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Post by Oz-T on Feb 27, 2015 6:15:59 GMT
France & Benelux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg) – June 2014
One of the interesting aspects of international travel is to be going to places and doing things that are different. That means being not only different to home but also different to other trips we’ve been on – and this is exactly why this holiday appealed to us. Initially, we were supposed to be headed to a double-header guided tour – Greece and Turkey. However, due to unfavourable currency movements of 14%, Trafalgar increased its prices by around 28% from the previous year and I refused to pay those sorts of prices. In addition to this, we thought we’d spend some extra weeks on a couple of Agean islands so we’ve postponed visiting these two countries to a future trip. With plenty of travel experience behind us, I didn’t need a lot of prodding to begin planning some exploration of north-western Europe which appealed to me. And it got an immediate passing grade from Mrs Oz, whose philosophy regarding holidays can basically be reduced to: “I don’t care where; just take me on a holiday!”. So this then became a self-tour. Not that we were new to this, but after many Trafalgar tours we were struggling to find guided tours in Europe that didn’t seriously overlap places we had already been to. What was quite different this time was the decision to drive a rental car for a month in Europe. That involved driving on the opposite side of the road (something we already had experience with), and a need to navigate between cities and within them. You certainly do need to concentrate on a lot of things, unlike guided tours. The other thing that differed markedly from our previous overseas trips was a deliberate reduction in the level of planning. Being a highly organised type of person, I meticulously plan our holidays and it’s all laid out in a detailed itinerary – but not this time. Apart from one exception, none of our accommodation was booked; we arrived in France with no idea where we were going to stay that first night – or even the next few. Yes, that indeed took me well beyond by usual comfort zone, but that was also the allure of a holiday that had a feel of adventure and spontaneity about it. Learning to adapt and being more casual about the itinerary was extremely educational – and fun. Extensive overseas travel without a tour director handling all those important things was both a challenge and an opportunity. Of course, without a coach driver we had to find our own way to everything. However, an important positive was flexibility: we totally controlled our own movements throughout the trip. We could stay longer at the interesting places and less at those that didn’t capture our attention. The regions we visited were France and ‘Benelux’, the latter comprising Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, three countries we had never been to. We have visited Paris maybe eight times and southern France twice – yet the northern region and the wide arc around Paris remained untravelled territory to us. The aim was to visit as many major attractions that we could do in the time, particularly covering those that typically appear on guided tour itineraries. In France, we visited the Champagne and Alsace-Lorraine regions, historic castles and cathedrals, the battlefields of Normandy, Fromelles and Villers-Bretonneux, and Monet’s gardens. We journeyed through picturesque Luxembourg, Belgian battlefields such as Ypres and the magnificent capital of Brussels. The Netherlands brought windmills, cheeses, canals, art treasures and, err, bicycles. If you wish to conduct a self-tour of any destination, this may be a useful template to guide you on how to do it at an affordable price without going to too much trouble. I am definitely not trying to persuade anybody to try the self-tour concept instead of a guided tour – both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’re a committed guided tour customer, this will hopefully show you some of the places you can visit via many different tour companies. But if you are considering conducting a tour by yourself, this might have some helpful insights. PreliminariesNow, I did mention a reduction in planning but that’s not exactly an absence of planning. If you fail to plan you plan to fail – and failing sure ain’t my plan. I had no intention of spending most of our holiday trying to find civilization each time we got lost. That’s when the idea of a GPS device kicked in. I had initially proposed using my smart-phone for this but soon realised this would be inadequate. Unable to take the GPS device from my car (it’s integrated into the dashboard) I contemplated hiring one from the rental company in Paris until I found it would’ve cost almost $500. Instead, I purchased one with world maps several weeks before our departure and started using it before the trip (which did attract some impressed glances from other drivers who had never seen anybody with two SatNav devices in their car). Presumably, stereo GPS devices aren’t too common. There were a few glitches with the GPS (e.g. downloading latest maps) which were fortunately overcome before I took it overseas. By then I had mastered how to operate all its functions, something that saved me later nightmares and wasted time. And taking the device with me through customs, I got a $50 tax refund off the purchase price. The trip begins... Our flight from Australia to Europe was booked more than six months earlier and with Malaysian Airlines who we’ve flown with before. Yes, it was a little disconcerting several weeks before our trip to learn that MH370 had disappeared, presumably taken off-course by a rogue pilot. But you really try not to dwell on those sorts of things. The flight to Kuala Lumpur was pleasant, taking eight hours. And as per usual, we had all our belongings with us in our carry-on cases. The two cases weighed in at 7kg (15 pounds) each (including contents, wheels & extendable handles), plus a small shoulder bag each that went under the seat. Yes, that sure is travelling light for a month overseas but we have done it many times and still have plenty of changes of clothes so as not to be noticeable by sight (or smell). Apart from never needing to go near baggage carousels, we simply open the plane’s overhead locker if there’s anything we need from our luggage. Upon landing, we had three hours to kill at KL International Airport waiting for the next plane to Paris. We walked most of this time, browsing shops in the terminal to keep our leg muscles moving. It’s nice to stretch after an 8-hour flight in Economy, especially when you know you’re still not even half-way to Europe. Eventually we’re onto the next plane and taking off from KL. Now, I love technology so I do like to occasionally glance at the flight path data as shown on the personal screen in planes. And there it was: our flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Paris. Yes, all good. But look at the icon showing the plane pointed toward ..... the southern Indian Ocean. Hmmm, not so good. So what was I to do here? I considered that there were basically two choices: The first option was to stand up and shout to everyone on the plane that we’re doomed and headed the same way as MH370 - and if they don’t believe me they should just look at the flight data screen for themselves. In the ensuing panic I could have wandered through the cabin looking for prime seats in business class, vacated by passengers who would have by then been jumping out the emergency exits. This was indeed a splendid strategy, albeit reliant on evacuees closing the door on the way out. The other option was to stay quiet and just take a photo of the flight path screen to share with you people later if I survived the flight. I decided that this was the preferred way to go, especially after considering the unintended consequences of Option 1 (which mainly centred on Mrs Oz probably refusing to go on a holiday with me ever again). After several minutes the plane icon began to point toward Paris so I guess I made the right decision. But I kept checking it from time to time, just in case, although tapping the screen was probably overdoing it. The 13 hour leg to Paris was the night segment and we managed to get a little sleep, even if it was somewhat interrupted. It’s hard enough to sleep on a plane at the best of times but near impossible when the person seated beside you is snoring, fidgeting, snorting and passing wind. However, Mrs Oz accepted my apologies for making these disturbances to her sleep. With a few hour's sleep, we awoke in time for breakfast and finished it well before our descent into De Gaulle Airport.
