Iceland 2026 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

Let’s talk about Reykjavik. The church, Hallgrimskirkja, near the centre of Reykjavík, is one of the city’s best-known landmarks and is visible from throughout the city. It is a Protestant Lutheran parish church at 244 ft tall, the largest church in Iceland and second tallest building in the country. The church was originally intended to be shorter, but the leaders of the church wanted a spire to outshine the Catholic Church of Iceland – always a competition somewhere.

Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland’s national identity since its completion in 1986.

It is best described as a piece of Expressionist architecture because of its tower-like exterior and its rejection of traditional styles. I really like the old churches in Europe, being 1000+ years old, but have space to enjoy a more modern style. I want to visit the church each time we come. 🙂 Eric humors me with a visit during each of our trips.

The statue in front of the church is the Norse explorer Leif Erikson. The artwork was commissioned by the U.S. government as a gift to the Icelandic people for the 1,000th anniversary of the Alpingi in 1930. The statue predates the church’s construction begun in 1945.

Getting to the hilltop required walking on their famous ‘rainbow street’. The colorful pavement first appeared in 2015, when locals painted the street in rainbow colors for the Reykjavík Pride Festival. The rainbow became so popular that it was later made permanent in 2019— symbolizing diversity, equality and love. 

Not too far away is this purple sidewalk art – which when I was googling it, found it in a multitude of colors, but just happens to be the purples and blues at the moment.

Murals on buildings is considered street art and had a multi-faceted relationship in the city, it did not emerge overnight. Some artists did all the right things, applying for permits and waited for paperwork. When it didn’t come, they reached out to building owners for their permission. As long as nothing obscene was created, most of it stayed. In 2009 an initiative started for artist to submit proposals. A major turning point came in 2015 with the launch of Wall Poetry, a collaboration between Iceland Airwaves music festival and Berlin-based art initiative Urban Nation. Here is a small collection from our walks. You can download a street art map and wander the city for other hidden gems.

Cats are celebrated here and a number walk freely around town. Couldn’t resist a quick photo of this one drinking along the street.

Art also takes the form of sculptures. I always walk down to the harbor to find Sun Voyager. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. It was the result of a city-funded competition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the city of Reykjavik. There has been some dispute about the eventual location of Sun Voyager as some have complained that the ship does not face west, towards the setting Sun in accordance with the concept behind it,

Yes, the sky was that blue (along with the water) for my photo above. It was a gorgeous day.

Another body of water is called ‘The Pond’. It is an old sea lagoon that closed off over 1,200 years ago, gradually becoming a freshwater pond due to groundwater flows. Feeding the birds on the lake shores is a popular pastime.

Now, these people were crazy! These tourists were to the left of where the birds had open water. No thank you.

A unique statue nearby is The Monument to the Unknown Beaucrat. It depicts a man in a business suit carrying a briefcase with the upper body replaced by a slab of Icelandic volcanic basalt. Created in 1994 it is a satirical tribute to the faceless who work tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain the city’s operations.

Nearby was a square with an archway – a nice bright spot for a photo to close this post. Hang tight – more to come. A few posts about eating – yes, Iceland does have a food scene – and one of my top favorite places to visit, a geothermal bath & spa.

Ginny

Iceland 2026 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

We headed North!  Where you might ask……………..Iceland!  Crazy right, why go to where it’s cold?  Most people go south for the warmth, but we’re not most people.  When you live in the heat, short trips to northern destinations have a lot more appeal.  Let’s take a look at the temps.

Central Florida:

Reykjavik Iceland: oh yeah, that is going to be chilly.

Yes, yes, got to the airport waaaaaay too early, but I’d rather hang out at the airport versus home.  The Priority Pass lounge in Terminal C is definitely a step up from the other ones at MCO – much bigger and while there is comp food and drink, one can also order some food for nominal pricing.  Not much of a surprise what I ordered – fried cheese with mariana sauce (a definite throw-back). OMG – it was so good, hot, gooey and very tasty.

Let me see, what did Eric order………….fried chicken fingers and fries.  What!?!!!!!  He said he ordered it for me.  Really, does anyone believe that?

We have a routine.  I leave the lounge early, walk the gates to stretch and get in some steps before boarding.  Eric stays in the lounge for the comp drink & food.  I got a call from Eric…………….do I have his backpack – nope.

