Still seeing Dutch

The day of my trip back was a very long day. I woke up at 5am Amsterdam time, and I went to bed after 8pm Pacific time. I was awake for 24 hours.

Checking out and getting to the airport via the big orange bus was pretty straightforward. So was the first leg of my journey.

At Dublin, they do the pre-screening for US-bound passengers. The customs form is automated now and, being short, I had to step back to get my face inside the green square for the machine to take my picture. The agent commented, "You have a long flight ahead of you, Eleanor." He was right.

I had the window seat in a two-seater row, thinking that it would be easier to get to the bathroom if I needed to, because I would only have to get past one neighbor. And, at the same time, I could get sleep since I'd be by the window. I was wrong on both counts.

My neighbor was a large man who had some mobility problems. Getting up was difficult for him, so I had to go to the bathroom when he did, so I wouldn't have to make him get up unnecessarily. And he took up both the middle armrest and some of my space, so his elbow poked my side, which startled me awake after only 5 or 10 minutes of sleep. After trying three times, I gave up on sleeping and watched movies instead.

I've been lucky that it didn't take long to get my checked-in luggage. Maybe because it's small. Uber didn't take long (yes, I got it working again). But rush-hour traffic had already started, so I quickly picked up my laptop and car at work and successfully stayed awake on the drive home.

Post-trip insights

I am still kinda in a post-travel daze. I still half-expect signs to have Dutch words in them. My night dreams are still about traveling and sightseeing. I still smell Europe.

1.
I'm glad I bought a cheapie phone from Amazon. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet was starting to act up, and I didn't want to get stranded without an Internet connection. I used it almost exclusively while I was there. Plus, its smaller size made my purse lighter. My data plan with T-Mobile worked fine in Europe without additional costs, except when I was in Luxembourg. I simply moved the sim from my tablet to the new phone.

The power bank was also a lifesaver. I used it almost everyday, both with the phone and with the LG 360 camera.

Google Maps is another lifesaver! It's more useful than paper maps or bus/train schedules. You need an online connection to get directions, however, but the maps themselves are downloaded to your phone so you'll always have that. If you get directions with it, it might even give you the platform where your train is, and that's incredibly useful if you're in a very large station, like the one in Antwerp. Tip: Save the places where you stay, the major train stations, and the sites you want to visit so it's easier to find them, even if you're offline.

2.
I wish I had more time to read about the areas I was going to visit before going there. But I'm glad I focused on just a few places to visit, because it can become overwhelming.

Surprisingly, for being non-religious, I'm still drawn to cathedrals and their beautiful details, inside and out. But it is also the paintings of Dutch masters and the Dutch ceramics that I drew me to these countries.

3.
This trip is not as emotionally charged as my trip to Spain two years ago. It's still emotionally charged, because I met old-time friends, but not as strongly, because I didn't meet lovers this time. Still, meeting online friends in person really changes the friendship and makes it deeper, more meaningful, even if you still don't get together much.

4.
This trip also doesn't feel as foreign, maybe because it's not as strong a culture-shock, since Dutch people speak English pretty well. And I have been mistaken as a local (maybe because of the blonde hair) until I talk back in English with my American accent.

5.
On my train ride from Luxembourg City back to Amsterdam. I noticed that the signs and announcements went from French near Luxembourg City to Dutch near Amsterdam. After several days, I've been able to figure out some of the Dutch words because, if you say them out loud, they sound very much like their English equivalents. I've always been interested in languages and these trips make them more interesting.

Vermeer's town

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).

Dutch Uber

I checked out of the Airbnb yesterday because of a bad smell in the room. My host was gracious enough to refund me the amount for the second night, regardless of the cancellation policy.

I used hotels.com to book a night at Best Western near the airport. And I summoned Uber for a ride there. I was standing at the bus stop on an island between two streets and watching his progress. When the app showed him being there, I realized he was in the small street behind me, expecting me to come out of one of the homes. He glanced at my direction and I waved like crazy.

There were large flower bushes between us so I went to the other end of the bus stop shelter where I saw an opening with the same red brick pavement as the bike lane. He also saw it, and, as I got there, he was driving his car into the sidewalk and through it.

I laughed and asked if that was allowed. He joked that that lane was specifically intended for taxis only.

The driver was a very friendly (and handsome) Dutchman, who had been driving with Uber for two years. It turns out that Uber drivers were regulated the same as taxi drivers. The only difference is that Uber is cheaper.