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Post by kiwigrandma on Feb 27, 2015 7:27:43 GMT
Oz-T this is exciting. Looking forward to the rest of it.
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Post by Oz-T on Feb 27, 2015 9:14:37 GMT
Hope you enjoy this; it's going to stretch over many days but hopefully it should be entertaining.
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Post by californian on Feb 27, 2015 12:25:56 GMT
I have been waiting for this tale, OZ!! I can only do organized tours, the days of traveling without the comfort and convenience of TD's are long gone, but I am sure I'll get plenty of ideas anyway. I am planing a "Benelux" tour, it was going to be this year, but most likely it will be next now. So, thank you in advance, so looking forward to read it.
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Post by chech on Feb 27, 2015 14:07:00 GMT
LOLOLOL... I too am looking forward to the self-tour comments. It's something that is always possible. My sister went to Europe two years ago and they stayed a lot at Ibis hotels. They realized after that they're located close to train stations and could have done everything via train and instead wandered aimlessly in a car...and paid a fortune in tolls. I love trains and still would love to do a European tour by train. For now, I could satisfy myself with TT's Contrasts of Switzerland.
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Post by californian on Feb 27, 2015 16:06:25 GMT
Chech, I am curious to know which corner of the world you have not visited yet? Or plan to do it soon? As my friend would say, there is no danger of the roof falling on your head! LOL...
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Post by Oz-T on Feb 27, 2015 21:06:42 GMT
As you can imagine, Europe is one of those regions steeped in rich history, some of which I'll be bringing into this travel tale in what I hope will be an interesting way. In doing so, we will encounter many historical figures, some you will be familiar with, and others you will never have heard of. And as usual, I'll throw in a bit of fun here and there. This is the trip I wanted to share with members of the Trafalgar Forum but couldn't. It didn't seem appropriate to publish a travel tale about a self-tour on a forum for guided tours. Here, there's no need to hold back and I've finally found the time to write it all.
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Post by Oz-T on Feb 27, 2015 22:13:57 GMT
.... My sister went to Europe two years ago and they stayed a lot at Ibis hotels. They realized after that they're located close to train stations and could have done everything via train and instead wandered aimlessly in a car...and paid a fortune in tolls. I love trains and still would love to do a European tour by train..... And Ibis was exactly where we stayed, Chech. They were a great hotel chain for our needs. We've done self tours via Eurail before and they were great trips - but rail would't have worked on this holiday when you read about the destinations we went to. More on this as the tale progresses.....
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Post by Oz-T on Feb 28, 2015 3:18:44 GMT
Day 1 – Arrival in France
Arrival at De Gaulle Airport was early morning, and we cleared customs quickly, and then headed to the car rentals area. It was a good thing that the guy at the Europcar counter spoke English reasonably well, because my French isn’t that good and I think I may have inadvertently asked for a four door ice-cream with remote locking. Our plan was to later return the car to their depot in the southern suburb of Montparnasse instead of the airport and this was fine with them, and without extra charges. I asked where exactly I was supposed to deliver the car in a few weeks’ time and the guy said we should simply look for the signs near the Gare (railway station). We headed to the parking area to collect our rental car and realised they had given us a different (cheaper) one to what we had booked and paid for. So back to the rental counter we went and the guy was full of apologies – or maybe just trying not to laugh at customers who unwittingly say silly things in French. We returned to the correct car this time and it looked fine - a Toyota Aurius. We weren’t familiar with this but they give you a car of the indicative size and style you booked. We had already decided that either of us would have been fine with the driving, but only one of us had the navigational skills and capacity to operate the GPS without getting sick whilst the car was in motion. So Mrs Oz happily sat in the driver’s seat whilst I sat beside her and plugged in the GPS. But there was a problem: Mrs Oz simply couldn’t start the car. This was a vehicle with keyless ignition so you only had to press the ‘Start’ button on the dash. Yes, the ignition lights came on but no starter motor cranking the engine over. She tried and tried to no avail. Muttering something deliberately inaudible to her, I tried as well, only to concede failure too. So what would be the really clever thing to do in a situation like this? Yep, consult the owner’s manual in the glovebox. “ What does it say?”, asked Mrs Oz. I paused before slowly turning to her and saying, “ Manuel d'instructions version Française”. “ It’s in French?” she asked. “ Oui”, I replied. What’s the French word for ‘damn’? Oh yes, I remembered that one: damn. I tried to work this out by flipping through le manual to hopefully find the right pages and then sort of wing it by interpreting every second French word. Nope, no chance. Mrs Oz suggested we should go back again to the Europcar counter and tell them we didn’t know how to start the car. That didn’t appeal to my male ego, especially since I’d already made a fool of myself by asking in French whether the car ran on unleaded orange juice - so I went looking for help. I found a young guy who understood my attempts at French and found that he worked for Avis. After promising that we’d hire from Avis next time if he could show us how to start the damn vehicle, he grinned, came over, sat in the car and immediately drove a couple of metres toward me – with no sound at all coming from the engine. I was stunned. “ This is a hybrid car?”. “ Oui, monsieur”. We’ve never sat in a hybrid car, much less driven one. The only one I know of is the Prius but this was an Auris (I later discovered that’s the European name for the Corolla hatchback model). We didn’t realise that the electric motor was all you ‘hear’, although it’s virtually silent – the car was ready to drive all along and it doesn’t possess the traditional starter motor. Well, well, you learn something new every day. We thanked our Avis hero and began to drive off. I had trouble with the GPS because the multistorey carpark was blocking signals from satellites – however, Mrs Oz followed the signs and we were quickly out and onto the motorway. But something else was wrong: we were headed west into Paris, instead of east. The SatNav came to life and basically confirmed this. It’s not helpful when the GPS voice says something like “Le tournez around, vous dummy”. This resulted in a rather heated argument where the device and I hurled several swear words at each other in our respective languages until the calm, measured Mrs Oz intervened and told us both to shut up while she was trying to concentrate on driving. So I sulked a bit, still annoyed at the childish GPS device that started the fight. I glared at it and it glared back. When possible, we took an exit and parked on a quiet road to assess the situation properly, taking our time to understand this weird electric car and to check the GPS map for the way back to the motorway’s easterly direction. During this process I got my revenge on that damn GPS, changing the voice setting and forever evicting that French smarta*s* Pierre. In his place we invited a polite guy who said ‘G’day’ in an Australian accent – and who we nicknamed ‘Bruce’. My personal preference was a sultry female voice but Mrs Oz exercised her veto, saying that she needed me to concentrate 100% on navigational matters. Before long we were cruising the motorway in the correct direction – on our way out of Paris. The decision to let Mrs Oz do the driving, with me as navigator began to show immediate benefits, especially now that I was smirking about getting rid of that annoying Pierre pest. We talked our way through the early roundabouts and merging lanes so as to become familiar with reversed layout and traffic flow. It’s certainly harder to adapt to this in Europe compared to the USA because they don’t drive as carefully