Panic mode sets in, for both of us.

Coming out of the lounge, he asks the workers at the check-in desk if a backpack was found. Maybe? Turns out that Eric was ‘that guy’ who left something unattended. They asked for a description and Y.E.S it was his backpack. Oh, thank god. Even though it was his backpack, it was not going to be the best way to start a vacation.

Okay, heart has stopped racing, let’s get back to the trip.

A nice surprise was sitting in our seats. LOVE the Icelandic bottled water. While in the actual country, bottled water is frowned up due to their high quality of water. But since we’re still in the states, bottled water it is.

We didn’t exactly leave as scheduled. Took us awhile to get through the traffic on the runways. One positive from that, a few interesting evening shots. First up the runway…….

………….and then downtown Orlando.

The flight was less than 7 hours then we arrived at Iceland’s International Airport – Kevflavik. Located about 30 miles from Reykjavik, it is the largest airport in Iceland and the primary hub for international flights from Europe, North America and Greenland. The airport was originally built by the U.S. military during the occupation in WWII. In 1949 a passenger terminal was built by Lockheed and in 1951 the U.S. military returned the airport to Iceland. Whew, enough of that history.

One thing that I’ve gotten used to is deplaning outside and walking to a bus before getting to the terminal. Really?!? It is cold here! It was a shock the first time and wasn’t really dressed for that. Now, we know.

Remember I mentioned it’s approx 30 miles from Reykjavik? There’s no train system, but there are buses and taxis (unless you rent a car). We have rented a car in the past, but not this trip. While everything in Iceland is expensive, taking a taxi for the 2 of us is not worth it. Once you have 3 or 4 people in your group, a taxi makes sense at that point. For now, we take the bus. They depart frequently and correlate their schedules to flight arrivals.

All the buses go to the Bus Station near downtown Reykjavik. At that point, one needs to transfer to a smaller transport for hotel drop-offs or catch a taxi – our choice.

We generally stay at an AirBNB in the downtown area and Eric found us a 1 bedroom for the two of us. One trick we do……………..pay for the previous day so we can immediately get into our lodgings. Don’t think I mentioned this earlier but North American flights arrive between 5am – 8am local time. I’m too old to wait until a hotel check-in. I need some food and sleep.

We found a breakfast stop 1 1/2 blocks away from our place.

Vanilla donut and coffee for me, oatmeal porridge for Eric.

Back to the place for a nap with black-out curtains for a good sleep during daylight hours. Night. Night.

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – final post

by ginnyinshanghai

We took the train back to Amsterdam before flying home.

We’re staying at a different hotel then earlier in this trip: Ambassade Hotel.

It was one of the nicer hotels for this trip.

Loved seeing these bicycles on the bridges over their canals.

During our return, we stopped back in a few places we both enjoyed. Eric looked for cheese………

……………and I wandered the flower market.

We walked to the ‘Red Light District’ – just to say we were there. Yes, down some of the alleyways there were ladies in the windows at street level – scantily clothed – even at 11 am in the morning.

Being so close to the sea, Eric found a popular (yet affordable) restaurant that we stopped in twice before leaving Amsterdam.

Of course, we had to get a version of their ‘seafood tower’. Let me see, I believe this is a fairly complete list of the items below: two different shrimp species, cockles, clams, razor clams, oysters, snow crab legs, stone crab, sea snails, mussels and crab salad (which we enjoyed the least).

What drove us (read – Eric) back for our second visit was their oyster happy hour. Between the hours of 3pm – 5pm, these tasty bivalves were available for a great price. So naturally, we needed 2 dozen between us to share.

I couldn’t pass up a chance to try their grilled octopus, with slices of fried potatoes – delicious!

I needed more for my evening meal. The mussels from the previous seafood tower were so good, that’s what I requested, also adding the frites. 🙂

One last shot of the restaurant we so enjoyed………..The Seafood Bar.

We thought we were full, until I saw the ice cream shop across the street. We needed some ice cream to ‘fill in the cracks’. Even with the chilly temps, ice cream hit the spot.

We had such a good trip, we were trying to find a way to end our time in Amsterdam. Found it!