He asked if I always traveled alone, so we talked about the joys of traveling alone, which he also preferred. But he had not been outside Europe. And he hates airplanes because he's Dutch and Dutch people are tall, so, with the tight spaces in planes, long flights are very uncomfortable for him. So we talked about the benefits of having short legs. ;)

I couldn't check in yet, but the hotel didn't mind storing my luggage for me. And they had a free shuttle (a big orange bus) to Schiphol Plaza, which is the entrance to both the train station and the airport. So I saved €10 or more for the round-trip bus.

Jan's incarnation's town

During my MBA program, I realized that one of my closest friends Jan Marek looked a lot like the painter Jan Vermeer. See?

By Johannes Vermeer - The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH., Public Domain, Link

Yesterday, I visited Delft, Vermeer's hometown. As Rick Steves recommended in his book, I took the #40 bus from the train station to the Royal Delftware Manufactory. The bus drivers didn't know where it was, but when I pointed at it on the map, they knew which way to direct me. (Google Maps wouldn't give directions if you're offline and T-Mobile failed me again.)

The people working at the reception and the cafe of the factory were awesomely friendly. The young man who sold me the entrance ticket even waited for me to finish my tea before starting the video, which starts the tour.

The video had two parts, and the second part, which illustrated the process, was more interesting. The room had sample "biscuits" on trays and ovens with doors that opened and closed at the right times in conjunction with the video.

Workers spraying the biscuits.

I love ceramics and the different ways to decorate them, so I found a lot of inspiration. It wasn't all blue on white which Delft is known for. The factory also tried green on white, multicolored ones, and Delft noir. Although I love the traditional and more common Delft blue, the Delft noir is definitely a close second.

My favorite items on display, however, were the recreations of famous paintings of Dutch masters. And I had seen the originals just a few days ago! The recreations were monochromatic blue on white tiles.

The factory itself is smaller than I expected. There were products in different stages of work but there weren't many of each type/shape.

I stayed for lunch and had a tuna sandwich, which came with a salad. While enjoying my meal, I saw from the overhead display that there was a hop-on-hop-off shuttle that you could take to go to the other tourist sites and even the train station.

The same young man who sold me my entrance ticket also sold me a ticket for the shuttle. And there was one waiting right outside!

The shuttle is about the size of a big golf cart, that could seat about 6 people with the driver on the motorbike in front. It goes on the same lanes as the bicycles, and is very bouncy, so I highly recommend the seatbelts.

The driver showed me where to catch the shuttle again (a large blue glass heart sculpture) and where to go for the Vermeer museum and the old church. Then he dropped me off at the new church.

After all the churches I've seen, I still took a lot of pictures. Maybe one day I'll publish a photo book on cathedrals and churches, which might be kinda odd from someone who isn't religious. :)

The Vermeer museum had no originals, but it was nice to visit anyway, although a bit expensive. Like the Royal Delft, this too is inspirational to me.

Rick Steves said that there wasn't much in the old church but I still found some interesting details.

I didn't have enough time to go to the Prinsenhof Museum because the shuttle driver said that the last run is around 16:30 and it was already 16:00, so I walked back to the blue heart.

It turns out that I could use the QR code at the back of my Eurail Pass to get through the gates at the Delft train station. (So I didn't have to sneak out behind someone when I arrived at Delft in the morning. Shhh.)

Back at Schiphol Plaza, I bought a salad for dinner and croissants for breakfast, a bottle of water, and a couple more chocolate bars, which the cashier smiled about.

Then I waited for the big orange bus, checked into the hotel, and reclaimed my bags.

Switching my lodgings was a good decision. I was more comfortable and I slept better, although I woke up every hour or two after midnight, but that's related to not being able to sleep before a trip.

Back to Amsterdam

Hubbub in Bruxelles Nord

Since I first took a train in Amsterdam Centraal almost two weeks ago, I noticed soldiers in pairs around the station. I knew they were soldiers because they were wearing camouflage uniforms and carrying rifles. (The rifles were the big clue. ;) )

Well, being new here, I just thought that they used their military for policing. I grew up under martial law, so that wasn't unusual to me.

It was a few days later when I heard a public announcement as I was walking out of the station. It was in Dutch, I think,  but I could figure out that they canceled trains heading to Germany. That's when I realized why there were soldiers at the station.

Yesterday, as I boarded the train at Brussels, I asked a young lady nearby if we were on a first-class car.

I always seem to end up in a first class car, so the conductor sends me to another car after checking my Eurail Pass. Seriously, I cannot tell the difference between first class and second class, and the first class car is not necessarily the first car in the line either.