as the Americans or have such big roads. Many of the French roundabouts have seven or eight exits which makes it a bit tricky if you’re not concentrating – you’re already at the exit just before the GPS catches up. And one voice in the car telling me off is quite sufficient. A bit of light rain hadn’t helped the situation but it was far more relaxing on a straight motorway where changing roads wasn’t necessary. Even Bruce went quiet and relaxed. I decided I could get used to this guy. Our first destination was the city of Reims and we arrived before noon. We parked and had a light lunch whilst the rain persisted. Across the road is the Town Hall: Town Hall, Reims Reims is in the Champagne-Ardenne region, 130km (80 mile) north-east of Paris. It has immense historical importance because Reims Cathedral is the place where French kings had their coronations. It’s the equivalent of England’s Westminster Abbey. Reims traces its name back to around 80BC where it was inhabited by the Remi tribe, allied to the Romans. In 406 the city was captured by the Vandals, an East Germanic tribe that was quite barbaric but perhaps not enough to have their name used exclusively nowadays to describe anyone who inflicts senseless damage. Poor Reims suffered even worse 45 years later when a nasty chap named Attila the Hun invaded the city of Metz to the east and then advanced on Reims, destroying whatever he could. After this tour of looting and wrecking cities in Gaul, Attila must’ve decided that he preferred pizzas to soufflés because he went on to plunder Italy the following year. Incidentally, that’s how Venice was founded – people from north-eastern Italy escaped Attila by making their way out to the islands in the Venetian Lagoon and setting up homes there. So maybe Venice wouldn’t even be the prominent city with plumbing problems that we see today, had Reims been capable of subduing Attila. Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims Fast forwarding to 496AD, we encounter an important guy called Clovis, king of the Franks. No, this wasn’t the owner of Gaul’s major hotdog franchise; he was the first king to rule as a single monarch instead of the previous system of group leadership via royal chieftains. Despite being absolute conqueror of the region, Clovis converted to become a Catholic due to the insistence of a far more powerful and terrifying figure: Mrs Clovis. And that’s what he was doing at Reims on Christmas Day, 496AD. Straight after opening the presents under the tree, Clovis pushed his way past the carol singers, went down to the local church and got himself baptised as a Catholic. It’s amazing what guys will do to stop the nagging. Being a trend setter, Clovis I became the first of a long run of French kings to have a connection with Reims - that’s why they chose that city to conduct future coronations. And think for a moment about the names of most (18) of those kings – the name ‘Louis’ was actually derived from ‘Clovis’ (probably pronounced ‘Clue-wee’). The name itself is derived from the Germanic name we know as ‘Ludwig’. You can actually take a look at ol’ Clovis I if you want to. Well, sort of; it’s really just his effigy atop his tomb at Saint Denis Basilica in Paris (which we visited at the end of our tour). Here’s what he looked like: Effigy & tomb of Clovis I, Saint Denis Basilica, Paris Like many regional cities in France, the biggest attraction in Reims is the local cathedral. It’s typically very large and Gothic, and one of many we visited on this trip. To me, the spiritual purpose of a cathedral is less significant than its historic and architectural aspects and they fascinate me. Poor Mrs Oz eventually got a bit ‘cathedralled out’, as she phrased it, but still let me bask in the rich history oozing from each one. Let’s advance a few centuries to when the Hundred Years War began. For starters, we can conclude that mathematics wasn’t a major subject in schools those days because the war actually lasted 117 years. It was primarily an English-French dispute over land and kingdoms, resulting in England losing most of its territory in France. And a major factor in this was a girl from Orleans named Joan of Arc. I’ll have a bit more to say about Joan later as we encounter her presence a few times on this tour. But Reims Cathedral was the scene of one of her big accomplishments – it was here in 1429 that her king, Charles VII was crowned in a ceremony that had been delayed for more than six years because the English had occupied the region. Joan attended at the altar as a reward for her actions in recapturing territory and repelling the foreign invaders. Reims altar (where Joan of Arc stood with King Charles VII at his coronation) There’s a statue of Joan just outside the cathedral. Statue of Joan of Arc, Reims After leaving the cathedral we went back to our car and drove out of Reims. The rain had eased a little as we headed east along the motorway. For anybody contemplating a self-drive tour of Western Europe, I’d remind you of the need to budget for road tolls. We only encountered these on regional roads in France, and they’re only a few euros each time, but they sure add up. I had allowed for these in my budget so there was no surprise element, but there’s a feeling that you’re constantly stopping and reaching into your pockets. I kept a tally of our costs for this trip which I’ll summarise at the end. Our rough itinerary had us heading east all day and probably spending the night in the city of Metz. We’ve now entered the Lorraine region of France, famous for its Quiche Lorraine and the Lorraine Cross which was carried into the Crusades by the Knights Templar. We will encounter this cross in a big way later on our tour. And Lorraine was also the birthplace of Joan of Arc – she was born at Domrémy, not Orleans as many people believe. And of course, Lorraine also featured in a famous song by Creedence Clearwater Revival: “ I can see Claire cos now Lorraine has gone”. ♪♫ We took the exit from the motorway and drove into the city of Metz, looking for a parking spot. I was keen to see how much of Metz had been spared by Attila the Hun and the good news is that there’s plenty there, all rebuilt and expanded after Attila became preoccupied with picking fights with the Italians. My guess is that he decided to attack them after hearing his GPS device greet him with ‘Bongiorno’ and started arguing with him like mine did. Arriving in the late afternoon we had considered staying the night here and decided to secure a hotel before exploring the city. Mrs Oz noticed an Ibis Hotel sign so we walked in to ask what the room rates were. We had previously stayed at Ibis hotels in Europe and found them to be reasonably priced and clean. At €95 per night, this was spot on what I had allowed in my budget and it proved to be a comfortable stay and a good location. And we got free WiFi. After checking in and dumping our cases, we soon walked out to explore the city. Metz is a very old city, dating back 3,000 years when it was populated by various tribes. It’s the capital of the Lorraine region and is situated where the Moselle and Seille Rivers meet. These rivers form several canals and islands which make it a pretty city. One of the oldest churches in Europe stands in Metz, built in 4AD. Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains; Metz However, the most imposing building in Metz is undoubtedly Metz Cathedral. The Gothic Saint-Étienne de Metz (Saint-Stephen) is quite tall, with the 11th highest nave in the world. That gives it very high stained glass windows, in fact the largest glass surface of any cathedral in the world. The cathedral was built over the shrine of Saint Stephen, the only structure left standing in Metz after Attila and his Huns wrecked the city in 451AD. Metz Cathedral We walked back to our hotel, buying some dinner on the way. It was good to get back to the hotel room and to relax. It had been an incredibly long journey since leaving home; in fact 42 hours non-stop of airports, flying, driving in another country, getting into a fight with the GPS (Global Pest System) and walking around two cities. After using WiFi to check news, emails and a thousand of Mrs Oz’s Facebook friends, we deserved a good sleep. Moselle Canal, Metz Distance travelled: Paris to Reims 152 km; Reims to Metz 192 km. * * Not counting the kms getting lost
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Post by 1jhwks on Feb 28, 2015 16:38:23 GMT
Wow! An independent tour in Europe! That is on my bucket list: if money and time weren't limited, I'd like to spend at least a month in each country! Can't wait for the rest!
