Harvey own in Australia and New Zealand, I must say.

Holland is known for cheese production, and there are certainly lots of cows in the paddocks. There was a working cheese production facility where we had a short demonstration, and then sampled the beautiful cheeses and chocolate on sale. Very nice!

Time to move on as we had about 480 kilometres to drive to our next stay in Germany. Once again the Navman did not let us down. We followed freeways the whole way with varying speed limits up to 130 kms per hour and then dropping down to 60 kms for the roadworks which seemed to be happening every few kms. There was no obvious border control, but as we left one town the signs changed from Dutch to German and we then realised we were in Germany. Another two hours down the freeway and we were in Boppard.

From the freeway the exit winds down a steep hill into the valley and the shores on the Rhein. We are staying in a bed and breakfast hotel one street back from the riverfront in a property that is heritage listed. There is no lift and of course we are on the top floor but we have nice rooms which are spacious with ensuite bathrooms, opening windows and door to a balcony which we don’t think looks very safe to walk on so will give it a miss. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room on the ground floor – we are getting used to bread, cured meat and cheese to start the day.

We had arrived in Boppard around 4 p.m. so after settling into our rooms we went off walking to orientate ourselves. The promenade has hotels and restaurants the whole length and we walked the full distance (around a kilometre) to a chairlift which climbs around 250 metres, in twenty minutes, to the top of a hill from where there is, apparently, an amazing view of the twisting Rhein River and it is possible to go for walks in the forest. As the chairlift was due to close we will have to give that a try over the next couple of days.

We had dinner at one of the open restaurants and instead of only people watching, we were entertained (?) by Peter and Sharryn arguing over how many trains were passing along the two tracks following the sides of the river, and now many boats were going up or down the river, which barge was lowest in the water, how much water flowed in the river, where the barges (mostly carrying coal and gravel) were going, accompanied by the soccer on the outdoor screen as early games in the European Soccer World Cup have commenced.

Our main courses were all beautiful so we decided to venture into unknown territory and have dessert. However, the tables had been filling fast and after being told there would be a 20 minute wait which we were happy with, and three quarters of an hour had passed, and still there was only to be a 20 minute wait and we were feeling quite cold we gave a miss on the desserts and wandered the narrow streets making our way back to the hotel.

Apparently some 1.2 million visitors come to Boppard each year and we are pleased to be in those numbers and looking forward to two days enjoying this small part of Germany.

Bits and Pieces from me

Ok so Gill has filled you in on most of what happened yesterday which in reality is good because you see, all she mainly is responsible for is that, accommodation, where to next and all that stuff, so really it is good to see her using her literary skills. Come to think of it am not to sure just what other duties the washing fairy has (for those of you who don’t know, that is Garey), well that is apart from having his own yes that’s right own iron that he takes on hol’s with him, mmmmmmm strange breed really!!

This morning we have woken up on the Rhein a beautiful place and as Gill described has about three million boats up and down the river and trains every forty eight seconds.

Yesterday, that is Saturday, as I am actually writing this on Sunday afternoon, we had once again about 6 hours in the car off and on with various stops along the way. I must admit that for some reason I was sleepy yesterday so Sharryn drove a great deal of the way with me only filling in the gaps and the last bit through the hills to Boppard.

Today that is Sunday we have really been exceedingly lazy. After another amazing breakfast we started the day with a ride up the chairlift to view the four lakes (BTW I could only see 1!). Gill is now telling me that I am wrong, oh well that’s not too far off of normal, the four lakes is just an imagination – at the hilltop you can see four bends in the river, amazing stuff really. (Mind you if you ask me that’s a bit stupid if you are supposed to see four bends why the $%$#@ don’t they just say that!)

Garey actually caught the chairlift as well which was fortunate for him otherwise he would have had about a two hour walk. At the top even though I did not see all of the lakes I did partake in one of my favourite occupations that starts with an ‘f’. No, not that silly I was talking about food – that’s right the first apple strudel since arriving.

This afternoon we took a boat trip up the Rhein to a small place called St – Goar, the place could have actually been quite interesting had it not rained just as we arrived and lasted for about half an hour, which was the precise amount of time that we were there. Well never mind got some R&R and sat around on a boat for a few hours.

