Category Archives: Travel: Europe

Istanbul’s Bazaars

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We landed into Istanbul late Friday night and arrived to our hotel after midnight, and got to bed around 1am.  I’ll spare you the story about the disaster of our pre-arranged transport story.

After sleeping in and a full Turkish breakfast, first on our list for Saturday was to hit the Bazaars.   There were two reasons:  one, they were closed for the following three days due to Ramadan, and two, we heard that you need FULL energy in order to manage the energy, bargaining and physical stamina required!

The New Mosque & adjoining Spice Bazaar

We walked to the Spice Bazaar, or as locals call it, the Egyptian Bazaar.  There are endless stands of spices and sweets.   We lingered over one and were helped by a really friendly lady so that is where we ended up buying our edible souvenirs.

Here are the goods we bought:

  • Iranian saffron (most expensive spice in the world, we just got a few pinches)
  • Yellow curry
  • Meaball spice (Gabe’s pick)
  • Ottoman spice
  • Mixed apple tea
  • Pomegranate orange tea
  • Jasmine balls for tea
  • Turkish delights – pomegranate gel with pistachio
  • Pistachios, the most delicious I ever tried

After the Spice Bazaar, we headed to the Istanbul Grand Bazaar.   It dates to 1455 and is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the entire world.  We had heard to take a map and have an intention, so armed with this knowledge, we dove in to the splendor of this Turkish tradition.

Good thing we had a map.  Sultan Mehmet II’s idea has blossomed from a simple textile market, to a massive bazaar with 61 streets and over 3000 shops.

We purchased two things – a silver guilded double-teapot and a Turkish towel for a gift. We had hopes for purchasing a carpet but soon got overwhelmed after looking in a few stands.

Here are the tips we learned:

-always negotiate.  Offer 25%-50% of the price they say.   I found that none went as low as 50%, but a 30-40% discount of the original price was offered to me.

-never offer an amount unless you intend to buy.  You can ask how much, but don’t try to get them down in price unless you are going to follow through.

-accept a drink and a seat if they offer – it is customary and not an obligation to buy.   This happened a few times as we looked for carpets.  They’d shut the door, turn on the A/C, and offer us a seat and the most delicious tea.

-pay in Turkish lira vs. another currency (some accepted euros, US dollars, and credit cards)

-if you buy a carpet, handle the shipping yourself. Several of my books talked about the switcheroo that can happen with a lesser quality.

-at the spice bazaar, request that they vacuum seal your goods so they’ll travel better and last longer

Gratitude Friday: A special legacy

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This Gratitude Friday post goes out to legacy.  I have certainly been left a very wonderful one from my parents.

You may remember my post from my trip to Virginia where I discovered some of my father’s memorabilia from his summer trip to Europe.   And my favorite photo that I thought was from Amsterdam?

I had a good friend who actually did some detective work and provided me with more information.  With his work and an affirmation from my dad’s sister that this was likely the venue, it became my mission to replicate the photo.

So, when we were in Amsterdam, we took a canal tour.  Unfortunately, the tours are a bit more regulated these days so I couldn’t select the spot to start from.    But here it is my attempt (special thanks to Isabella for playing photographer):

I realized that now that I have many Dutch friends, I should have enlisted their help to find the exact spot.  Potentially, I should take another trip to Amsterdam to find THE spot? 🙂

Anyhow, many emotions envelope me as the anniversary of my father’s passing comes tomorrow, September 8.   But, I am grateful for the desire to travel  that I inherited from him.  In that, I know I am continuing his legacy.

Bon weekend, everyone!

Amsterdam’s Bike-Loving Lifestyle

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I think there are more bikes in Copenhagen than Amsterdam, but it more obvious in Amsterdam.   Every nook and cranny is filled with bikes.

Typical canal scene in Amsterdam

Bike parking

They even have a bike garage at Centraal Station to contain all of them.  We’d seen it last trip, but it was neat to see it from the water.

