ginnyinshanghai

Amsterdam 2025 – post 2

December 13, 2025 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

December 12, 2025 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

Christmas Markets 2025

December 10, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Something else on the bucket list was visiting the European Christmas Markets. The main request from me was find a flight that heads directly to Europe, no layover in the states. We can build a trip after landing for desired destinations. We’ve not had the best run of luck lately with catching our second flight. 😦 Where were we headed? Amsterdam.

But first a few methods of transport: Uber, plane then taxi.

While Eric was snoozing (unfortunately not me) I saw the sun rise over the horizon.

Just a few hours (ha!) and miles on the plane.

Our hotel was the Tivoli. Eric booked the hotel through our credit card and that had a few benefits. One of which was a free upgrade, if available. It was and we got a canal view room.

Ooops, no photo from the window. You’ll have to trust me.

Christmas abounds. We were greeted by the huge bear immediately inside the hotel. If the bear could stand upright, probably my height!

After settling into the hotel, they found us a restaurant for the evening that was walkable. It is a bit chilly, but we were dressed for it.

Five Flies Restaurant

Why 5 flies? The founder, Mr. Nicolaas Kroese, appeared on Broadway holding in his hand an antique cage with 5 copper flies. His appearance, charisma and strange talent for media soon got attention. Since the late 40’s numerous famous persons from all over the world found their way to the Five Flies, Walt Disney included.

Eric talked with the chef as the route in and out was past the kitchen. The chef likes to work with seasonal Dutch ingredients, preferably organic.

The restaurant is often referred to as a culinary museum dining under old Dutch art. Walls are decorated with beautiful gold-plated leather from the 17th and 19th century. Me, I was shocked at all of the ‘real’ candles in each of the rooms – very romantic. This was right beside our table.

It was a nice meal introducing us to Amsterdam.

Time to navigate back to the hotel and catch up on some much needed sleep.

One last photo.

Florida Turkey Trot 2025

December 7, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Last year I crossed this off my ‘bucket lust’ but doing a repeat in 2025 was nice. This year the weather was not quite as cold. Adrienne said it was perfect weather for running. FYI – I was walking, she was running. 🙂

Southern Hill Farms was the locale of choice, less than 15 minutes’ drive. We had a little fog as we were driving up, but it quickly burnt off.

Had a little time to kill after picking up our bibs and walked around their market. Cute use for empty propane tanks,

Quick photo before getting lined up, all neat and pretty.

It’s time to get queued up. Needless to say, Adrienne was up near the front with the ‘runners’ while I was somewhere in the middle with the ‘walkers/joggers’.

Horns sounded and we headed out.

This was a working farm and the route was only partially on a paved area. Last year my shoes got quite dirty along the route.

And finally the third mile.

I can see the finish line……………..yep, most of us are walking and the crowds thinned out quite a bit. Ha!

Made it! Kind of proud of my time, since I didn’t ‘train’ for it. Run time was 49:01.9, and placed 21 out of 38 for my age group. I’m happy.

A bit sweaty, but found Adrienne easily enough. Had to have the cider donut before leaving.

All said and done – a good morning. Now to eat some real food after waking Eric up.

Ginny

FL Sunrise & Sunset 2025 – part 2

December 6, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Let’s close this out………………….

West coast destination was Anna Maria Island. It had been hard hit in 2024 with Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Even though Helene made landfall elsewhere, A.M.I. faced strong winds and storm surges. Many homes experienced 3-4 feet of water and extensive damage to roads and infrastructure occurred. Good news – none of that was evident! Oh yes, some homes hadn’t been rebuilt but many more repairs were complete. Let’s get on with this.

Silver Surf Gulf Beach Resort was the locale of choice. Loved it!

With three separate buildings, we had easy access to parking and would definitely stay here again. Walking in, very nice set up.

One interesting aspect………………a murphy bed. The above photo shows the couch where the murphy bed ultimately lands. After watching a short video, Eric got it ready.

A small kitchenette was part of the set up.

This spot was not directly on the beach but had their own private access to the beach.

While different than the east coast, still pretty. Man – I’m hoping the clouds go away before sundown, otherwise, the sunset is going to be a bust. This was taken around 2pm.