The weather – well it has varied quite a bit from really summery to bucketing with rain, tonight was one of those bucketing nights. You see Sharryn had decided to put on her ‘pretty clothes’ to go out to dinner, I think really to try and shame Gill and I for wearing our other stuff yet again and we set off to walk to the restaurant area – halfway there and God decided to empty the great big bathtub that he has in the sky. Well at that point pretty clothes were very wet the rest were not too bad. You see we sheltered under a tree not Sharryn she ran for an archway and the more she ran the more the gods rained on her!!

Anyway eventually the rain stopped or at least lessened to drizzle status and we went and found this cute little restaurant where we could all dry out and enjoy a great meal and of course a couple of bevies.

(Note to self, look for place for washing fairy to perform duties, situation getting desperate he has only done one duty thus far and I am running out of undies! )

Good bye Holland, hello Germany (Sat 7.6.08)

It is time to move again, from Amsterdam to Boppard which is a village on the Rhein River in Germany. We had enjoyed our stay in the residential area of north Amsterdam and had an insight into how the local people live everyday lives. Before we headed for the freeway south there was one more place to visit that hadn’t been marked off the list!

Having the Navman with us makes a huge difference, and as long as we have the correct spelling, and then trust it, we can get to anywhere. In this case the village of Zaanse Schans (North of Amsterdam) was only about 20 minutes drive from our bed and breakfast accommodation. The only issue we had was that the bridge crossing to the village had been removed and a new road/bridge was being built. A couple of loops around the area didn’t help us, so resorting to asking a local, we found a small walking entrance between two industrial buildings that led to a walk on ferry that went backwards and forwards to the island.

The island village is still in for the format of the 19th century with the majority of the buildings wooden, with a very flat façade, and all painted bottle green. Nearest the river are the larger homes built for the rich and behind run roads of smaller houses which were built for the labourers. The majority of these houses are still lived in with a few converted to museums or restaurants. There were also about six working windmills. One could have made me feel a little like being at work on site as it was a timber mill. Quite different from those that Carter Holt Harvey own in Australia and New Zealand, I must say.

Holland is known for cheese production, and there are certainly lots of cows in the paddocks. There was a working cheese production facility where we had a short demonstration, and then sampled the beautiful cheeses and chocolate on sale. Very nice!

Time to move on as we had about 480 kilometres to drive to our next stay in Germany. Once again the Navman did not let us down. We followed freeways the whole way with varying speed limits up to 130 kms per hour and then dropping down to 60 kms for the roadworks which seemed to be happening every few kms. There was no obvious border control, but as we left one town the signs changed from Dutch to German and we then realised we were in Germany. Another two hours down the freeway and we were in Boppard.

From the freeway the exit winds down a steep hill into the valley and the shores on the Rhein. We are staying in a bed and breakfast hotel one street back from the riverfront in a property that is heritage listed. There is no lift and of course we are on the top floor but we have nice rooms which are spacious with ensuite bathrooms, opening windows and door to a balcony which we don’t think looks very safe to walk on so will give it a miss. Breakfast is served in the breakfast room on the ground floor – we are getting used to bread, cured meat and cheese to start the day.

We had arrived in Boppard around 4 p.m. so after settling into our rooms we went off walking to orientate ourselves. The promenade has hotels and restaurants the whole length and we walked the full distance (around a kilometre) to a chairlift which climbs around 250 metres, in twenty minutes, to the top of a hill from where there is, apparently, an amazing view of the twisting Rhein River and it is possible to go for walks in the forest. As the chairlift was due to close we will have to give that a try over the next couple of days.

We had dinner at one of the open restaurants and instead of only people watching, we were entertained (?) by Peter and Sharryn arguing over how many trains were passing along the two tracks following the sides of the river, and now many boats were going up or down the river, which barge was lowest in the water, how much water flowed in the river, where the barges (mostly carrying coal and gravel) were going, accompanied by the soccer on the outdoor screen as early games in the European Soccer World Cup have commenced.

