Amsterdam

We don't fiend for the opportunity to smoke marijuana, the red light district might as well not exist, we like bikes but don't like getting run over by them, and it was not our first time in a moderately big European city.  Anything that makes Amsterdam special is really of little interest to us.

Many people travel to Amsterdam for the normally illegal opportunities to party.  Quite frankly, we are not much for partying.  At the time of our visit, marijuana was not yet legal in any state in the U.S.  Seeing the cafes was akin to seeing some actor that you kind of liked in that one movie.  Maybe you want to take a picture from across the street, but you're not about to run over, scream like a child, and beg for an autograph.  We didn't even step foot in a cafe.  It wasn't even a priority.

As for the prostitution: there are some very serious things that people should consider before they pay for sex in Amsterdam.  It may be legal, but that does not necessarily make it consensual, moral, or socially responsible.  I will stop there.

Now, lots of people love the high dependence on bicycles in Amsterdam and the Nederlands in general.  We really love bikes.  Javier spent years cycle-touring around the U.S.  I volunteered for a sustainable transportation group and helped at a free bike shop.  Javier can not drive and uses his bike to get around.  I barely used a car during my teens and while at university. 

You would think that our love of bicycles would extend to the situation in Amsterdam, but it really doesn't.  Since Javier can barely see due to extreme visual disability he was almost run over by a cyclist, because he couldn't see him coming.  The cyclist proceeded to scream and accuse Javier of being an "idiot". 

While this guy was probably just a huge jerk, this particular scenario led us to question the rules for bicycles and rights of pedestrians in a bicycle dominated city.  What if Javier had instead been a small child, who unknowingly ran out into the fray of bikes?  Children, even when taught to stop at the roadside, do not always do so in times of duress and frustration.  If that child had been hurt or killed, who would have been held responsible?  The same goes for Javier, an almost blind man who is in a city he does not know.

We do not know what the exact rules and regulations are in Amsterdam concerning bikes and pedestrians.  We could very easily be surprised to find out that the rules favor pedestrians.  But, considering our experience while in this city, we don't suspect pedestrians have much power.

In the end, my impression of Amsterdam was not great.  It doesn't even make the top 20 of my favorite European cities.  The only regret I have is that we did not make it to the Ann Frank Museum.  I am thoroughly convinced that this was the only good reason for us to stop in Amsterdam.  I would like to say that maybe I will get to go to the museum in the future, but this is unlikely considering I don't have much desire to go back to Amsterdam.

Pretty, Pretty Buildings in Brussels and Bruges

Forget about Belgian chocolates, Belgian architecture is really where it is at in my book.  (Besides, Javier is Swiss and we could never even hint that anything was better than Swiss chocolate.)  The jagged outlines and intricate details make them look like quaint gingerbread houses.  Add vibrant and contrasting colors and you get some of the most adorable buildings in Europe.

Our time in Belgium was unfortunately short.  We had plans to visit an old school friend of Javier's on the other side of the border in the Nederlands.  We first visited Brussels where the old center of town has buildings with these magnificent facades I have mentioned.  At the time they were doing a fair amount of restoration, but what we could see was very impressive.

Brussels is famous for being the capital of the European Union, but the main reason people visit the old center is to see the awe inspiring Manneken Pis.   Wait.  It really isn't so awe inspiring.  Take a look for yourself...

There it is, the most famous site in Brussels.  A 24" (61cm) high statue of a small cherub-like boy holding his penis and relieving himself.  Javier had given me fair warning as we searched for this statue; telling me that it was definitely overblown in its popularity.  This did not help my shock when we reached the fountain.  I really expected it to be bigger!

We had a small coffee in a pub nearby so we could get internet.  That night we still needed to travel to Bruges to the house we were staying at.  We wrote to the Flemish family who were going to host us, and were on our way.

The next day we toured Bruges.  While the buildings may not be quite as intricate as in Brussels, they are much more colorful and bright.  The town center really feels joyful.