We had some time to kill before sunset so we drove to the end of the island checking out what shops and restaurants still existed. About 20 minutes before sunset, we headed back to our ‘private’ beach. Yep, it is a bit windy.

Here we are patiently (somewhat) waiting to see if this was going to be a bust. The temps were getting a bit cooler.

I was able to catch this boat zipping across the coastline. It was not looking good for seeing the sun.

And then the sun started to peek through along the horizon.

And………………we’re done.

One more thing on tonight’s agenda – dinner at The Sandbar.

Since our last visit, damage from hurricanes changed (destroyed) their building. Seating outside was nice.

Dinner was a variety of items, sharing dip as a starter.

While Adrienne went running the next morning, I got a West coast sunrise.

As we headed home, one last stop was lunch at Tide Tables (same place as the prior day). Loved the fact we could eat outside in the Florida sunshine.

Smoked fish dish and assorted meals was the order for the day. I got the fish tacos – Loved them! Definitely had enough for lunch the next day. 🙂

Thanks to Eric’s planning, one more thing scratched off of my bucket list.

Ginny

FL Sunrise & Sunset 2025 – part 1

November 3, 2025November 3, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

I had something on my bucket list that still needed to be ‘checked off’. Seeing a Florida sunrise and then heading west to see the Florida sunset.

It was time.

Chosen jump-off points: Melbourne Beach then to Anna Maria Island.

After work, we picked up Adrienne and headed to the East coast. We got there in time to see a sunset on the East coast.

First order of business in Melbourne was dinner – Bunky’s.

Yep, it is a sports bar & grill – but had some good food. TVs surrounded us with a multitude of sporting events to suit everyone’s pleasure.

First up – oysters from the James River, VA. I don’t know if these were exceptionally tasty but they definitely hit the spot. It had been months since we had eaten oysters. They disappeared quickly!

They forgot our fish dip but after a gentle reminder it came out, right before our meal. Regardless, by the end of the night it was gone. We ordered the extra ‘fixings’ of jalapenos, onions and tomatoes.

Selections were:

I had forgotten how much I liked ahi tuna. The above photo doesn’t do it justice – I ate it all and left fries!

Back to the Melbourne Hilton for a nightcap.

dirty martini, old-fashioned and rose’ wine

My alarm went off…………………..1+ hour before needed. 😦 Sorry about that guys. However, I got a good photo from our room.

My Icelandic sheep made an appearance, patiently waiting for the east coast sunrise.

Eric got a good sequence of the sun rising.

One of my shots is below (Have I mentioned that Eric has a newer and thus better phone for photos?), catching sandpipers busily eating before being overtaken by a breaking wave. One little guy was being left behind.

We checked out, searching for a breakfast spot before heading out. This breakfast stop didn’t look like much from the outside (in a strip mall) but the food was fantastic.

It was well chosen!

Onward to the west coast! We chose the ‘scenic’ route, taking our time. We drove south from Melbourne before heading west.

Driving across the state, we came across a number of agricultural industries. First up were these citrus trees. Too many of the fields looked the photo on the right.

Then we started seeing small trees with this netting. That wasn’t surprising since

‘citrus greening’ is spread by tiny sucking insects and this offers some protection from that.

Until………….we came across this farm that had mile after mile of fenced netting for citrus. Yikes!

The cattle industry is also big in Florida. We came across a few herds during our travels.

Traffic was fairly sparse. We started out on this 4 lane highway going due west…….

……before throttling down to a 2-lane road,

Once we got onto the Florida ridge, it was mostly pine trees and palmettos.

Lunch was right before we crossed over onto the Anna Maria Island.

We chose outside seating at the bar – why not, we’re in Florida. Amazing what the right angle and sun exposure will do for a photo – ha!

All of us ordered grouper. Grilled for myself & Adrienne while Eric ordered the grouper cheeks.

Seems like a good spot for a break in this post. More of the coast-to-coast adventure is coming.

Ginny

September 14, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

How often do you walk or run?

Every morning on my treadmill. Love to get moving in the morning.

France 2025 – post 5

June 10, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Final photos and experiences in Strasbourg before heading to Paris.