Bike garage

This trip, I noticed a “bike boats” that were built to contain some of the ones that were spilling off the street.

Red boats of bikes on the right

The Dutch are very talented at their bike riding.   You often see them talking on the cell phone, and some of the women apply make-up while navigating their bike.  I’d be in a canal if I were them!

I noticed a few things that are crucial if you are Amsterdam biker:

–Many people have “saddle bags” that are meant for their things – purses, work bags, groceries.

–A lot of folks have extra seats, for children or friends.  Even if there was no seat, we saw a lot of people “side saddling” the bike while their friends drove them along.

Image courtesy of bike-epic.com

–Carts are good for multiple children. We saw one fellow driving with his infant in a baby carseat and an extra toddler in the cart on the front of his bike.

Bike with a seat on the back and a cart on the front.

–It’s popular to decorate your bike.  Either by weaving your basket with artificial flowers, or by painting it an unusual color, like bright pink.   Heck, I don’t blame them.  I commented that I’d want a GPS tracking device for my bike since I’d be afraid if I lived in Amsterdam, I’d constantly forget where I parked with the bike storage chaos!  It pays to stand out!

–People with nice bikes have this special system that allows you to lock your bike without a chain-type mechanism.  Ferdinand and Isabella wondered if bike theft was a problem, since there were so many.  Ferdinand commented that as long as you didn’t have the nicest bike, you might be safe!   However, we know someone  living in Amsterdam who had their nice bike stolen, so it is possible.

–Some people who we met in Amsterdam taught us about the term “time travel”.  Apparently if one has had too much to drink, bikes home, and ends up the next morning with unidentified scrapes and bruises caused by a likely bike accident, you would remark, “last night, on my way home, I time traveled”.

–Some of my Dutch friends told me if they see a group of yellow bikes or people with matching parkas, they know to steer clear.  They said tourists are out of control.  I’d agree……when we rode in November, I didn’t fare so well on the bike (almost had death by tram).  But, it certainly inspires me to ride more when in Geneva or in the States when we return.

if I lived in Amsterdam, I’d want this bike

Brussels’ Grand Palace

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When Isabella’s friend heard we were going to Brussels, she asked, “Are you going to see the Flower Carpet”?   To which Isabella replied, “The what?”.   She had not heard of it and neither had I.    Isabella looked it up, found little information, but did discover we’d miss it by a day.   Oh well.

On our Easy Jet flight, the magazine contained a photo and dates which mentioned the 14th of August, the date we’d be there.  The showed how beautiful the flower carpet looked in the Grand Place, the main square in Brussels.  We got excited and re-arranged our Brussels visit to the end of our Brugge trip instead of before.

And, we saw these signs when getting off at Centraal Station:

What…the 15th?   Curses!! We were too early.

We enjoyed Grand Place nonetheless.   It was a gorgeous setting, and I understand why it is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Since we had some extra time to kill NOT seeing the flower carpet, we had a Caprice chocolate for our friend Jen who really recommended Neuhaus chocolates.

We also took a closer look at the preparations.

In-laying the grass must be the first step.

Flowers ready for placement

In case you are curious, this is what the 2012 flower carpet looked like:

Image courtesy of flowerona.

Oh, well.  Maybe next time.  Brussels does the flower carpet every two years.  I am sure it will be easy enough to catch again 😉

Related links:

The Clevelands Pad – Trip Recap Part 1 – Brussels

Canal Wars: The best canals in Europe?

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Having visited and re-visited some of the best canal towns in Europe this summer, I thought I would share our thoughts on the highlights of each.

My ranking scale is done with 10 being a good rating and 1 being a bad rating.

Venice

The entire city is an island full of canals.

The grand canal in Venice

There really is nothing like Venice.  So, it really is a must-do in your lifetime. However, since everyone has it on their bucket list, it is over-crowded, and with the typical summer heat, it can be quite claustrophobic.

Uniqueness:                 10 – there is nothing like it in the world

Quaintness:                  5 – when you get into the back canals, this score could improve to a 7 or 8

Crowdedness:               1 – awful.  When mixed with heat, it’s a -1!