I have gone on a couple of trips where we didn't book hotels in advance. That was before we started doing guided tours. A friend and I went to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in July 2002. Could've sworn everyone else was on vacation there because there were no rooms on PEI. After that trip, I said never do that again.
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Post by californian on Feb 28, 2015 17:13:05 GMT
Delightful! Loved your first installment, I see that you have not lost your comedic writing skills! (I have named my GPS lady Maggie and cursed her a few times as well, so be careful, because she took her revenge and made pay a 25 dls fine for getting me into a toll road entrance, grrrr, hope your Bruce has a more forgiving disposition. Looking forward to the rest)
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Post by purvis on Feb 28, 2015 19:12:06 GMT
Oz: Love your travel tale. Looking forward to reading the next instalments. I'm not too sure I wouldn't have freaked out seeing the plane heading towards the Indian Ocean rather than Paris . Would love to do an independent tour of France but not that brave. Purvis
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Post by sylvana on Feb 28, 2015 23:17:12 GMT
So enjoying your tale so far, love the photos'. Look forward to reading the next installment.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 1, 2015 9:44:37 GMT
On the next instalment.....
..... We leave France and arrive at the most beautiful balcony in the world...
..... An encounter with a Grand Duke...
..... Breakfast, lunch and dinner in three different countries.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 2, 2015 0:03:12 GMT
Day 2 – Metz to Luxembourg & Belgium
Next morning we awoke to an overcast day and our room faced the Moselle River that had ducks on it. If the river had been made of real Moselle wine I bet those ducks would’ve been floating upside-down. We rarely pay extra for breakfast at hotels, preferring to look for cheaper options at nearby cafes, and giving an opportunity to wander the streets and take in more sights. There wasn’t much around but we did manage to get some croque-monsieur and coffees across the river, before returning to the hotel and checking out. Taking the A31 motorway, we followed the Moselle River north along the Lorraine countryside through the north-west corner of France. After 30 minutes of driving we crossed the border and entered Luxembourg and said goodbye to France – although we’d be back in a couple of weeks for more serious exploration. Just 20km to the east is the town of Schengen where France, Germany and Luxembourg meet. Here in 1985 aboard a riverboat on the Moselle River an important agreement was signed, leading to the abolition of border controls throughout most of Europe. Other than the Luxembourg sign, nothing really indicates you’re in another country and we continued north toward the capital, Luxembourg City. Just 65km and an hour’s drive from Metz, we arrive at our destination. Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe (less than 1,000 square miles) and there are only 15 smaller countries in the world (mainly tropical island nations). Most of Luxembourg is 1,000 feet above sea level so I suppose being both small and high makes Luxembourg feeling a bit like Janis Joplin. From Luxembourg City, Belgium lies just 18km (11 miles) to the west; France is 13km to the south; and Germany is 18km to the east. Instead of using the phone to talk to anyone in adjoining countries you only have to shout. The country is comprised of two main regions: the southern region is called Gutland, meaning ‘good country’. The northern region is called Oesling which means ‘crap country’. Oops, no it doesn’t; it’s actually quite nice with rolling hills, valleys and forests. And they’re trilingual here with three official languages of French, German and Luxembourgish. I was planning to learn some basic Luxembourgish until I discovered that there are nine different ways to pronounce the letter G. Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy, but headed by a Duke. Grand Duchies were quite fashionable in Europe over the past 500 years but Luxembourg is now the only Grand Duchy remaining in the world. It’s also one of the wealthiest countries - Luxembourg’s per-capita GDP is the world’s second highest. That’s probably why we couldn’t find a decent parking spot with all the snazzy cars here. We drove around for ages (about halfway to Germany) until we parked, then walked a kilometre to the city centre. Place d' Armes, Luxembourg City Following a light lunch in the central shopping precinct whilst the rain fell, we headed down a few streets, following my map. Through Place Guillaume II and down to the end of Rue de la Reine, we arrived at what I had been looking for: the Grand Ducal Palace. But I didn’t expect the welcoming crowd milling around and soon I found out why: all cars and pedestrian movements were halted by police because the Grand Duke Henri himself was about to depart the palace by car. That was a nice touch by the good ol’ Duke to time his appearance for exactly when we arrived after a 16,000km journey from home – but he could have had the manners to at least wave at us. I decided to let him off this time. Grand Duke's Palace, Luxembourg City I told Mrs Oz that I had a surprise in store, although as I had conducted all the research for this trip, she was pretty much getting surprised with plenty of things we were seeing. Following my map, we headed toward the Chemin de la Corniche which was my main priority destination in Luxembourg. And soon we were standing, looking at the Bock. This is a rocky outcrop where a huge fortification was built a thousand years ago by Count Siegfried, effectively creating Luxembourg. Over the centuries the fortress was much sought after as a strategic defensive position and it was constantly attacked and rebuilt. Its walls were so impenetrable that it got the nickname “Gibraltar of the North”. However, in 1867 war almost broke out between Prussia, France, Belgium and the Netherlands due to Luxembourg’s fortress (that everyone wanted) and a treaty was signed in London to guarantee Luxembourg’s neutrality. Peace was threatened by the existence of this strategic structure (sort of a ‘weapon of mass obstruction’), so to remove it from the equation, the Bock fortress had to be dismantled – and the ruins are what we now see today. The Bock Still remaining are the underground tunnels and passages (23km all up) but we don’t plan to explore them. Instead, we basked in the view in front of us, and what has been described as the prettiest balcony in the world. And it sure is splendid: down in the ravine is the Grund Quarter, delineated by the Alzette River. And it looks far better in real life than any photo can portray. Chemin de la Corniche; looking down the Luxembourg ravine to the Grund area. We walked all the way along the cliff face before returning to the streets of Luxembourg City and further sightseeing. Place de la Constitution, looking toward Adolphe Bridge After browsing around we returned to our car. The motorway took us quickly out of the city and we were soon crossing the Belgian border and headed toward