One morning Rich and I got up before the others to walk the streets early morning. There was something going on……………..

We discovered there were multiple races occuring simultaneously, various lenghts and ages. We made the way to the finish line and this gentleman picked up his daughter about 20 feet before the finish line – very cute.

Walking the historic center, I curated a number of photos. A number of bridges exist for walking or driving. It seemed like all those we crossed had ironwork, nice.

I really don’t like the locks, but I see them everywhere – even in Iceland. Really? Really!

A few city or neighborhood parks were sprinkled throughout the downtown area.

Another use for a tub. This one had a few vegetable plants along with herbs sprinkled amongst the flowers.

One afternoon several of us walked to the University’s botanical garden.

Some of the flowers were similar to those seen at home.

And one I didn’t know……………

I r.e.a.l.l.y liked this insect house we came across in the garden. Hon? Can I have one of these? Can you build me one?

All too soon, our time was up in this city.

We grabbed a ride to the train station before looking to eat somewhere. This place was 1 block away – serving really good food, Restaurant D Steakhouse. I’m sure there are bad restaurants serving bad food somewhere (chains maybe?) but no complaints for the meals thus far.

A meat & cheese plate and duck foie gras were the starters we shared.

A nice goat cheese salad was all that I needed.

Veal cordon bleu (left) along with veal scallops (right).

What is a meal without desserts?

We enjoyed our time in this lovely city. Eric and I visited with friends in 2005 and I remember very little of that time. This visit was an excellent experience. Who knows, maybe we will be back. One last group photo in front of the cathedral.

Let’s get on the train and head to Paris!

Ginny

France 2025 – post 4

June 9, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Food glorious food! We had several more meals that were memorable. Let’s start with another food tour this time in Strasbourg!

Our meeting spot was a bronze display of the historic city center in a nearby park.

Our guide shared details using the bronze map giving us an idea of our walking path and the stops we were going to make. The cathedral can easily be seen below.

Before our first ‘official’ eating spot, we had to make a slight detour and pick-up. This tasty treat – kougelhopf – was being shared at the very end of the tour. But to be sure the bakery still had some available, an order was placed earlier for us to pick up. They have a unique shape (and baking instrument), somewhat similar to a bundt pan. You can see part of one behind the sign below.

Our first stop was the Meteor Brewery – an independent, family-run brewery since 1640.

The beer was easy drinking and served with local sausages, meats and cheese.

Next up – a bit of cheese.

Yes, one of those were a local Munster cheese.

Time for a sit-down break at the next stop at Le Gruber. Most of their patrons were sitting outside, yes, the weather was that nice. We went inside since our group was larger.

Choices were meat or vegetarian. We got one of each to share. 🙂

The last stop on our food tour was a ‘dessert’ tarte flambe.

Remember that first stop we made to pick up the ‘kougelhopf’? Yeah, we were too full and we each were given a mini kougelhopf to eat at our leisure. Thank goodness.

We had walked past this restaurant a number of times as we traversed the area. One day we stopped for lunch – delicious! Another fine choice for eating.

Two rooms and an outside terrace (of course, that’s where we sat) gave this restaurant a capacity of almost 50. It was a privileged gastronomic experience. The salmon with creme-fresh (left photo) and the duck foie gras (right photo) was a heavenly way to start the experience.

All of the main courses were well chosen:

Beef Carpaccio with pesto and Parmigano Regioano.

I chose the creamy risotto with spring vegetables (white asparagus). It was the creamiest!

Pork shank braised in beer & honey.

Steak with tiger sauce and mixed vegetables.

Delicious desserts.

Excellent eating!

While the restaurant noted above was a great lunch spot, we made reservations for one of the oldest establishments in Strausborg for our last evening of dining…….Maison Kammerzell.

Written by numerous journalists around the world as one of the 1000 places to see in your life. Located at the foot of the Strasbourg Cathedral, it symbolizes the Renaissance art of the city. The wood sculptures, murals and the 75 windows with stained glass in a cul-de-boteille fashion, exalt the virtues combining medieval nobility and ancient culture.

A quick shot before the feasting began.

The duck terrine with hazelnuts and snails in Alsatian style started our dining. Seems like every meal has foie gras or a terrine – what living.