Ability to live there:     2 – couldn’t deal with crowds

Tips: Venice is best seen in the evening, when the sun is setting.  This provides both a more refreshing experience as the heat is less, as well as there is a decrease in some of the cruise ship travelers.  For the budget conscious, take vaporetti #1 or #2 (public transportation boat) and vie for a place on the edge.   Big spenders could go for a evening gondola but this sets you back around 200 euros or $250 USD.  In two trips to Venice, I still haven’t ‘invested’ in this, as I don’t think it is worth the price.

Amsterdam

Dark wooded and chock full of 17th century gabled architecture, this city is romantic and beautiful.   When you add the adorable local shops and restaurants lining its cross streets, its downright perfect.

Amsterdam in the Fall. I have painted this scene three times 🙂

Uniqueness:                   9

Quaintness:                   8

Crowdedness:                8 in Fall, 4 in Summer

Ability to live there:     9, I’d move there in a heartbeat

Tips:  I favored Amsterdam in the fall, when the leaves had fallen and we had better views of the charming architecture when strolling or biking down the canal.   This most recent trip, we took a summer canal tour, which was average.  I far preferred biking down the canals as the best way to see the the beauty and character of this city. 

Burano, Italy

This little island is off of Venice, but it is so different that I thought I would include it as a separate town.

Colorful Burano

Uniqueness:                   7

Quaintness:                   7

Crowdedness:                7 in Summer

Ability to live there:     5, too hot and isolated

Tips:  Quieter than its neighbor, this picturesque canal island is a nice side trip from Venice.   You can catch a boat that is included with the vaporetti pass. 

Brugge

Tiny and medieval, this city makes you say the word “cute” at least 10 times an hour.

Brugge is so CUTE!

Uniqueness:                  8

Quaintness:                   9.5

Crowdedness:                7, wasn’t that bad, even in the summer

Ability to live there:      8 – I’d adore a home on the canal.  But it’s a small town and maybe it could get mundane quickly without big-city appeal & activities?  Plus, I wouldn’t be able to fit in my pants with all the chocolate, fries, beer and waffles!

Notes: our favorite time was walking the canals at dusk, as the sun was setting.   The reflections were magical and ideal for photography. We did a canal tour the following day, but in the middle of the afternoon, it wasn’t as cool as a relaxing stroll our evening before.   

Copenhagen

A merge of classical and modern forward-thinking Danish design, this city was hip and fashionable while maintaining its priority one – Mother Earth.

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn harbor

Uniqueness:                   8

Quaintness:                    5

Crowdedness:                9 – not at all crowded

Ability to live there:      7– I could do it, Danes are said to be the most content people in the world

Tips:  this city had a few canals but was more completely surrounded by a vast body of water vs. small canals.   The architecture and vibe were cool and fresh, but cute/quaint is best reserved for neighboring Amsterdam and Brugge.   We did a canal tour which was a great way to see the city since a lot of it isn’t accessible by walking/biking.

The Verdict

As you can see, the ultimate decision is up to you, depending on how your preferences.    If you love fresh, clean, and green – Copenhagen should be your destination.   If you don’t mind crowds & souvenir stands, for unrivaled uniqueness, go Venice.    For a romantic & charming locale, Brugge is the best pick.   For vibrant color, sunny weather, and photo ops, Burano is a great choice.   And for the most character and culture, I’d always select Amsterdam in the Fall.

Eating our way through Belgium: Mussels

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Mussels were a must do on our Belgium Foods lists.   It’s proximity to the North Sea makes them very accessible.   And, with the shellfish being the national dish of Belgium, we knew we should experience it at least once.

Delivery of mussels in Brussels

We ordered them as an appetizer at Flemish Pot to share as a group.   We had the mussels with wine, which also came steamed in onions, leeks, and basil.  They also offered beer to throw a spin on the traditional presentation, since it was Brugge.