After a short walk to our boat departure, we were ready for our last adventure. Random art installations followed a set pathway due to the number of vessels.

So glad Eric didn’t book the ‘boat tour’ below. The photo is a little dark, and yes, that’s a kayak. We saw several that had strung Christmas lights along the top of the hull.

Interesting thought……..

This one was interesting. The lights were on a cycle, looking perfect initially, then slowly crumbling down upon itself.

These birds commanded a lot of attention. Some of the installations were easily seen along the canals while the one above was in the port area.

Our cruise was a notch above the rest, complete with food, drink and a bit of history.

While this last post is way overdue – like most of my final trip posts – it is finally finished. We really loved Amsterdam and visiting the Christmas markets. Hopefully more Christmas markets will in our future.

Ginny

Cologne 2025 – post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

This was our last full day in the city.  The Cathedral Christmas market is (surprise) right next to the Cathedral.  We didn’t find it initially.  It was one of our favorites both for the food and purchases. 

One morning we needed breakfast and the hotel’s options didn’t do it for me.  We went looking for a German sausage.  We found the best one ever!  At least in our opinion.  We went back the last morning in Cologne for another sausage.

And yes, we both ended up with a Kolsch beer, for breakfast. Hey! It was the best choice for our chosen breakfast.

Next was a hunt for the Maritime Christmas market, down near the Rhine River.  Easy to find once we realized the Ferris wheel was part of the market.

Naturally, there needed to be a pirate ship serving drinks at this market since you were on the water.

It may have been our least favorite however we had some hot drinks and talked with a really interesting German couple that leads wine tours.  We have their business card and hope to get in touch with them at a later time. 

The last market to find was the Angel Christmas market, characterized by lots of white lights. It was a hike, but we were determined. 

We got a little dessert while waiting for the sun to set.

Then these odd puppets wound their way through the market.

The sun finally went down and we were able to get a few good photos.

We went back to the cathedral for a night-time photo and another visit to the Cathedral Christmas market.

The Christmas market was buzzing with people this being a Friday night and a lot of weekenders were in town. Yikes!

Eric was looking for wine and I found a ‘vegetarian’ tarte flambe’ – totally enjoyed every last bite.

The crowds were getting too much for me.  Eric was loving it and I was done.  After getting back to the room I grabbed this photo of the smaller market outside our window – O.M.G.  Look at the people – no thank you.

We’re back to Amsterdam for a few days before flying out.  Let’s see what Eric has planned.

Ginny

Cologne 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

That church we saw when we stepped off the train………it was time for a visit. 

A bit of information about the Cathedral:

~Construction began in1248, then halted in 1560. Work was ultimately completed in 1860 after funding in the 1940s, literally off and on for 632 years. The completion of Germany’s largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880.

~The Cathedral is Germany’s most visited attraction for tourists and pilgrims and one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in Northern Europe.

~It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and the third tallest church in Europe. Being built from different types of rock which weather to varying degrees, rarely is the cathedral seen without scaffolding.

When American troops entered the city on March 6, 1945, one of the only buildings standing was the Cologne Cathedral. The twin spires were an easy navigational touchstone for the Allied bombers. It endured 14 bomb hits and was heavily damaged, but key parts remained standing.

Immediately after the war, building materials were procured for repairs needed to bolster the Cathedral. Repairs were competed in 1956.

Walking up, the entranceway was imposing.

A number of prophets also line the entrance; here was Moses with the 10 commandments. Hmmm, my photo looks a bit weird and makes Moses have a shortened statue. Yep, the angle wasn’t the best. Next time…………..

One visit there was a service going on and we had a chance to hear one of their two organs.

As noted above WWII saw a lot of destruction……………………some of the windows were saved and are traditional.

A more recent addition is this modern stained-glass window – interesting.  Not really sure how I feel about that.

I did like the colors as they hit one of the cathedral’s walls.

This church was built to hold relics from the ‘Three Wise Men’.  Sharing ‘relics’ was big business in medieval times.  Parts and pieces of important religious figures were shared amongst a number of parties. Back in the day…………………it was a big business to have ‘relics’ for the masses to make pilgrimages to honor said relics. Pieces and parts of individuals were divided up for multiple religious sites for the people.