Bruges is a very nice town to walk around.  There are canals weaving through much of the center, with small bridges and alcoves to explore.  We spent quite some hours visiting all the nooks and crannies we could find before we had to rush to the Netherlands.

Luxembourg

 The day we left Paris, we passed through four different countries.  Beginning in France we drove north-east to Luxembourg.  After spending some time in Luxembourg, we drove through Belgium and across the border into the Netherlands.  There we visited Maastricht, and we proceeded to pass back into Belgium.  Of course, these are all located within a relatively small region, but we enjoyed our adventure nonetheless. 

But, back to Luxembourg.  Luxembourg is a small country. Not the smallest in Europe by any means, but still easy to visit in a short period.  As with any fiscal paradise, Luxembourg has a lot of money and not a lot of people.  With that in mind, it is not surprising that it is a clean and quiet place to visit.  

The Smallest Flat - Or was it a cupboard?

While in Paris we stayed with an Italian Graduate student named Marco.  Marco lived fairly close to the center where he worked in a bakery while he waited for school to start.  Marco had only been in the city for a couple months by the time we stayed with him, but by that time he had procured a flat that he was very pleased to have.

Because Marco was a student, he received a 200€ subsidy from the government to assist him with his rent.  This meant that he only had to pay 400€ rent, which was a really good deal considering where he lived in the city.  But, when you consider the size of his apartment, this still seems like quite a steep price.  

His apartment really shouldn't be called an apartment at all - it should really be called a large closet.  The floorspace was a roomy 10 square meters, including a shower, bed, kitchenette, small couch, and table. The design was really brilliant.  The shower sat in one corner next to the raised bed; the extendable table and shelves were under the bed; the kitchenette sat on the end of the floor where the roof angled down due to the roof; and the couch was crammed into that same corner.  For the toilet you had to walk down the hall - where would it have gone otherwise?

What is really impressive is just how comfortable we all were living in that small space for four days together.  The couch folded out and became a mattress for us to sleep on the floor.  We all sat comfortably around the table eating dinner together on those nights.  We were so welcomed by him and had such an amazing time it was as if  the space was much bigger than in reality.

We will never forget Marco and his enormous hospitality in a tiny apartment.

Paris

Paris is one of the most overly romanticized cities on Earth.  It is mentioned in television, films, and the media as the home of passion and love.  People's adoration of this city's culture, art, food, and architecture is nauseating.  I just do not share this extreme sentiment, and if I wanted to be in a city of this type of grandeur I would rather be in Vienna.

That being said, Paris provides enormous opportunities for a traveler.  The sites in the city are scattered across a large area, so it is easy to find yourself walking all day.  The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame are probably the most recognizable and famous sites in the city. 

The Louvre is one thing in Paris that is most definitely NOT overrated.  I could spend days exploring the exhibits in this vast and diverse museum.  Of course there are the immensely well known pieces like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, but beyond that there are rooms and rooms filled with beautiful, amazing, and educational exhibits.

Spending time outside the Louvre can be just as fun.  You can walk through the adjacent park on your way to the Eiffel tower, watch Roma children splashing around in the fountains, and even cool your own tired feet.

The Eiffel Tower is an interesting bit of architecture, but that is really where my fascination ends.  Being that it was only erected as an extravagant entrance to the World's Fair in 1889, it really serves no purpose other than unique aesthetics and a marvelous tourist trap.

The park behind the tower is filled with picnicking tourists.  Attempting to have a "genuine" Parisian experience, they bring their baguettes, their cheeses, and their bottles of wine.  For us there is really only so long you can look at a large lattice style tower.

On your way along the Seine you can even see the "beaches of Paris".  This is all rather comical, considering it is really more about getting a tan than actually enjoying any sort of real beach experience.

Notre Dame is a church.  You are probably thinking, "Wow.  Yes that is obvious and nondescript."  But, let me be honest here - churches are churches.  They vary in their styles depending on denomination and region, but this particular church is not so different from hundreds of other Cathedrals in western Europe.