the eastern city of Liège where we planned to stay the night. Satisfied with our hotel in Metz, we had collected an Ibis Hotel directory which showed all their addresses throughout Europe and we decided to continue using them. There are two Ibis hotels in Liège, the cheaper one being in the nearby town of Seraing and our GPS led the way, although it did get a little confused with the hotel being hidden behind commercial properties and set well back from the main road. It was late afternoon when we checked in and paid only €69 for the night (room only, including WiFi). We had enough driving and sightseeing for the day and decided to walk around the area to locate a suitable place for dinner. Seraing is a commercial precinct and quite ugly. This was the centre of Belgium’s industrial revolution and the rusty steel plants and factories are a glaring reminder. England’s John Cockerill built the steelworks in 1817, as well as other factories and is considered to be the founder of Belgium’s manufacturing industry. He built Europe’s first steam locomotive, rail lines, blast furnaces and steamships. All was going well until 1839 when military pressures between the Netherlands and Belgium affected the banking industry and in turn, Cockerill’s debt-laden manufacturing businesses. In 1840 he travelled to St Petersburg, seeking business assistance from Tsar Nicholas I, but contracted typhoid on the way home, dying in Warsaw at the age of 50. His body was brought back to Seraing where it was interred outside the town hall. Statue and grave of John Cockerill; Hotel de Ville (Town Hall); Seraing. So, breakfast in France, lunch in Luxembourg and now dinner in Belgium - we sure got around a bit today. Dinner options weren’t plentiful in this area so we opted for a pizza/pasta restaurant before returning to our room to check emails, Mrs Oz’s Facebook etc. – but it’s the middle of the night back home. Our look at Liège will have to wait until the morning. Distance travelled: Metz to Liège/Seraing 230 km.
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Post by chech on Mar 2, 2015 2:43:14 GMT
Small and high.... Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahhahahahahhaha!!
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 2, 2015 10:06:17 GMT
Tomorrow we visit the second-oldest river on the planet... Look in awe at the most spectacular square in the world.... And are relieved to see plenty of waterworks...
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Post by tiffany on Mar 2, 2015 12:55:57 GMT
I have a few family members who travel independently through Europe quite regularly, and they love it. I’d be willing to try independent travel sometime, provided I had someone to travel with me. it’s not something I’d want to do on my own though. I like the company a tour group provides, but there’s something to be said about going where you want when you want, which makes independent travel appealing.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 2, 2015 23:19:21 GMT
I agree Tiffany; this sort of touring is best when you have somebody to go with you. You need to be aware of a lot of things and it'd be a bit daunting doing it solo. We were constantly talking our way through just about everything, especially the driving/navigation and deciding what we wanted to look at next.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 3, 2015 0:08:25 GMT
Day 3 – Liège to BrusselsJust near the hotel was a supermarket and that’s where we walked to get our breakfast: croissants and yoghurt, which we ate back in our hotel room. This morning we planned to drive into Liège to look around and it’s only a short distance of 9km. But that didn’t include looking for a parking spot, which was notoriously difficult. We ended up parking the car a long way from the city centre and decided that in future we would simply have to pay for a parking station at future destinations, rather than waste time. Liège is not really a tourist city as it continues as an industrial centre and is the third largest river port in Europe. But if you look around a bit you do find some worthy attractions. The city dates back well before 558AD when they modified an old Roman villa into a chapel. In 705 Bishop Lambert (later Saint Lambert) was transferred here, only to be murdered by an opposing family. In keeping with European tradition, a shrine was built and miracles suddenly began to happen. This boosted the pilgrim trade, including a visit by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne – you can see his statue near the corner of Boulevards d’Avroy and Piercot. In 1914 Liège became the site of the first battle in World War I with 25,000 casualties. It also was the first city to endure aerial bombing (from Germany’s Zeppelin airships). Twelve days of Belgian resistance delayed the German advance, allowing France to properly prepare its own defences. Grateful France later awarded the Legion d’Honneur to the city of Liège and renamed its popular icecream dessert to Café Liégeois. We walked around several streets and along the River Meuse (the second oldest river in the world after Australia’s Finke River). Meuse River, Liège Liège is one of those cities that doesn’t immediately look interesting or pretty – you have to get in there to peel back a few layers until you can appreciate what’s under the surface. For example, Saint Gérard Church is the former ‘church of the barefooted carmes’ and with a very prominent baroque facade. The Perron is a fountain and Liège’s most famous monument, representing liberties. In 1447 it was shifted to Bruges by Charles the Bold (also known as Charles the Reckless) but was shifted back to Liège 30 years later by his daughter. So why did he get the name ‘Charles the Reckless’? It’s just a wild guess, but the early signs appeared when he got married at seven years of age. Can you imagine having a 24 year old mother-in-law nagging you to pick your toys up? And from a typically male perspective, that sure is a damn long time to wait for puberty to kick in. Maybe ‘Charles the Impatient’ would have been a better tag. Perron Fountain, Liège Near the fountain is the imposing Palais des Princes-Eveques - the Palace of the Princes-Bishops. It's now used as municipal offices and the department of justice. I would have liked to have spent a little more time in Liège because there was more to see, even if it meant delving into it a bit. It’s a city with a lot of history and not a destination on regular guided tours – that’s why a self-tour can take you to places you’d otherwise never see. But we had to keep moving so we had a quick lunch (baguettes & ham) and we were soon onto the A3 motorway and heading toward the capital, Brussels, 100km to the west. Brussels began as a chapel and settlement on swamp land 1300 years ago – hence the name Broucsella (‘Bruoc’ = marsh; ‘sella’ = dwelling). As it grew, Brussels became a major commercial centre with cloth-manufacture being one of the major industries by the 15th century. As the motorway swept us into the city I scanned the area for landmarks. Alas, there was no monument of a Brussels Sprout, despite them being grown here for at least 800 years. Our first priority was to secure our accommodation so we headed for the Ibis Hotel in