Our main courses were all beautiful so we decided to venture into unknown territory and have dessert. However, the tables had been filling fast and after being told there would be a 20 minute wait which we were happy with, and three quarters of an hour had passed, and still there was only to be a 20 minute wait and we were feeling quite cold we gave a miss on the desserts and wandered the narrow streets making our way back to the hotel.

Apparently some 1.2 million visitors come to Boppard each year and we are pleased to be in those numbers and looking forward to two days enjoying this small part of Germany.

Alkmaar and Volendam with a side trip to Marken

Well I hope you like the title as I had to look all the names up in a book. Yesterday we looked at what the bus trips out of Amsterdam offered and looked it up for ourselves. With a Navman and Peter at the wheel we can do anything a bus can do and more.

We started at a cheese market in Alkamaar where men in national dress ran around with racks with big rounds of cheese on them. For those of you in NZ you would have to get a mortgage to buy one! They unloaded the cheese from their trucks or cars and it was auctioned. They then loaded it onto racks (see pictures) and took it into be weighed. Once weighed they seemed to run around with it some more before loading it on to carts and running again over to a truck. Seems a lot of work to sell some cheese but that is what they do here. It was a lovely town with small lanes and lots of lovely little shops and market stalls. Once again Peter, Garey and I enjoyed waffles, this time with ice cream and Gill had a milk shake. We could probably have stayed all day but had other things to see.

We then set off on another journey, this time to a fishing village called Volendam. Gill and I visited a very interesting museum about the history of the area particularly the national dress. Peter rested and had a beer and Garey went shopping. How normal does that sound! This is a port area and from there we caught a ferry on a half hour journey to Marken which was and island but is now joined by road. This is a historical fishing area with an orginal house set up so we could see how things were many years ago. We had an enjoyable walk around and sat down for Dutch mini pancakes and a drink. We caught the boat back, wandered some more and had tea. We have decided we seem to eat quite often.

One thing we have noticed in The Netherlands is that many of the houses are on a lean, some forward, some sideways and some even backwards. If you look closely in the picture of houses you will see that one has had bricks layed up the middle to hold them together.

That is all I have to say today as Gill has done her postcards (sorry my friends and family not done any) and we are going to play cards.

Sad to see Hienenken Experience is Closed until Sept. Rest of Amsterdam open for business though.

A day in Amsterdam

Thursday, 5th June

After a leisurely breakfast we walked along a couple of residential streets to the bus station and 20 minutes later we were in the city. This was the first visit for any of us to Amsterdam so first stop was the information office to collect a map then coffee time to study the map. The city is full of tiny streets and canals but we found our way very well, even though it took us some time as we window shopped and people watched on our way. The first stop was the church beside the Anne Frank House. The church itself was not elaborate but it had an awesome pipe organ and taped music playing. We had been warned that the queues for the Anne Frank House can sometimes be 2-3 hours long and it was best to visit first thing in the morning or late in the evening. However, not us, we arrived there right on mid-day. Peter estimated the queue to be 2 hours and I estimated 10 minutes and we were at the ticket office in 11 minutes. It just shows not to follow Pete's instructions and move on! For me, I think the visit to this property is one of the most memorable we have had on this holiday so far. I had read the book when I was at school but must now try and see if it is on DVD or video. The house was well set up with videos running, wall plaques, and photos. The stairs to the secret annex where the family lived are extremely narrow and you could almost feel what it was like to be one of the eight people living there. It was extremely sad to know that with all their efforts they were eventually located, and placed in concentration camps and Anne died just one month before liberation and of the eight only her father survived.

From here we bought lunch at a local bakery type shop and enjoyed sitting in one of the parks for relaxation before heading off again, this time to the Heinenken Museum. This was to be one of the highlights for Peter as Cam had visited the Heinenken Museum with his host father some years ago and had sent us a video of their visit. Unfortunately luck was not with us. After walking across the city we found the museum shut for renovations until the summer (apparently September). This was a big disappointment but nothing anyone could do about it.