When you see places like this -  places which are venerated world wide - you realize that you should be awestruck and humbled to be there.  Some people may convince themselves that they are impressed by these sites, but when I am standing there all I can think is, "Yup, that's a nice building."

Part of why these places have such a high profile is because we associate them with some famous occurrence or person.  Hollywood, literature, and history have made these places seem almost to fantastic to be true.  Take the tombstone of Jim Morrison; people travel from all over the world to Paris with the idea that they will visit his precious final resting place.  People take photos of their babies and small children in front of the tombstone, in a macabre demonstration of their undying love for a man they never knew. 

The tombstone itself is really unspectacular; it is squeezed between larger more extravagant mausoleums.  When you come around the corner of the surrounding stones, it is really unimpressive to see this small and simple grave.  The site really doesn't reflect all of the fuss that people make about Morrison.

Outside of Paris is the Palace of Versailles.  We have been to many many palaces, and although this one is not on the top of my list, it is definitely near the top.  We visited Versailles twice: a first time to saunter through the gardens, and a second time to take a tour of the palace.

The gardens are vast.  I have seen other palace gardens that could rival the extravagance of these, but none quite so large.  There were many hidden places to explore.  Dozens of fountains hidden behind hedges (none of which were turned on unfortunately).  The Grand Canal that extends out behind the palace goes on for ages and was dotted with swans.  Unfortunately, there was no maze in these gardens.  If there had been, these would be my favorite gardens rather than the gardens at La Granja in Spain.

The lush interior of the palace was interesting, but overall not so different from many other palaces.  The Hall of Mirrors was quite impressive, but is really hard to appreciate when you are herded along with so many photo taking tourists.  Probably my favorite tidbit during our tour was when we entered Marie Antoinette's room and they pointed out the hidden door she would have escaped through when the Parisian mobs descended upon Versailles.  It is these kind of historical facts that give life to otherwise cold stone halls. 

The Beaches of Normandy

For Americans, the beaches of Normandy are synonymous with World War II and D-Day.  Walking along the beach, it is hard to imagine such a tranquil and lovely beach being the site of such horrific bloodshed. 

On closer inspection, one can begin to see the remnants of fortifications.   In the upper reaches of the beach are the crumbling and overgrown German gun batteries.  The rotting concrete structures seem more benign than malicious, but their history proves otherwise.

There are monuments scattered along the beach, and enormous cemeteries dedicated to the various troupes that were sent to their death here.  This is a very popular place for Americans to visit.  (You can tell when you have met one on the road, because they rarely know how to use a roundabout.)

The nearby villages are cozy and welcoming.  On warmer days than when we were there, the beaches would likely have be thriving with people basking in the sun and playing in the surf.  The solitude of our visit seemed more appropriate for the setting though.

Le Mont Saint-Michel

 In the north of France in a small cove on the sea lies the magical Le Mont Saint-Michel.  Many people who do not know about this island monastery will still recognize it.  Stationed on a large rock outcropping just far enough into the ocean to make it inaccessible during high tide, the Mont seems straight out of a tale of King Arthur and his knights.  Most likely, it has been used in a few movies of such tales.

We arrived at night and it was a remarkable sight to see.  Walking the dimly lit streets of the citadel was like a dream.

The next day we were able to explore the Mont more thoroughly.  The streets and alleys of the citadel are a maze of stairs and narrow paths.  Many ending abruptly and others arriving at locations which were quite unexpected.

At the top of the Mont is a monastery.  We paid the entry fee and began our walk around.  The monastery is beautiful, but not the most spectacular we have ever seen.  One of the most interesting things about walking through the monastery was our ability to look down on the city below almost completely surrounded by sea.

These days there is a permanent path to the island that makes it accessible during high tide, but it is interesting to think about visitors to the island several hundred years ago.  The danger they faced to cross the sands at low tide to reach the citadel.  Their need to await for the sea to grant them passage.