the St Catherine area. I went in and asked about room availability and parking and was told I could park at the multi-storey carpark around the corner, which we did. Upon checking in, we learned that rooms were going fast due to the next day being a public holiday, so we decided to in future reserve hotel rooms a day ahead. We paid for two nights here (€91 per night) as we’d need a full day tomorrow exploring this large city. Again, this included free WiFi but not breakfast. The carpark cost €29 for staying nearly 30 hours but it was convenient and the car was secure. Our window looked out directly onto St Catherine’s church so we went out to have a look at it and the surrounding area. The church was closed so we walked around it. Imagine our surprise when we saw a urinal built against the north-west wall. This must be the only church in the world that encourages men to pee on it in public so I suggested to Mrs Oz that I give it a try. She wasn’t very keen on that idea as she thought it was a bit tacky. I reconsidered the idea anyway because whilst users have their back to the road, there’s absolutely no privacy and it’s obvious what they’re doing. But the main reason was that I was already empty. Next time I shall plan better. St Catherine’s Church, Brussels You wouldn’t have any idea when you look at this area as it is now, but it was once a busy port when the Senne River flowed here. It was therefore a very important transport hub to bring goods into and out of the thriving commercial city. Eventually the river silted up and was eventually built over so it now runs underneath most of central Brussels. Walking south, we arrived at Place de Bourse where the huge stock exchange building is most prominent. We can’t enter but the facade is spectacular with sculptures, some of which were carved by Rodin when he was a young apprentice. Bourse, Brussels Further south, and following my map, I had another surprise for Mrs Oz. Taking her by the hand I led her through a narrow alley and into one of the most stunning sights we have ever seen: The Grand Place. She gasped as the scene unfolded in front of her – this was without doubt the most spectacular city square we’ve ever encountered, and the most hidden. As she leaves all the research to me, she had no idea that this place existed, and for me, it far surpassed any photos I’d seen beforehand. Grand Place – or as the Dutch call it, Grote Markt, is aptly named. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this large square is flanked by two prominent buildings: Town Hall and the Breadhouse (Maison du Roi) containing the museum. And filling the rest of the flanks are antique guildhalls, ornate and flashy, built in baroque style. It’s almost too much to take in all at once and we did what every other tourist does the first time they see it: just gawk. The Town Hall was the first major building here and it reflected the power that the city had. Bristling at this, the Duke of Brabant built his ‘King’s House’ directly opposite although locals named it the ‘Breadhouse’ following the market that previously occupied the site. No king ever resided there. The powerful guilds then constructed buildings for their respective trades such as butchers, haberdashers, cabinet makers, bakers, and archers. If you walk down a lane (Rue Charles Buls) alongside the town hall, you can see a statue of a corpse. This is Everard t’Serclaes, a local who repelled invaders in 1356, only to be assassinated a couple of years later. Tourists rub the statue’s arm for good luck, although it seems to me that this guy never had any. After spending some time taking in the opulence of Grand Place, we walked south until we arrived at Manneken Pis, the iconic statue of a little boy who is portrayed having a.... err, he’s taking a ..... err.... well let’s just say that he’s obviously relieved. The statue is actually quite small and the most remarkable thing about it is the size of the crowds that assemble here to see and photograph it. Just like I did. Manneken Pis It was now dinner time so we walked back to the hotels, passing countless stores that sold waffles, chocolate and beers. All were enticing, but a mental calorie count stopped us from buying. There was a takeaway restaurant near the hotel where we ordered a meal and took it back to our room to have with a bottle of wine we’d bought at a supermarket in Liège. We had packed two plastic wine glasses from home for this very purpose, and having a car we were able to carry any partially consumed bottles upright whilst on this holiday. After dinner we decided to head back to Grand Place to see what it looked like at night. If there’s one thing that can surpass Grand Place, it’d have to be Grand Place at night. We were totally captivated by this incredible attraction which was voted the most beautiful square in Europe. But now it was 10pm, so we returned to our hotel and Mrs Oz checked emails etc while I consulted my maps to plan the next day. Distance travelled: Liège to Brussels 100 km.
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Post by californian on Mar 3, 2015 3:56:20 GMT
I was 5 or 6 when my father bought an Encyclopedia, a picture that stuck in my mind was one of the Grand Place, I though it was just so grand and I could not even dream of seeing the place one day, well, many, many. many years later I made it to Brussels, and saw the Grand Place covered with a carpet of flowers in top of everything! Enjoying the tale and envying you and Mrs. Oz.
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Post by bet on Mar 3, 2015 5:38:30 GMT
Great Photos and a great read Oz T. Independent travel definately has its advantages & disadvantages. Most times I've bought a rail pass as I'm definately not brave enough to have a driving holiday, especially when it means driving on the opposite side. Ive read a lot of mixed reviews on Brussels but from your photos it looks quite nice.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 3, 2015 9:12:24 GMT
I've seen photos of Grand Place carpeted with flowers, Californian. Absolutely spectacular! You timed your visit perfectly.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 3, 2015 9:14:24 GMT
We actually managed well with driving on the right-hand side, Bet. We just kept talking our way through each part and it's actually easier when there's plenty of traffic around.
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Post by purvis on Mar 3, 2015 17:12:02 GMT
OZ: I have seen some beautiful places in Europe but agree with you that the Square in Brussels is the most spectacular of all. My son and I spent several hours just looking at the beautiful buildings and people watching from a café in the square. We managed on our second day in Brussels to go to the art museum which was exceptional . This building had an elevator outfitted with plush carpeting and lovely plush benches to sit on. The whole experience of this building was unforgettable. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. Looking forward to your next installment Purvi
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Post by tiffany on Mar 3, 2015 18:31:08 GMT
Great pictures Oz, especially of the Grand Place at night. I hope to get to Brussels someday just to see it!