Whenever we’re in churches, I try to look for things that most miss, like these burial sites that most visitors walk right over.  Loved the intricacy of the designs.

Exiting the cathedral this greeted us. Okay, I’m sorry, this might seem sacrilegious…………….but I took this photo right in front of the cathedral.  Oh my goodness – not a good likeness.  ☹

Actually, I was going to start this post with our evening brewery tour then I remembered the church.  I have to talk about the church. I’ve always loved walking into the European churches since most are older than the U.S. has been a country.

Originally, we had a food tour scheduled for Cologne, but Eric got an email that it was canceled.  He found this brewery tour at the last minute.

It was a large group and ultimately had 2 tour guides, so we were split up.  Our guide was interesting, that’s all I’ll say.  Not the best guide, but we needed to lower our expectations.  It was advertised that we would be stopping at five breweries, but only beers at the first three were covered.  The last two stops we needed to pay.  Eric forgot to read that tidbit of info and we were pretty low on cash with barely enough to cover.

The first three stops were Brauerei Zur Malzmuhle, Sunner & Whale and Peters Brauhaus.

Sorry, this photo was the only one from the second brewery. Yes, that is a depection of a while, hence the name.

No photo for the next stop as it was at a mini convenience store – everyone covered their own expense.  I didn’t deem it photo-worthy. The last spot was Fruh Brewery, also a restaurant and after most of the group left, we stayed to order food. Let’s talk about the beer.

This is how your kolsch beer arrives. The tray is called a ‘kranz’. The slender .2L glasses are called ‘stange’.

Kolsch was defined as an ‘easy-drinking pale ale’. Most breweries have one single beer on tap and you know that place focused on their beer and care about their product.

One important piece of the Kolsch-drinking culture was the coaster called a ‘deckel’. The coaster was marked with tallies to keep track of how many glasses of Kolsch you drink. Glasses will continue to arrive until you put the deckel over the top of your glass. Take the deckel to the cashier and payment was based upon the number of tally marks. You always have a fresh and cold beer in front of you. Okay – I like that.

I’m closing with a (unplanned) fabulous photo of the church. I sent this to some friends back home and they wanted to know what I did to enhance the shot. Nothing. I just got lucky with the angle of the sun.

One more full day in Cologne and a chance to find the remaining Christmas markets in the city.

Ginny

Cologne 2025 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

A new city!  Someone at work recommended Cologne for Christmas markets and that rose to the top of our list.  We’re on another train and this one handed us German gummi bears – how cool is that. A little snack for the train ride. 🙂

Walk out of the station, and you are literally hit in the face with this.  Okay, I’ll agree it’s not the best photo I’ve taken, but I’m staying true to the story and this was my first photo. Wow, just wow.

We could easily walk to our hotel from the church – it’s on the other side of the building.  Standard city hotel – but what a view.  This is a little side Christmas market. Not even sure it has a name. On the other side of a building, is the Cathedral Christmas market. Maybe they outgrew their original space and gradually moved down to this open spot?

We needed food – we both were famished.  This was one block away and fairly typical German food. Nothing fancy, just nourishing and something to fill us up.

First Christmas market we ran into was the Winter Marchen – lots of gnomes around.  Yep, there’s gnomes up in the ‘windows’ in all of the arches.

It covered several long blocks with one block primarily devoted to food kiosks and the other a mix of food and products for purchase.  We stopped inside a beer hall that looked fun. No, we did not bring that mug home – too big and too heavy, but great for drinking beer.

And part of that building contained this.  Not sure exactly what the ice sport was called, but playing and drinking seemed to be part of the rules. 

We joked about this activity during most of our stay – ice skating.  Nope, not going to happen.  One thing I don’t need to take back would be broken bones.

Since we ate late afternoon, no need for another big meal, but always time for a bag of fried dough and powdered sugar.  The chef gave me one of the balls dipped in chocolate.  It was delicious, but the chocolate was hot, hot, hot and burned my mouth.  Much better sticking with the powdered sugar.

That ‘small’ market seen outside our window when we first arrived………..we stopped in to check it out later that evening and it was all about food and drink . Yep, we added another drinking vessel to our collection. Our first Christmas market mug.