Anyway, the young lady figured that we were in the right car, then she asked me if I saw the incident in the platform at the front of the train. I didn't. I imagined that someone might have fallen into the tracks or something. But she said there was a woman who was wearing "something" and was surrounded by five or more soldiers. That explained why the young lady's boyfriend sounded concerned when they said goodbye as she boarded the train ahead of me.

La Bocca

In Amsterdam, the bus fare seemed unusually expensive to me: €5. Especially since we were just going to the other side of the airport. The bus driver then put the money in his shirt pocket which seemed even more suspicious.

Anyway, I found the Airbnb, dropped off my luggage and headed to the Italian restaurant, which my host recommended, a block or so away.

It was only 17:30, so I asked the waitress if they were already open. She said "in five minutes", but I was welcome to sit down. In less than five minutes, an older couple came in asking what time they opened. Then another couple. Then two men. Soon, the place was full.

I had the pasta with salmon, and I ordered tiramisu. While waiting for the main course, she served two small rolls with something tomato-y to eat with the bread. I think it had some ground meat in it and other veggies and spices. Whatever it was, it was very good. The pasta with salmon was surprisingly good. It seemed ordinary, but I couldn't stop eating. But I had to save room for the tiramisu! And that was heavenly! And a fairly large serving too. With two bottles of iced tea, it all came to €30.

Back at the Airbnb, I noticed a urine-like smell in the room. But I couldn't figure out where it came from. It wasn't from the bed as I initially thought. First, I asked my host to open the windows for me, because they seemed stuck. The smell didn't disappear. So I asked if he had another available room. He didn't.

He offered to give me a full refund if I wanted to go elsewhere, but it was already dark out. So I said I'd stay the night and see how it goes.

I slept for about four hours, alternating between opening the window for fresh air and closing it for warmth. I still smell it and the window has been open for a few hours. So I reserved a hotel for the second night.

The case of the raw duck and the missing creme brulee

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


Moien!

I finally learned how that was spelled from a sign on the window of a store. But I learned how to say it from our tour guide Loho yesterday. It's pronounced moh-yen. And it's how you say hello in Luxembourgese.

And to say thank you is merci, like French.

I woke up around 6am and went back to sleep. Then I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out my Facebook password and responding to messages. Well, some messages anyway.

It was already noon when I went out the door finally. I purchased a combo ticket for the Petrusse train tour and hop-on-hop-off bus for €20, but I had no way to print it out. So I just saved the pdf on my phone.

I went to the Place du Constitution and showed the pdf to the lady at the counter and she sent me to the Bock to catch the train.

It was a 10-minute walk, so, of course, I took more pictures along the way. I was already late for my 13:30 reservation for the train anyway.

The agent at the Bock sidewalk was smart enough to try to scan the QR code by doing it in the shade, so it worked. There weren't many people so I was able to slide back and forth between the left window and the right one for better pictures. Even as slow a the train went, I still had to be very quick.

After the train, I had to walk back to the Place du Constitution for the bus tour, which went outside the old city area to the business section of the city, where it looks pretty much like any city. I still took pictures anyway.

After the tour, I went back to the plaza where I had my burger yesterday. I wanted to have a nice quiet birthday dinner. So I found a place that offered salmon and duck. I went for the duck and creme brulee. (They were out of tiramisu.) I ordered the dessert at the same time as the main entree.

The first bite was heavenly. But as I dove in, I realized that the meat was raw inside and bloody. And because it was gamey, I wondered if it was even duck, but the waiter assured me it was. Okay.... Well, I haven't had much protein on this trip. And this was the most protein I've seen in a single meal since my plane landed. So, of course, I ate it! But I slathered it with the brown sauce.

The waiter had already taken my empty plate, and I still waited almost an hour. No creme brulee. So I asked for the bill and I even followed him to the till. He seemed confused about something. My bill (I checked to make sure I wasn't charged for the non-existent creme brulee) came to €27.50. I gave him €40, he gave me €10 back, then he looked confused again. So I said that was fine.

Oh, well, my birthday dessert will have to wait.

Heading back to Amsterdam tomorrow but taking it easy. No other plans except the train trip.

And that's how my birthday went. :)

Wenzel tour in Luxembourg

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


If my legs and feet could talk, they'd be screaming by now. My hips too.

This is like the Breast Cancer 3-Day 60-mile walks except without training. And it's been ten days now. I think I've done enough walking to last me a year.

I woke up around 4:30 to get to Luxembourg as early as possible. My host was heading to Germany where her husband lives.

The train ride was fairly uneventful. I arrived at Luxembourg station around 11am but had trouble finding the right bus. I got a bus pass but I later learned the busses are free today and the museums are open till 11pm.