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 3, 2015 19:16:09 GMT
Brussels certainly had plenty of surprises for me, but I had a basic knowledge of the city, having done the research. Imagine Mrs Oz, who had absolutely no background info at all? It was very entertaining seeing her reaction to sights such as Grand Place and Luxembourg City's Chemin de la Corniche ravine.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 4, 2015 0:56:38 GMT
Day 4 – Brussels sightseeing
We awoke to a nice looking day and Mrs Oz raced me to the bathroom. I hinted that if she didn’t hurry I’d have to avail myself of the facility on the wall of the church outside and that seemed to hurry her. It was nice to be able to leave the hotel this morning without checking out and driving anywhere. We walked down the street and found a place to have breakfast whilst watching Brussels come to life for another day. I laid out my map and explained how we would be walking several kilometres today if we were to see everything. That was fine: we love walking. We set off, heading south-east down Rue Grétry, our first destination: the cathedral at Treurenberg Hill. Technically, it’s called the Cathédral des Sts-Michel & Gudula, after the two patron saints of Brussels. The site dates back to a chapel in the 9th century. Cathédral des Sts-Michel & Gudula Walking east we came to Parc de Bruxelles, a large park with plenty of welcome greenery. Just across the road on the northern edge is the Palace of the Nation, home to the Belgian Parliament. Belgian Parliament, Brussels. It commenced legislative activities in 1830, the year Belgium separated from the Netherlands via the Belgian Revolution. Before then, most of Belgium formed part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (with France occupying some of the southern region). The Dutch king, William I was autocratic and soon alienated the southerners who thought he was a tyrant. The economic and political situation worsened to the point of revolution which led to the creation of an independent Belgium, with a new king, Leopold I. Inside Brussels Park we walked straight down the middle until it terminated at the Belgian Royal Palace, a sprawling construction used for state ceremonies etc. The royal family actually lives on the outskirts of Brussels so we didn’t bother dropping in for a coffee and chat. Belgian Royal Palace Nearby is Royal Square, with two notable landmarks. The first is the church, Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg and in front of it is the equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey was a medieval Frankish knight, a joint leader in the First Crusade in 1096. After capturing the city in 1099 he became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and some exaggerated accounts have since turned him into a legend. Statue of Godfrey of Bouillon Walking east, we came to Boulevard de Regent and another equestrian statue: Leopold II, the second and longest reigning king of the Belgians. He’s mostly remembered for colonising the Congo in Africa, using explorer Henry Stanley (of “Dr Livingstone, I presume” fame) to assist. It turned out to be a huge scandal – Leo pretended to be helping the native population on humanitarian grounds but really exploited the place for its minerals, rubber and ivory. The abuse (including chopping the hands off workers if they didn’t meet work standards) and slavery of the natives was appalling, with millions of them dying until the Belgian government eventually seized control away from Leopold. I can’t believe they still have a statue of this guy – I suspect that they’ve downplayed the Congo atrocities and considered Leo’s legacy of public works and buildings (all funded from the Congo profits). Continuing our walk eastward, we crossed the large road Boulevard du Régent and made our way down Rue du Luxembourg toward Luxembourg Square. Here we again encounter John Cockerill by way of his statue, leaning on an anvil and surrounded by four factory workers. He’s a long way from his beloved Liège, but still immensely popular – especially with the pigeons. John Cockerill statue The building behind the statue is what remains of the Brussels-Luxembourg railway station, most of it now rebuilt underground. And behind Luxembourg Square is the Espace Léopold (once the site of the Leopold Brewery) where the modern European Parliament building now sits. The perfect photo spot is where you can align the statue with the curvatures of the station and parliament –as was intended by the designers. The parliament wasn’t in session so I had to postpone dropping in to ask the politicians about when they plan to excommunicate Greece from their club. A brief visit to a mini-mart and we purchased some food: two baguettes and a pack of chicken slices. We walked to a park bench and ate our €2.84 lunch. We sure know how to eat cheap on our own walking tours. On the way back into the centre of Brussels we detoured to see the Palais de Justice (law courts). Nearby is the Sablon area with the distinctive gothic church, Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon on Rue de la Régence. It dates back to the 1400s and is worth an inside look. The wealthy German Thurn und Taxis Family built the two baroque chapels. In the 1500s Sablon was the home of aristocrats and the richest citizens of Brussels. Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon On the opposite corner is the site where the Thurn und Taxis Family residence once stood. This nobility family founded the world’s first international postal service in 1516. Just near here is a park named Place du Petit Sablon, a small park with interesting statues of past-era tradesmen/professionals. The most notable feature is a central fountain with the statues of Count Egmont and Count Horne on top. These two men protested against the Spanish Inquisition and Spanish rule in the Netherlands (Belgium was part of the Netherlands then). King Phillip II sent his army to Brussels whereupon they arrested Egmont and Horne, and imprisoned them in Ghent. In June 1568 they were taken to the King’s House in Grand Place and next day beheaded in front of the building. The executions backfired on King Phillip – public anger fuelled a national revolt against Spanish rule, starting the Eighty Years’ War that finally produced an independent Netherlands. The fountain we see here was originally located at the place of execution in Grand Place and later relocated to this park. Statue of Egmont and Horne, Place du Petit Sablon Heading back toward the Marolles district of Brussels our next stop was another church: Notre-Dame de la Chapelle (Chapel Church). It dates back to 1134 and is the oldest church still standing in Brussels. Just outside is a busy food stall Friture Pitta de la Chapelle where we purchased French fries served in a novel cardboard receptacle with a little scoop to hold mayonnaise or other condiments for dipping. We’re nearly back to our hotel now and we stopped by to have another look at our little urinating buddy, Manneken Pis. But he’d changed since yesterday and was now wearing clothes and a hat with a feather. Local volunteers regularly dress the little guy in costumes so you never quite know what you’ll be seeing, apart from an endless stream of water. This fellow sure must have a gigantic bladder and I couldn’t help remarking that the flow came entirely from his Brussels Spout. Not far from here is another statue, with a similar theme but with a canine twist. You can find Zinneke the dog on the corner of Rue de Vieux Marché aux Grains and Rue des Chartreux in the Fashion District. And in case you’re wondering, this is a rather dry version of what young Manneken was doing. Zinneke We stopped at a coffee shop for a rest before returning to our hotel. Mrs Oz spent time communicating to family and friends while I consulted my guidebooks to plan for the evening and next day. For dinner we headed toward the Grand Place area and I detoured down a small lane amongst the cafés (Impasse de la Fidélité) with Mrs Oz wondering where we were headed. It was a bit hidden away but I found it anyway: Jeanneke Pis. She seems to be Manneken’s little sister and is obviously afflicted with the same genetic disorder of a perpetually full bladder. Jeanneke Pis What is it with these Brusselians Brusselonians Bruswegians people from Brussels? We’ve been here just 24 hours and we’ve seen boys peeing, girls peeing, dogs peeing, gift shops with plastic souvenirs of all of them peeing, and a church wall inviting men to pee on it in public. There must be something in their water, if you excuse the expression. I wondered whether poor ol’ Count Egmont had any idea what he’d actually sacrificed himself for here. Flushed with this experience, we wandered through the maze of cafés, all with outdoor tables, being coaxed inside each by waiters. We settled on one and sat down to a nice three-course dinner that cost an equally nice total of just €25. Completing our last evening in Brussels, we walked back to the hotel, comforted in the thought that there was no sign of more urinating statues en-route. There’s no point worsening a full bladder with such images before you can get to your room. Sleep beckoned. We had a bit of driving next day as we were headed for The Netherlands.