The Flemish Pot. How cute is this restaurant?

The mussels were very fresh, but as a dish,  ranked average in my book.  It could just be that I am not a mussel-lover, nothing against Belgium.

our mussels

Does anyone else have an opinion – where are the best mussels found?  What do you look for in a good batch of mussels?

Eating our way through Belgium: Chocolate

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I feel like I am cheating on Switzerland with my next comment.    Here goes…..

I think Belgian chocolate is better than Swiss chocolate.  

Now that I have said it, let me explain my reasons why.

#1 – I am not a fan of milk chocolate, which Switzerland admits is its best strength due to its amazing dairy cows.  Belgian dark is just….divine.

#2 – Belgian chocolate is more approachable.   I am nervous to go in Swiss chocolate shops in Geneva.  I have heard stories of them yelling at customers.  I am afraid my French won’t be right or I’ll “mess up”, all while shelling out 10 CHF for 2-3 pieces.   In Belgium, they couldn’t be happier to have our business.

At Dumon, they had over 100 chocolates under their counter, without names.   She happily walked us through every single one, while we indicated which ones we wanted to put in our box.    They also gave free samples of basic milk, white and dark, so you could set your preferences or decide if you liked all three.

One on one customer service

At Neuhaus, we explained our friend had recommended the “Caprice” wholeheartedly as her favorite chocolate in the world and that is why we made a pilgrimage to her store.  She talked us through all the options and even let us sample one of the fancy ones to see what we thought.  We ended up buying a few and Ferdinand got a Smurf box set for his sister’s birthday.

Neuhaus’ chocolates

#3 – They have fun with Belgian chocolate – from store layout to displays, its just more fun to shop.   There were storefront that made me blush with some of the displays they had.  At first we thought it was just one racy store.  But about 50% of them had a display which I cannot feature on this blog (we are PG-13 here).

Chocolate Duvel bottles

Milk chocolate mice.

Isabella exploring one of Brugge’s chocolate shops

#4 – They are everywhere.   Literally every third shop is a chocolate shop.  In Switzerland, there are many, but not as many as Belgium.

Chocolate windows are a dime a dozen in Belgium

#5 – More selection – tons more!

This guy is overwhelmed!

Candy-type chocolate

Great selection of pralines

Which truffle will I choose?

So those our my five reasons why I would rather have a box of Belgian chocolate anyday.

And…..If you’ll excuse me, I must run.   I’ll have to dodge the Swiss authorities who are now trying to usher me out of Switzerland…..

Eating our way through Belgium: Frites

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I mentioned Gabe had to work in Belgium a lot.   And I didn’t understand some of his comments about it.   He would literally tire of fries (called frites in Europe).   “They come with EVERYTHING,” he would emphatically say after his weeks there, “sandwiches, main dishes, even omelets!!”   How could someone get tired of fries?

Well, I made it my mission in Belgium.

It wasn’t 5 minutes into our arrival that we were at a fry stand, ready to try.

Cones of fries. Ketchup is not common but whatevs.

Fries at the train station.

Fries at the little sandwich joint.  They most typically come with mayo here. Nasty. I went back and got Andalouse sauce which was recommended. Just okay in my book.  I like my ketchup.

During our dinner at Flemish pot, the waiter came by with an enormous bowl and flung the onto our plates.  They were apparently unlimited.

Why so many fries, you ask??

Well, fries or frites were actually invented in Belgium.    Not France.  So not sure why Americans call them French fries?     For a more entertaining recap of this delicacy, check out this Rick Steve’s videos with a Belgian friteur:

And yes, all of us did get sick of fries during our three days in Belgium!

Gratitude Friday: Belgian Beer

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Waffles aren’t the only thing Belgium does well.
It is also known for its beer. There are approximately 178 breweries in Belgium and several of those breweries make beers that have been awarded the title of “Best Beer in the World “.  I am not a beer expert so I can’t provide support for any claim as to which is the best.  I do believe that I have consumed more than my fair share of beer in life though.  So take that into consideration when I tell you that I still look forward to traveling to Belgium (which I do for work often) for a good beer.