My host peeked out of the doorway as I was walking down the street. She showed me the unit and the washing machine. I loaded it up while she took her suitcase to her car. Then we went down to the nearby cafe. She got coffee, and I got the "big breakfast", which was a croissant, a roll, butter, jam, orange juice, and tea. No eggs.

She had to go back to repair the bed, which had a loose board. Then she came back to the cafe to give me the keys and off she went.

After my meal, I walked to the city center to look for the tourist center. It was a 1.2km walk.
I had already paid for the Wenzel tour online a while ago. So they had my name on the list. I was the only one.

Since I had two hours to spare and I wanted to get out of the rain, I followed the steeple of a nearby church, which turned out to be the Church of Notre Dame of Luxembourg. So I took a lot of pictures of that with time to spare.

It was raining again when I went back to the tourist center. The English tour guide arrived right at 3pm. And there were two of us now. The other woman (maybe in her 20s) asked if I was from the US, because she recognized my accent. She used to live in New Jersey but now lives in Malta.

Long story short, our tour guide Loho(sp?) took us around while talking about the history. I was fine until we had to go up spiral stairs about 3 or 4 floors high with no break. After that, he would slow down for me, so the rest was more manageable. But the scenery was beautiful and we even went into caves, so it was very interesting. I also got a short video of a guard walking ceremoniously in front of the grand duke's palace.

I only used my 360 camera on the tour and as we were going to the elevator up, a man came up to me and asked the brand of my camera, so I told him. Then he went ahead of us. Loho seemed surprised and asked, "You're not afraid of a big guy like that?" I just shrugged and said that I'm used to being asked about my cameras because I have unusual ones, so I also showed him my Sony QX-100.


I didn't explain that giant men tend to be gentler actually because they are not threatened; it is fear that makes someone dangerous. And they've learned self-control as children, being bigger than normal kids.

Anyway, this big man seemed genuinely friendly, and I didn't sense danger at all. In fact, he was kinda flirty, because he winked at me when we got into the elevator.

We got back where we started around 6pm, on schedule. Then we said goodbye.

I saw a McDonalds and a Quick burger place and I chose the latter. I haven't had much protein in this trip, so I ordered the Supreme Bacon Burger. And chocolate crepes, which I took home to the Airbnb. :)

Along the way, I stopped to listen to a violinist because he was improvising on some music that sounded familiar. I later realized that he's was playing "Auld Lang Syne". While I was listening, a young woman in a yellow jacket and clipboard walked by and asked if the violinist was good. I smiled and nodded, although I really didn't mean it. He wasn't good as a violinist, but he was really good with his improvisations.

The young woman asked if I lived here and she was surprised when I said I'm from the US. So was her companion who had the same yellow jacket and clipboard. Apparently, not many people from the US come here. Anyway, I gathered they were doing some survey or getting signatures.

Anyway, after listening to one more very long improvisation, I waved goodbye to the musician, who tipped his hat at me, and I headed back with no more interruptions.

Two museums and a cathedral in Ghent

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


Ghent is not as pretty as Bruges. The public transport seems unreliable. But I had a few good experiences.

I found the two museums nearer to the train station: the Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Fine Arts Museum) and the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (SMAK), which were right next to each other and to the pretty Citadelpark. They were still a bus ride away from the train station for €3 each way. Each cost €8. The Stedelijk was more interesting.

The Citadelpark was an oasis. I found a waterfalls with a cave behind it. From the cave, there are stone steps that led you up to the sculpture at the top of the cave.

After exploring that part of the park, I walked some distance away to catch a tram to Korenmarkt. It was a very long wait.

The system wasn't very straightforward. The door at the front of the tram didn't open, so I had to ask a young lady how to buy a ticket. She only knew to buy it at the station, so I tried the driver, who sold me one.

There were several old buildings at the area and I had to rely on Google Maps to tell me which one was the right church. Along the way, a sidewalk cafe says something about waffles, crepes, and chocolate, and I was hungry anyway. So I stopped. :)

O... M... G.... The crepes with hot chocolate sauce was heavenly! The chocolate wasn't sweet nor bitter. It was just right. The whipped cream added that extra oomph. The crepes were nicely done and generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. I would have licked the little chocolate bowl but it was a nice upscale place.

I had planned to head back by 3pm to have time for laundry, but it was already 3pm when I got to the church. I ended up staying for two hours.

It's a really beautiful cathedral with so many artifacts and several rooms. The altarpiece by Jan van Eyke was very impressive. It was set far back and they set up a walkway right in front of it. Behind it was a curved walkway that had more rooms that were somewhat dark but that highlighted the gorgeous stained glass windows even more. This was the best cathedral I've seen so far on this trip.