So to rest the weary feet, next on the agenda was a canal trip. There are many canals within the city and we had walked along a number of them. The trip was 1 1/4 hours and there were only us and four monks with a female friend on the boat. It travelled along a number of the canals, both the main ones and smaller ones, and the driver was very experienced at turning his long boat to get around the narrow corners. The canals are lined with houseboats and the avenues with trees. I can't remember the number of bridges spanning the canals but it is in the hundreds and they are quite low so the boat only just fitted through.

As we are old hands at public transport now, we next caught a tram across the city (to save the sore feet) to the flower market and a stop for a much needed Heinenken by some of our party!

The final visit for the day was to the Red Light area - none of us were much impressed. We were more interested in the "Coffee Shops" which don't actually have coffee as their main fare but cannabis and other drugs. It was interesting to see cannabis starter kits available for sale in shops and also the flower market.

We have been amazed at the number of bikes in Belgium and Amsterdam. It is the most common method of transport and the bikes, appear to us, as being very old fashioned. Many of the bikes had child seats, some with two or three so we thought this would be a method of transport to kindy that Roanne could take up. The cyclists have a very upright method of sitting on the bikes and we felt some sympathy for their bottoms as the roads are cobble stone and must cause trememdous bouncing as they ride along. Although we have considered hiring bikes, so far we have resisted. There are bike parking areas in addition to the huge number of bikes placed along the roadsides and bridges etc. One parking area had bike parking frames for some 4000 bikes. There are apparently 750,000 people in Amsterdam Central and some 1,000,000 bikes.

After dinner we were back on that wonderful public transport and home!

The internet connection is not very strong and we have been unable to upload some photos - will try again later in the day.

June 3rd Brugge

Tuesday 3rd June
We started the day very slowly, and watched the fire brigade arrive to pump out our basement and lift. When we arrived home last night it had obviously rained very heavily and the basement was flooded and the lift full of water. Although we decided not to use the lift Peter had to push the botton at the top and it sounded like a water fall. We watched the fire brigade do their job as we ate a leisurely breakfast and had showers before heading to Brugge for the day. Brugge is probably Belgium’s most popular tourist city. It is set on 30 canals and was built form the 1300’s onwards. Very little in the last couple of hundred years. It is hard to believe that just up the road in Ypres the entire town was flattened and here the town appears to bear no scares of the war. Yesterdays wonderful tour guide gave us a list of things to do in Brugge and they were numbered so we new which were more important. We started with the Frites Museum (hot chips) It was interesting, started with the potatoes and ended up with the Flemish inventing fries. Actually we finished with sampling the fries. Here is the first bit if trivia for the day. Fries originated in Belgium. The should be cook twice the first time at 150degrees C for 4 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness and the second at 175 – 180 degrees C to finish the process. 2nd lot of trivia. Fish was the staple diet of the Flemish people, in the winter when the water was too frozen for the fisherman to catch fish potato’s were cut in to long strips to look like fish.
We then went to the Chocolate Museum. There we started with sampling the goods. It took us through the history of chocolate. This museum started with the Aztecs and the chocolate bean being used for trade (1 bean got you a tomato or 3 green peppers but you needed 10 beans to get a rabbit.) We finished with watching a demonstration of chocolate making and yet another sample. Yum!

The streets of Brugge are lined with shops selling yummy Belgian chocolate and beautiful Belgian lace.

We wandered about the town and of course had to have some Belgian Waffles Gill had a toasted sandwich while the rest of us enjoyed waffles with cream and strawberries.
We took a canal trip and learned a little of the history of the buildings. It was very picturesque. Gill, Garey and I enjoyed it and Peter dozed!
Gill and I visited the church which has Michelangelo’s Mother and Child statue.
We all visited a convent which is still operating with 20 Benedictine Nuns. They had an area that was set up to show how the Sisters have lived in the past.
We then hired a horse and cart to take us around the town. I think that is just one of the things you have to do when in Brugge.
We had one more church to visit and it was outstanding. It was highly painted and quite different to most others. It has what is said to be a drop of Christ’s Blood behind one of it’s alters.
We finished the day with dinner at one of the many little restaurants in the town. Back to our lovely accommodation for a quite evening in front of the TV.

PS it is 10.30 and only just getting dark.