My chicken supreme marinated with lemon and ginger (and don’t forget the frites) was some of the best chicken I’ve eaten.

Pan-fried sea bass fillet with saffron rice and veggies.

Veal kidneys and mushrooms, pasta and more mixed veggies.

The last meal selection was Pike perch fillet, ‘Matelote’ style, a Riesling sauce, tagliatelle and crispy bacon – of course it needed the bacon. 🙂

Desserts were no less fabulous: chocolate & banana tart (left) ice cream & sorbet (right).

Pistachio biscuit, w/ yogurt mouse and yogurt sorbet.

We would definitely eat at this restaurant if we ever make it back to the city – yes, it is that good. Then right around the corner……………..

One last post for Strasbourg and then headed to Paris.

Ginny

France 2025 – post 3

May 20, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Strasbourg Cathedral commands attention. Let’s start with a bit of history…….

A Roman settlement existed on this site since about 12 BC. It became a major trading center for wine, grain, and later for textiles and luxury products. The first cathedral was built on the present site about 550–575. The current structure was built between 1180 and 1439.

The original design had two spires, but the second was never built.

It is a blend of different styles of mediaeval architecture. Building started with the late Romanesque choir and transept, superseded by French and German Gothic from the 13th century onwards. The western front, with its bold design and stone lacework, is an outstanding example of the skills of the Cathedral masons.

The tower showcases the excellence of mediaeval engineering and remained the highest building in Europe until the 19th century standing at 466′. Today it is the 6th tallest church in the world and the tallest structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.

Wooden roof beams were prone to fire and were part of the construction. The church was repaired after each fire but at times work was interrupted by wars and political causes.

As with most cathedrals, stories were told a variety of ways. The stained glass windows were a key part of the storytelling. The various colors of glass used added to the grandeur seen inside the building. During WWII the stained glass from this cathedral was removed in 74 cases and stored in a German salt mine.

After the war the cases of stained glass were returned by the U.S. military. BTW – the cathedral was hit by British and American bombs in 1944 with repairs completed in the early 1990s.

The five lower bays on the north side contain some of the oldest stained glass of the cathedral, installed in the old Romanesque cathedral in about 1180. The windows are devoted to nine Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Each holds a scepter in his right hand and an orb in the left hand, symbols of their responsibility as both sovereigns and religious figures. In the 13th century some rebuilding occurred and the windows were reinstalled in random locations. In 1877 an architect placed the windows back in their original arrangement.

I couldn’t resist this shot. This ‘individual’ was looking down on those inside the church – watching them.

I noticed a few tourists looking at the railing to a pulpit. There was a famed preacher with the cathedral who died 1510. A sculpture of his dog was placed on the steps of the pulpit where he once preached, mourning the loss of his master.

One note l discovered while researching talked about the sculptures for this cathedral. The Strasbourg sculptures clearly show emotions – prophets look severe, the Virgins serene and the Virtues look noble.

There was grating on the floor and I saw someone dropping something. Upon closer inspection, individuals were dropping coins or bills through the grate. My photo only shows a small portion – probably a 10th of the full size.

Existence of the organ was recorded beginning in 1260. It was hoisted to its current position in 1327. While very difficult to see in my photo, the bottom of the organ contains a figure of Samson opening the jaws of a lion. The figure has moving parts. I could find nothing else about ‘how’ or ‘when’ said parts moved. A mystery to me.

The current astronomical clock is one of the most famous features of the cathedral and the third one. The first clock was installed 1352. When it stopped working the entire structure was dismantled in 1572. A second clock was completed in 1574 and was remarkable both for its complexity as an astronomical device and for the range and richness of its decorations and accessories. This second clock stopped working around 1788 and stood still until 1838.

The current clock is approximately 59′ tall and shows much more than the official time; it also indicates solar time, the day of the week (each represented by a god of mythology), the month, the year, the sign of the zodiac, the phase of the moon and the position of several planets. A crowd was gathered and seemed to be waiting for ‘something’ to happen. It did. At the very top of my video, you can see the moving parts.

330 – what does that mean? That’s the number of steps until you reach the observation desk. Naturally, we (some) go that distance. Here we go.