The trip home was slow again. Busses didn't show up so the bus that *did* show up was filled to the hilt. I was at Ghent Dampoort, I couldn't easily figure out which way the train station was, and a strange old man standing with a bike on the sidewalk was staring at me threateningly. I saw a young man hurriedly walking the opposite direction, so I asked him. It turned out that he was heading to the station too, so I walked with him.

He asked me where I was from and he told me much about himself. He lives in Antwerp and works in Ghent as a graphic designer. He had just graduated last year. When we got to the platform, he said goodbye to search for his girlfriend who was meeting him there. There were a lot of people getting on the train too, but I found a seat next to a tall and lanky young man. He had a nice friendly smile when he indicated he had to get off.

It was too late to do laundry, so I got a premade sandwich at the station and walked to the Airbnb. It was still daylight.

366 Steps in Bruges

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


That's the number of steps going up to the Bruges belfry. Yup, I climbed all of them, up and down.I watched the movie "In Bruges" when I read about it in Rick Steves's book. Although the movie was dark, Bruges is actually a very nice town. And it's crawling with tourists!

It was a two-hour trip each way, so it was already 1pm when I arrived at the Markt. I stopped by a sushi house anyway for a quick lunch, then I took pictures at the square.

Then I got in line for a ticket (€10) and got a couple of souvenir tokens/coins for €2 each.

The bottom stairs were made of stone and have worn out in places. They were as smooth as river stones. At some point, the steps became wooden and narrower.

About half the time, there were no railings and the only thing you could hang on to was a thick rope around the spine of the stairs.

There were at least two rooms that broke the climb. The first one was a room with displays of small bells and you had to cross that room to go up the next set of stairs. The second one was a smaller room off to the side with a large bell protected by a thick plastic wall. I thought it was just a normal landing with a bench to rest on and a window to the bell until I saw a couple behind the bell.

The spiraling of the stairs also switched between clockwise and counter at least twice, and that also felt like a break.

The windows at the top were covered by a tight mesh. I could only get the tip of my lens through. There were two large bells in the middle and unknown smaller bells above us. Some wooden scaffolding held them all in place.

The barrier that surrounded the larger bells was an even tighter mesh so I could only get pictures of parts of the bells, and part of the mesh was still in the picture.

The bells sang twice while I was up there. It didn't have a specific melody and it actually sounded like it was all random but melodious. Surprisingly, the decibel level wasn't too high, even though the sound could be heard from far away. I've been to worse concerts that gave me headaches.

Going up was hard on my heart and my shins, but going down was hard on my hips and my knees. But there were very few people there. The climb probably scared most of the tourists. So I was able to take my time going down.

I was about to head to the Burg Square when I saw the CitySightseeing van. Unfortunately, it wasn't a hop-on-hop-off bus. It was just a continuous 50-minute tour for €20. At least I saw more while my feet and legs got rested.

Afterward, I went on to the Burg Square, which was really just a long block away. I took more pictures, bought chocolates, watched a musician and his marionette, and headed to the Church of Our Lady.

The church closed at 4:30pm and it was already 5:30pm, but I saw reviews that said the church was under renovation, so most of the inside was out of limits anyway. So I went just to take pictures of the outside. It was a 7-minute walk.

The busses must have stopped running already because Google Maps was making me walk 18 minutes back to the train station instead of taking a bus back.

It was still daylight and there were a lot of people around, and many of them were headed to the station too.

I got a chicken wrap and water at Starbucks at the station and had already eaten it by the time the train arrived.

I thought of taking Uber this time but the app was making me walk to the other end of the station, so I gave up and walked again.

No almost-thieves this time, but a young lady and a couple with suitcases seemed suspicious of me, even though they overtook me. When I got home, I realized that my hair was standing up because of the wind. I suppose I looked really scary. :)

Brussels in an afternoon

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


Even with a long night's sleep, I still woke up at the usual time so I didn't get to Brussels until around noon.

I was planning to give my legs a break by doing the hop-on-hop-off tours but I had to find an ATM first, and Google Maps showed the nearest one several blocks away.

After getting cash, I found a small church so I went in for some pictures. Then I decided to look for the Manneken Pis, but it wasn't pissing!

After close inspection of the photos, I have to admit that, yes, he was pissing after all.

Then I saw another church and took more pictures. Then I saw the St. Catherine Plaza on the map and decided to go. More pictures, of course.

I found a kebab place just across from the church and had my lunch/dinner at 4pm.

Then I headed to the Grote Markt, took lots more pictures, bought Godiva chocolates, then headed back.