I got to say, I was beat.  Eric walked me back to the room and then he headed out to talk with some locals.  I never heard him return.  Traveling is hard on the body, ha! Stay tuned, more to come from Cologne.

Ginny

Strasbourg Xmas 2025-part 2

by ginnyinshanghai

We’re here for the Christmas markets, but also for the food. I had a request when we got to Strasbourg………………a repeat visit for a tapas restaurant we visited earlier. Eric made the reservation.

One advantage to a larger group, more items can be ordered and shared. We had plenty, but only needed four for the two of us. First two: foie gras and quiche with goat cheese.

Local sausages and pickled vegetables.

Pork roll in a delicious broth.

Naturally we ordered dessert – which was also a repeat and just as good as my memory: toasted kougelhopf cake, marinated pears with a local fruit puree and a scoop of ice cream. Yum, yum delicious. Not a drop was left on the plate. 🙂

It was a good meal at a repeat location – thanks hon.

Let’s get back to the Christmas decorations. Later in the evening, this wall also had some projections they added.

Now this was a large advent calendar, counting down the days until Christmas. All the numbers were represented, even if you can’t see them in my photo.

Decorations didn’t have to be over the top, sometimes simple and classic is best. Here’s Eric waiting patiently (not!) for my photo.

This was one of my favorite photos. In May, we had dinner at the restaurant in the background.

Several displays had giant bears in their windows.

This was seen on a side of a church, subtle but nice.

Those glasses I mentioned in the previous post?

Before coming, I read that collecting the Christmas market mugs was a ‘thing’. In Strasbourg, it was all about these (plastic) glasses. After getting your chosen hot beverage, a euro was charged for the cup. You bring back the glass, you get back a euro. Let’s just say that we are coming home with a collection. I convinced Eric these plastic glasses were much better (and lighter) than mugs for packing. We were on a hunt to not repeat a glass – we succeeded.

During our wandering, we came across some oysters – Eric needed some. And, maybe just maybe, I had a few of them – very salty.

Another ‘snack’ was a raclette sandwich – O.M.G. Their line was so long, Eric stood in line to pay for the sandwich, while I waited in the other line for pick up. Here was one of the many ‘burners’ melting the cheese before it was scraped onto a bun. You could add a protein and we got the ham.

Oh, and some gherkin pickles was the finishing touch. There was plenty for us to share with the one sandwich. We only needed one.

I needed one more photo of the cathedral while the sun was setting. I didn’t enhance this photo but the beauty of the church was stunning.

These last few photos were show some whimsical shots of Christmas I saw while walking around.

Merry Christmas a bit early.

Ginny & Eric

Strasbourg Xmas 2025

by ginnyinshanghai

Although we visited Strasbourg this past May, we heard great things about their Christmas Markets and quickly put it on the list for the trip. Getting to Strasbourg from Amsterdam required changing trains in Paris. Love the train system, when it works (and runs on time).

We arrived at dusk and the taxi driver could only take us so far, then walking with the luggage was the reality. Hotel Suisse was the eventual destination. Not a bad walk, even dragging our suitcases and backpacks.

Why could the taxi driver not drop us off at the door? We are steps away from the cathedral where only pedestrian traffic was allowed. This was our view from our 3rd floor window. The cathedral is literally right around the corner.

Our hotel? It was a small boutique accommodation that had some quirkiness as they modified the building throughout the years. Yes, it had an elevator which was a godsend being on the third floor.

Before any exploring was happening, food was on the agenda, and we went with local specialties at a nearby brewery.

sausages, potatoes & kraut
tarte flambe’

Fairly quickly we got in the holiday spirit with all of their colorful decorations hanging between buildings or above storefronts.

You just can’t imagine how many there are. Everywhere you looked there was another display.

Also found several of the actual Christmas markets while we explored. Notice the cup Eric is holding in the bottom right photo? More on that in the next post.

One walkway was decorated with chandeliers with screened boxes for protection. Didn’t expect to see that, ha! An entire alleyway was lined with different chandeliers.

Several locations kept with a theme from the shop below.

One thing we noticed was a police presence at all of the markets. Eric reminded me Europe had some issues a number of years back. They walked in pairs but this individual was stationed near one of their largest trees.

We stayed in Strasbourg 2 nights and 1 day so only doing one more Strasbourg post. Even during daytime the decorations were pretty. That’s in my next post.