Castles of the Loire

South of Paris along the river Loire, is a series of beautiful castles and palaces.  This is a wonderful tour to take while in France.  We drove along the river visiting these beautiful castles for a few days.  Cycle touring would be even greater for this area.  In the springtime when it is not too hot and everything is green and fresh.  If you go to the Loire, you can choose to pay and enter each of the castles, but you might find that after a while they all seem the same.  If you choose to just view them from outside, you will not be let down.  They are absolutely gorgeous without going inside.

 Oh...yeah.  Obviously I like photos of castles with their reflections in water.

The International Family

Near Poitiers we stayed with a young woman in the tiny village of Parthenay.  This was the first of two times we would stay with her family, and an interesting family it was.  She lived in an old house which she claimed was many hundreds if not a thousand years old.  Her partner was a sailor and was often out at sea for many weeks, which is rather reminiscent of a particular 70's love song.

Before leaving, she gave us the number and address of her mother and step-father in La Rochelle.  Although we had not gotten any reply from them on Couchsurfing, she assured us that they would accept us.

On our way to La Rochelle we spotted three hitchhikers also going to La Rochelle.  Although our car was absolutely stuffed with junk from traveling, we stopped and moved things around to fit the three of them in the back seat.  We all had a wonderful time chatting on our way to La Rochelle, and when we arrived we were a little sad to see them go.

After a walk around the town we decided to give a call to this woman's parents.  A man answered and it became clear that French was not his first language.  In fact, he was from England.  He said we could absolutely stay with them, and invited us over.  We learned a bit more about the family when we arrived.  The woman we had stayed with the day before was born in France, but her mother was actually Italian.  It was this Italian woman's house that we were now in.  She had later remarried a English man, and late in life they had two more children. 

Here we were in a house with two French children born from an Italian and a Englishman.  The man told us that he actually felt a bit bad for his children.  The fact that they had been so old when they were born made it as though the children lived with their grandparents.  He felt they probably grew bored without having parents young enough to play.  They were very friendly and intelligent children nonetheless. 

We will never forget his family, their generosity, or their uniqueness. 

Bordeaux and Libourne - A country home

 Leaving Biarritz we rushed to reach the home of our next Couch-host: Jeff.  It was getting dark, which did not help the fact that Jeff lived in a very remote farm.  Matters were worsened by our telephone running out of battery, and our GPS did not know the roads (often the case for us in southern France).  Eventually we stopped at a house to ask for help, and they very generously called our host.  It turned out we were not far from his home, but there was no way we would have ever found it if he had not come to retreive us.

Jeff fed us a hearty country meal and we asked him about places to visit.  (This is really the best way to plan your travels - don't plan at all and ask along the way).  He also told us about his adventures in northern Africa - which were very inspiring for us.

The next day, we visited a few places before heading to our next host.  First was Libourne, the closest city to Jeff's house.  Libourne is not a very interesting town, but there was a festival.

Next we went to Saint-Emilion.  This city is quite famous for its fine wines.  The city itself is very nice.  An old citadel with small vinyards weaving in and out of its borders.  If you have money and like wine, this is a paradise.  But, it is a lovely city if you don't. 

After Saint-Emilion, we rushed for an afternoon in Bordeaux.  This is a very ordinary European city, having plazas, towers, churches, and narrow streets like many others.  After a walk around the center and buying a whole chicken, we drove north to our next home.

Biarritz

Biarritz is like the French counterpart of Spanish San Sebastian.  It is an extravagant coastal town with luxurious hotels and fine restaurants.  We visited Biarritz for a short time with a Spanish Couch-host.  

Our host lived on the Spanish-French border, and decided to accompany us as we continued our north trip from her house.  We toured through the Basque country stopping in a few small villages, and finally stopping in Biarritz. 

Like San Sebastian this city is beautiful but really only a fun place to stay an extended period if you have money.  Obviously, we did not stay long.