It was a little worrisome having to walk the 1.4 km to the Airbnb after dark, and I probably would have been mugged if I didn't turn around at the right moment, but I made it safely. I might have to take Uber for that short distance when I leave on Saturday with my luggage.

Not-so-quiet Tuesday

On Tuesday, I was very exhausted so I slept in. I didn't really want to go out at all but there was nothing but grapes from the previous day.

So I took a shower and about 10 minutes after I stepped out, the fire alarm above the bed went off. I fanned it, it wouldn't stop. I opened the windows, it still wouldn't stop.

Stepping on the bed, I still couldn't reach it. I knocked on my host's door but no one was home. I knocked on the upstairs neighbor's door but no one answered either. But after several minutes, I heard some noise on the stairs. The neighbor finally woke up because of the noise. He didn't speak much English but he took the alarm off the ceiling and detached the battery. Then he went out, presumably for breakfast.

Later, I went out too, and I left a note on Han's door. I found a bank ATM, but it didn't accept my card. Then I found a small grocery store and did some shopping.

Henry (Han's friend) was home by the time I got back. He apologized about the fire alarm and he also said that he rebooted the wifi router, as I suggested because the wifi was very slow. Then he offered some cake. I declined and thanked him, but I thought that was very sweet of him to ask. Meanwhile, Han was also communicating by Airbnb messaging.

Later in the afternoon, I headed to the little square at the intersection to do laundry. Then I went to bed early.

Two treasures in Antwerp

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


Micki found me on Facebook many years ago. I keep my FB account private for friends and family only, but I accepted his invitation because we had the same last name. But we rarely communicated and I knew practically nothing about him, except that he grew up in Germany and lived in Belgium.

A few years later, he found me in LinkedIn, and I learned more about his career. (He's a performer.)

So when I was planning this trip, I asked him if he wanted to meet. He's the only one I know in Belgium. He said, sure, why not?

Antwerp through his eyes

My Belgium itinerary was more flexible, which helped when he had to change plans. I was still surprised (and honored!) that he gave me a full day.

He offered to pick me up from my Airbnb place, which I was a bit reluctant to do since I barely knew him. But, for my safety, I have my whole itinerary in Google Drive with the names of people I planned to meet, and a few friends and family have access to it. Anyway, against my better judgment, I sent him the address.

I went outside at 9am to wait for him and he was already there across the street. I figured it was him because he was watching me and he smiled when I mouthed his name. He crossed the street and we hugged. Then off we went for a very long breakfast.

His first question in the car was, "How did you get the name?" So I explained that the Spanish conquistadors required Filipinos to take Spanish last names, and we figured that was how we got it. In turn, he explained that there's a small town in Italy at the heel of the"boot", where a lot of Tesoros live and his parents came from there. In fact, even his mother's maiden name is Tesoro, and his parents had to prove they were not closely related so they could be allowed to marry.

The conversation about our personal lives continued throughout the day, interspersed with talk about food, the theater, politics and religion, photography, health, and anything else that came up.

Demoing the Sony QX-100 to Micki.

After breakfast, we walked through the main part of town and took pictures. We made our way towards the river edge, and the entire time, he told me tidbits about what we were seeing, like my very own personal tour guide.

I initially handed him my 360 camera, but soon we were trading cameras back and forth. But I warned him that whatever pictures he took with my camera would be under my copyrights. Then he told me about the famous fashion designer who got into photography, but his assistants prepared and set up, and he simply pushed the button. In turn, I told him about the monkey selfie that Wikipedia published under the public domain because animals cannot claim copyrights, but the photographer who owned the camera claimed the copyrights.

Then we went through the underwater tunnel that took us to the "left" riverbank, where we continued to explore the parks and boat marinas. We even found a small water lock.

Underwater tunnel for cyclists and pedestrians.

It was already about 3 or 4pm when I realized I was hungry, so we stopped for pastry and tea before heading back.

We met one of his theater friends on a bike in the tunnel going in the opposite direction. He introduced us but it didn't look like his friend spoke much English. They talked a little then we went on our way again, retracing our steps back to his car.

On our way back, He showed me a charming alleyway that tourists don't usually know about. And he pointed out details, like the keyhole with a "guide" for the owner to more easily find the hole after an evening at the pub. :)

We drove to his home, passed by a local grocer for vegetables, fruit, and drinks. Then he cooked dinner. We started with broccoli soup, which was surprisingly filling, so I took a very long time to finish my pasta.

Meanwhile, we talked more about computer and web-related things. He showed me his plants, some of the things that he had in his storage from his parents' estate, and pictures and videos of his family and performances.