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

There were two museums on our list when we visited Amsterdam: The Anne Frank House and the Dutch Resistance Museum. There are many other museums dedicated to the Dutch masters, and while not exactly an ‘exciting’ way to start a post, these stops were important and a part of our trip. Here you go.

A good amount of people around the world are knowledgeable about the story of Anne Frank through the publication of her dairy. When that house was set to be demolished a group got together, saved the site and ultimately set up the Anne Frank House Museum.

Briefly, here is the story:

~During WWII when the Jewish people were being persecuted, Anne Frank’s father moved his family to Amsterdam, opening a business selling spices and pectin in a rented space.

~The building was partially a warehouse with offices above in the rear extension of the building. Concealed from view by houses on all four sides of a quadrangle, an ideal hiding spot had been created, accessible by steps behind a bookcase, which remains intact to this day.

~The family went into hiding when Anne’s older sister was called up for ‘labor camp’ in Germany. This space (approx 450 sq ft) ultimately hid 8 people for 2 years and 1 month. The official owners of the building did not know there were people living in this space.

~When the space was discovered by the police, all eight were arrested and subsequently moved to various camps. Only Anne’s father, Otto, survived.

There were no photos allowed in the museum, and it was a self-guided tour with hand-held audio devices. Tickets needed to be purchased on-line prior to arrival as they are frequently sold out.

WWW.annefrank.org

Their website is excellent, having tons of information about all those involved, their backgrounds and lives before this awful situation came to pass. I went back to that site multiple times for reading material during our trip. In 2017 it was third most visited museum in the Netherlands. While we were waiting in line for our allotted entry time, I heard multiple languages from other visitors. A short block away was this lighted bronze statue of Anne Frank.

I hope any visitor to Amsterdam, makes it a point to visit this museum during their stay.

Another sobering museum visit was………………………

We came across a Resistance Museum in France years ago and discovered many fascinating and heroic tales of many European citizens during that awful time. Before leaving home I discovered another one existed in the Netherlands and it was added to my list for our visit.

Once again, there were audio guides for the self-led tour – very helpful and much appreciated.

The below information was on their website.

No photos were allowed but this quote was at the very end.

With an opportunity to add your statement or thoughts to this board – which I did.

Obviously, these were two very sobering stops while in Amsterdam. We scheduled a food tour which was excellent. It was an evening tour and rain was expected. We were prepared. And yep we definitely had rain. Luckily the hotel had some umbrellas available.

First stop was a organic cheese farmer. Above the cheese shop was a short video before we tasted any cheese. The farmer’s goal was to have happy cows so they produced stress-free milk.

The cows decided when and where to eat, when or if to come into the barns at night and when they wanted to be milked. They had some fantastic varieties of cheese.

The cheese was mighty tasty. Hopefully we will have room at the end of the trip to add cheese to our purchases. 🙂

More cheese was next……………..but this was melted! Grilled cheese sandwich. Y.U.M!!!! We may have to make a repeat visit on our own when we return to Amsterdam at the end of this trip.

Two cheeses were melted together with hearty local bread and a fabulous dipping sauce of dijonnaise. Who knew that melted cheese needed a dipping sauce? I love sauces! This is going to be replicated at home – right, hon?

Our guide made a slight detour and showed us the last remaining wooden house in Amsterdam. It is in an enclave for single women, quiet and protected. The sounds of the busy city were kept out. So peaceful in the heart of the city.

No lie, this next food stop was going to be ‘iffy’ for me. Of course, I felt right at home eating on top of a trash can – much better than the ones at work. Yep, everyone had their umbrellas open due to the weather.

We had two different types of seafood: marinated herring and kibbling (fried fish). I tried both. Thank god for pickles and onions with the herring. I got both down but Eric had extra to eat – just saying. Our entertaining guide is on the left.

Did I mention there were 6 food stops? This next one was a specialty in the region – stroopwafels. Our bakery was one of the most highly rated bakeries in the city. it was good, sweet but not overwhelmingly cloying.

The next was one of my favorites – frites. The tour guide (which is also the owner) has stopped at numerous frite locations but this was one of his favorites. The fries were excellent – especially with mayo.