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Post by Oz-T on Mar 4, 2015 22:31:03 GMT
Day 5 – Brussels to Wezep (Netherlands)
One of the good things about a self-tour is the ability to be more casual about your itinerary. With only 250km to travel, it was only going to be three hours of driving, mainly on motorways and we were in no particular hurry because check-in time was supposed to be 4pm. So when we woke we took our time, checking emails etc before wandering out into a pleasant Brussels morning and finding a place to eat breakfast. We returned to the hotel, finished packing our small cases, checked out at 10am and walked around the corner to the carpark. It was great having a day off from the driving, but today we’re back into it and listening to Bruce the GPS as he guided us out of the city. Yes, this was getting easier as we went: Mrs Oz was driving as well as the Europeans now; actually better because she wasn’t hurtling through roundabouts at 100kmh. And as passenger/navigator, I was getting to play with the SatNav device a bit more, learning new features. Heading north along the A12 we were travelling briskly toward Antwerp – and being passed by everyone else who considered 130kmh an appropriate speed to travel. The city of Antwerp has a sort of ring road system that avoided the central area and we were soon crossing the Dutch border. A glance at the side of the road confirmed that we were indeed in the Netherlands. After stopping for fuel and a sandwich lunch, the motorway network took us north to the city of Utrecht and then around it. We didn’t stop for a look but this was the most important Dutch city until the 1600s when the Golden Age pushed Amsterdam ahead. This magnificent century had the Netherlands at the forefront of many achievements. Science and philosophy flourished with people like Rene Descartes and Anton van Leeuwenhoek. So did art with Frans Hals and Rembrandt. Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand and Tasmania. The Dutch East India company funded explorations that mapped most of New Holland (Australia) and they pursued the spice trade, basing themselves in Jakarta, Indonesia. They also extended their reach into North America with New Amsterdam (later renamed New York when the English seized it) and a colony was established. Dutch power grew with widespread trade and commerce, along with shipping fleets. Without doubt, the Netherlands was the most exciting place to be in the world in the 16th century. It was really buzzing. Well, not quite everywhere. With the primary religion being Calvinist Protestant, most of the power was vested in places like Amsterdam in Holland, instead of Catholic Utrecht. It’s probably a good time to clarify what the terms ‘Holland‘and ‘Netherlands’ refer to, because they’re not the same. Holland only refers to the western section of the Netherlands, as seen on this map: The yellow part is Holland and the remainder to the right is the rest of The Netherlands. So Holland is part of the Netherlands, but the Netherlands isn’t Holland. The Dutch understand this quite well, but the rest of us sometimes get confused. It’s very similar to how many people refer to the United Kingdom as ‘England’ when it’s really more than that. Look at a travel brochure from Trafalgar or Globus and you’ll see tours called ‘Holland, Belgium & Luxembourg’ despite them venturing beyond Holland and into the wider Netherlands. The name ‘Holland’ derives from the Dutch term ‘Holtland’, meaning ‘wooded land’, although a misconception does exist that it came from ‘hollow land’, describing the low-lying geography of the region. The name Netherlands derives from Nederlands, meaning ‘low countries’. Geographically, this would include Belgium and Luxembourg as all three countries form part of this relatively flat terrain, with about half of the Netherlands country below sea level, or only a metre above it. Following the Eighty Year’s War and the removal of the Spaniards the Netherlands basically comprised the Benelux countries. Then the southern part achieved independence in 1830 to become Belgium. Sixty years later Luxembourg also broke away, following the death of King William III and no male heir to retain the regal connection. The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy, with Willem-Alexander as king (following the abdication of Queen Beatrix in 2013). We passed Utrecht as we made our way north-east toward Wezep, a tiny town in central Netherlands, where we will be staying for the next week. So why Wezep, a place that few international tourists have ever heard of? Low cost was the primary issue: there’s a nearby timeshare resort (in USA you’d call this a country club) and staying there cost us a mere $300 for the entire week. When you factor in other things such as a full kitchen so we could get back to home-cooked meals that were much cheaper than eating out, we jumped at the resort idea. The only negative was that we’d have quite a bit of driving to get to Amsterdam etc but that wasn’t too big a deal if we planned our days efficiently. By 3pm we had turned off the motorway near Wezep and heading down some narrow country roads until we arrived at our destination: Landgoed ‘t Loo. This resort is large (50 hectares or 124 acres) and with 365 two-storey dwellings surrounding a lake and various amenities, it’s absolutely magnificent. The carpark was almost full when we arrived, but that was due to it being a weekend, and the place became almost deserted by Sunday night. We walked to the reception area, checked in early, and then walked to our accommodation. What a nice place this was. Each unit was ideally separated from others by a suitable bit of space and everything is surrounded by lush green forest. The ground floor had a main bedroom, bathroom, laundry, kitchen and living room. Upstairs were two more bedrooms and another bathroom, although we didn’t need any of that and only occupied the lower floor. And there's a certain feature of Dutch buildings that I simply have to mention: toilets. They're different. Instead of a simple bowl they have a sort of ledge that allows any deposits to sit upon so you can inspect them above water before you flush them away to obscurity. Why you would want to do this is never explained, but maybe it's because they don't have a lot of interesting TV programs. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised with this, considering the preoccupation that Brussels has with urine. As you would expect, I immediately saw the comedy potential in this: was there any rule that said you couldn't leave your specimen for others to be surprised with when they walk in and innocently lift the lid? I thought I'd better not; Mrs Oz has already suffered my sense of humour a lot over the years. We soon left to explore the grounds and quickly concluded that this was an ideal place for a family holiday – there were so many things to do and almost everyone had brought their own bicycles. And that’s one of the most obvious things about this country: the number of bikes. The Netherlands sits at the top of the handlebars in terms of bicycles per capita – for every 100 people there are 99 bikes. The resort reception area had a small general store for basic items but we drove a few kms to the supermarket in Wezep and purchased a supply of food items to get us through most of the week. Returning to our unit, we cooked a nice dinner that was most welcome after a few days of restaurant/takeaway meals. And the red wine was good too. Having WiFi access (for a fee) Mrs Oz set about checking in with family whilst I studied the maps in my capacity of travel coordinator, tour director and scapegoat if anything goes wrong. And I had just worked out something novel for the next day.
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Post by purvis on Mar 4, 2015 23:17:25 GMT
OZ: Your sense of humor makes your travel tale much more interesting however I do sympathize with Mrs. Oz. Am thoroughly enjoying the tale of your trip and as with Chech's can't wait to read the next instalment. Purvis
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