Later in the evening, we had more tea. It was past 2am when he drove me home.

Insights

I realized quickly that I had nothing to worry about; Micki is a gentleman and a gentle soul. In fact, he's very sweet and down-to-earth. Almost immediately after I met him outside the Airbnb, I felt very comfortable with him.

This was the first time I met a Facebook friend in real life because I restrict my FB friend list so it may not happen as often as SL friends. But like my SL-to-RL meetings, the friendship deepens. Micki is more a face-to-face guy than an online chatter, so I'm very glad I had this chance to get to know him and to get an intimate view of the life of a local.

The unintended country

360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


I had to get up really early to meet up with Herman and Arenda on time. I only had a few hours of sleep since I had to pack and get ready.

It was raining on and off so I had to wake up my host a little after 7am to buy rain ponchos from him. I couldn't risk getting all my bags wet. It was very windy and cloudy but luckily no rain.

It was too early so there were only about five people in the station, but more came later just before the train arrived.

I actually planned a longer gap between trains to give me more time at Amsterdam Centraal to find my next train. It was a good thing because the ticket office at Zaandam was still closed, and I realized that I probably had to validate my Eurail Pass at Amsterdam anyway because I was directed to the international ticket counter.

I was so exhausted that I snored most of the way to Hengelo. But I still woke up at the stops.

I saw a small university by one of the train stops and wondered if it was the one that Dama said he and Hans went to.

Herman, Arenda, the kids, and Germany

I had just gotten off the train and getting organized when I heard my name. It was Herman, and he gave me a big bear hug, followed by a hug from Arenda and an introduction to their 11-year-old Sander.

They drove me to their home, where their 18-year-old daughter Melissa was waiting. We had pie and tea, and much laughter. They gave me a tour of their modern house, which they thought was a small house compared to the US homes they saw on TV. I assured them that theirs is actually the same size as an average home in the US, and with bigger rooms.

I thought we would be staying to chat but they wanted to take me to a nearby castle just across the German border, so off we went.

Along the way, I asked Sander to teach me some Dutch words. He was also learning English in school but he isn't as fluent as his sister yet, so Melissa was our interpreter. :)

Suddenly, I heard a big boom and I thought that the back tires got blown. It turned out that someone hit us from behind. So we had to stop while Herman dealt with it. A politie arrived on a motorbike and we were soon on our way. Luckily, the damage was minor.

The little town was very beautiful. It reminded me of a small town in the Pacific Northwest (US) but I couldn't remember which. You had to walk up a steep hill to get there but it was a lovely walk. Herman said that the stones used in the cathedrals in Amsterdam were quarried from this area.

Scroll to the left or right to see the family posing for me.

Herman thought of paying to go inside but I declined because we only had half an hour so it wasn't worth the expense. So we took more pictures of the grounds and the chapel, which was open to the public.

We went back to their home for more chat and another snack and more chatting. When it was almost time for my train, I said goodbye to Melissa and Sander, who stayed behind.

Herman and Arenda waited with me until the train arrived, then we exchanged hugs again before I boarded.

On to Antwerp

I was a bit disoriented when I got back to Amsterdam Centraal. But I had some time.

For an early dinner, I had a falafel wrap from a Mediterranean fast food place near the Thalys platform, and it was actually very good.

The next leg of the trip actually required a seat reservation. On the train, I sat next to a young woman who was getting organized when I arrived. A nice-looking dark Mediterranean man smiled as he helped me lift my bag overhead. He sat across the aisle from me with his friend. A toddler from a couple of rows ahead took a liking to me (or at least a curiosity). His mom smiled when I said bye to him as I headed back up the aisle towards the doors.

Antwerpen Centraal is a huge station. I went up a flight of escalators and thought it was the main area. I was wrong. There were more floors up.

My Airbnb host Han had sent a message earlier that he would pick me up at Astridplein towards the zoo. Sure enough, I found signs leading to the zoo. Then I realized that this train station was probably bigger than Oakland International Airport.

It was already dark but I noticed someone standing by a car as though waiting for someone from the station. I moved in that direction anyway to check if it was him, and he recognized me before I could see his face.

My Airbnb host Han about to load my bag in the trunk of his car.

The very old building is beautiful inside but is still very much under renovation. Han said that he bought it without seeing it first after the frustration of other properties being sold quickly when he was looking to buy.

The Airbnb unit is on Floor 2 (US 3rd floor). Han lives just below and the units above me were rented out on a monthly basis.

He decorated the unit with a king-size mahogany sleigh bed, an antique armchair, a tasteful nude charcoal sketch on the wall. The kitchen has a stove and a small fridge. And the large bathroom has modern design fixtures.