One last stop for the group – dessert. The guide took us past a shop that had a looooooong line, full of tourists. It was highly advertised. We walked one more block where the locals go to Cafe Hegeraad for our Dutch apply pie. It was excellent – not too sweet, but still had a great apple flavor.

The tour was over and we had a great tour guide – one of our best. Especially after being on a tour later this week in Cologne, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Now time for the (long) walk back to our hotel. We were in the Jordaan region which was turning into one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Amsterdam and unfortunately quite a bit away from our hotel.

The beginning of the post was sobering therefore I wanted to end with some fun notes. One night I wanted something sweet and we came across Mama Pancake. We had seen this on a you-tube video before leaving home and it was perfect for that evening.

Their mantra is ‘every pancake tells a story and every bite is a symphony of taste’. Yep, they were puffy, sweet and sugary, tasty bits of goodness. I got the little ones, Eric finished the big pancake.

One our way back we saw a few ‘only in Amsterdam’ sites. Several spots had installations for night-time viewing, this was one of the few we saw late one night.

Oh, the bicycles – they are everywhere. You had to keep an eye out for the bikes, more so than vehicles. Our guide said it was a full-time job for the city to ‘fish’ bikes out of the canals – either fallen in by accident or other means – who knows’.

Our next city was Strasbourg to see the first of the Christmas markets. I had a list and we’re going to try and hit as many as we can. Let’s see what we do.

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

Why Amsterdam? First – because it was a direct flight. Second, we only had a layover there (many) years ago and never visited the city. Third, my research said this could be a good starting point for this trip to visit Christmas markets. And, lastly, while we are not in the prime flower season, there was a floating flower market in the city.

Let’s start with the flower market.

These fresh flowers greeted you at the entrance.

Now, since this is the Netherlands, a plethora of bulbs can also be found. There’s a lot of tulip bulbs but other flower types are also available.

Above I mentioned ‘floating’ docks. Really, they are barges anchored in place with the market being in existence since 1862. The photo below shows the greenhouse structures sitting on the connected barges.

Amsterdam has been developing for a millennium. A thousand years ago it was an insignificant fishing village. This history of the city begins in the 12th century when the extensive marshy peat area was reclaimed. Found these maps giving me an idea of location within Europe

Expansions continued when earthen wall dams were built alongside canals. These expansions were not enough. After 1585 a flood of migrants arrived due to its relative political and religious freedom in Amsterdam. Officials realized a cohesive plan was needed. The city council drew up a master plan in a semi-circular fan shape maximizing the canal belt around the medieval center. Sections were developed as needed and funds allowed. So much I didn’t know.

We found a Canal Museum – Grachtenmuseum – that was very informative and gave insight into their planning and the development of Amsterdam. Definitely something we would recommend to others. Plan 45 minutes -1 hour for the visit.

Also saw this sign right outside the Canal Museum. Nice.

We had reservations for a late lunch so most of a morning was free – therefore we wandered.

Came across the Rembrandt plaza and a kiosk was open for Eric’s first gluhwein.

I tried it – Y.U.C.K. No thank you. A tiny sip was all I needed and it was hard to swallow that.

Later on, the ice rink was open and some brave souls were on it. They had these plastic contraptions for balance (or a seat for little ones). That’s another thing we’re not doing. Don’t need broken bones.

That late lunch? Bistro de la Mer

We sat at the bar (where almost all of the sitting was), right in front of these oysters. Eric was in heaven.

This small amuse bouche arrived first – hot salted lemon. It was okay, I tried it, Eric finished most of mine.

We let the server select the oyster types.

Our first courses came next – mine was divine – tiny Dutch shrimp (peeled) w/ celeriac remoulade, horseradish, pepper and OX sauce for myself, langostines pan-fried w/ beetroot, smoked bacon and sauce for Eric.

Eric had additional courses with this arriving next: Mackerel with wasabi ice cream.

We both had the steamed pike-perch w/ autumn truffle and a sauce of chicory and ham, with endive – delicious.

Eric’s meal came with a dessert: pear poached with white chocolate ice cream and red port sabayon. He shared with me. 🙂

Here are some screenshots of the menu.

It was a filling meal and wonderful experience. We would go back again on a future visit to Amsterdam.

Ginny