I must have looked exhausted because he said he'd leave me alone to rest. So I took a quick shower and called it a day.

Insights

No surprises about Herman and Arenda; they are even warmer and sweeter and nicer in person. Even their kids are well adjusted and happy and sweet. They all made me feel like an honored guest, even with their limited resources, and I am overwhelmed with their hospitality and generosity. At times like this, I am very grateful that SL exists. Otherwise, would I have met them at all?

Windmills, Rembrandt, and Dama and Kel

Flat photos are in Smugmug.com (taken with my Sony QX-100).
360-degree photos are in Flickr.com (taken with my LG 360).


The night before, I saw my host Ken and he asked if I had gone yet to Zaanse Schans. So I decided to go since it wouldn't be convenient after I left Zaandam. And what's a Netherlands trip without seeing windmills?

The farmers market was on the same street where I last saw it. Since I was short on time, I decided to get something at the bakery stall. The seller and I communicated by gestures so I ended up with four chocolate croissants, instead of two. (€4) I got a bottle of water (€1) at another stall and I was set.

A line of windmills

I finally found the dock for the ZaansHopper by turning left at the Westzijde (I found that "ij" is pronounced like "eye"), and then I found the sign on the right side (water side) if the street. The garage attendant confirmed that the ZaansHopper stops at the far end of the dock.

But it looked like I already missed the 10am trip, but Google Maps recommended a bus, so I went across the bridge to the bus stop.

At the stop, three very friendly Australians (or Brits?) confirmed that it was the right stop for the Zaanse Schans bus. They were headed there too.

The bus fare was just €2.5.

When we arrived, it seemed like almost the entire bus got off. At the gate, a large tour bus unloaded too, so it was very crowded. At one point, I overheard someone speak in Tagalog behind me.

You could go up one of the windmills for €4. It was already noon, so I finally stopped just outside that windmill for my breakfast. Then I went up.

As I came out, someone was playing and accordion and he even started singing a Dutch folk song for my camera. So I gave him almost all my coins.

My own private cruise

I was heading out of the grounds when I noticed the signs for ZaansHopper! And there was a little boat on the dock.

The captain said that he had one more stop north before he would head south to Amsterdam Centraal. The wait would be about an hour. Thinking he was the next trip down, I said I would wait for him. I lied. :)

Another boat came by, soon after he left. I paid €8 to the first mate, who reminded me of Ralph Fiennes in the movie "In Bruges".

I was the only passenger, so he joked that it's a private VIP cruise. And for only €8! :D

It was a very long cruise. We had to wait for a bridge to go up and let some sailboats pass. Then there was another long wait but I didn't know why. I didn't mind; I love being on boats.

The first mate and the captain after I got off the boat. (The cute first mate, who has a sweet smile btw, reminds me of Colin Farrell in the movie "In Bruges".)

We finally arrived at Centraal Station. I took the pedestrian tunnel to the front of the station and caught the train to Rijksmuseum. I only had 1.5 hours. The cashier recommended going directly to Floor 2 and work my way down if I had time. I focused on Rembrandt's works. But there were so many people. Often times, you could only see the tops of the paintings.

After the warning announcements at the last half hour and the last 15 minutes, I was finally able to see the bottom parts of the pictures. So I stayed until the ushers were about to shepherd us out.

Outside, I rested at a little garden near the "I Amsterdam". Close to 6pm, I headed towards the train to get to the restaurant.

Dama and Kel

I arrived very early, but it was a good thing because it went from sunny to stormy within a minute. I later learned that Kel and Dama were about to walk out of their building when it suddenly poured.

I was sitting outside under the awning (the weather was very nice when I got there), but we moved inside when they arrived.

I had the fish-of-the-day, which the waiter said was called "weaver" in English. Dama and Kel each had steak.

The restaurant was quite noisy, but the conversation was very interesting. I learned a lot of tidbits, including patents on code and how 3D headsets work. Then we talked about rent rates, housing costs, and the high Dutch taxes.

Scroll left or right to see Dama and Kel sitting across the table from me.

We had to get going just before 11pm so I wouldn't miss the last bus/train. D&K walked me to the nearest bus stop while we continued talking, and they waited with me until I boarded the bus.

It was past midnight when I arrived at the Airbnb, with getting lost twice. And I had to get up very early the next day.

Insights

Kel's personality was close to what I imagined, but Dama was much more outgoing than I thought. He wasn't shy at all. He explained that he was mostly working even when logged in. And that was why he didn't chat much, even when he was inworld.