Belgium’s beer is so good they treat it like wine – special glasses and a table chiller

So while in Brugge, with Ferdinand and Isabella, we completed a taste test of what the country had to offer.  We sampled many delicious beers during our three days in Belgium but I wanted to share two of the highlights.

We were up for the challenge of taste-testing Belgium’s finest.

Halve Maan Brewery (Half Moon)

Halve Maan Brewery

The four of us visited the Brugge brewery and took the tour. Half moon is the only brewery stilling making beer inside of the city limits. The tour was interesting but our guide was hilarious and really made it special.

Rooftop of  Halve Maan

Round of Zots. Because Isabella was pregnant, we all had to drink her free beer too.

We tried two beers from Half Moon…Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik.  Straffe Hendrik was the crowd favorite and my personal favorite also.
Unfortunately, at 9% alcohol I had to limit my intake a bit.  Please don’t worry about my happiness though….I plan on having a few the next time I am in Belgium!
Cambrinus
 
This bar is located in central Brugge and has one of the most impressive beer menus I have ever seen.

Behind the bar at Cambrinus

Both the variety and quality of the beer served at Cambrinus was impressive.  Their menu actually intimidated me but luckily Ferdinand didn’t miss a beat.  He immediately asked the bartender for a suggestion.  That question lead us to Westvleteren 12.

Isabella with the menu. This is ALL beer.

A happy man

Westvleteren 12 is international renowned and is brewed by Trappist monks in a Belgian monastery.  Westvleteren has been awarded the title of “Best Beer in the World” on multiple occasions.  And let me say….the beer is delicious!  But don’t take my word for it.  Here are some other expert opinions….
“In my opinion, things are overhyped these days, everything is the best this or the best that.  When I tried Westvleteren 12, which is often regarded as the best beer in the world by beer nerds everywhere, it was everything it was said to be.  Perfect beer is what I would call it.”– JC –  
 
“I don’t have a distinguished palate.  I am not a beer connoisseur.  But even I could tell that Westvleteren was unlike any beer I had ever tasted.  It was such a diamond in the rough that I even went back the next day to have it again.  For the price of a 30 pack at Harris Teeter, the two bottles of Westvleteren I drank were worth every penny.” – Ferdinand –  
The production and availability of Westvleteren beer is very limited so we felt lucky to have the option to throw a few back.  I would highly suggest trying it if you have an opportunity.
Gezondheid  (cheers/health in Flemish)!

Related links:

http://www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/bestbeers_012012.asp

Schwingen in Switzerland – Beer in Belgium,

Schwingen in Switzerland –  Kinds of Belgian Beers

Schwingen in Switzerland –   Belgian Trappist Beers

Eating our way through Belgium: Waffles

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Everyone has heard of Belgian waffles.   Growing up, we had a special “Belgian waffle” mix instead of “regular waffle” mix.    I thought they were just slightly sweeter.

However, my husband has to travel to Belgium quite frequently for work.   Before our official move to Geneva, he lived in a hotel room in Ghent for about a month.   And he was able to taste some of Belgium’s best waffles.   He bragged about how delicious they were, a special formation of crunchy and light.  And best drowning in chocolate.

How much is that wafffffle in the window? The one with the chocolately trail?

He made me jealous enough that I added Belgium to my “must visit” list so I could try these waffles.   And, we finally made it, alongside Ferdinand & Isabella.

Isabella & I had one within our first 30 minutes of being in Brugge.   While the boys had beers, we preferred our calories covered in fruit.

Isabella’s waffle – chocolate & banana.

My waffle. Cherries & whipped cream.

And it continued the next morning.  You aren’t really supposed to order waffles for breakfast, but we wanted waffles no matter what time was ‘typical’.   For goodness sake, we were only staying in Brugge 36 hours.  There wasn’t any time to spare!

My breakfast waffle. Strawberries & cream.

Even with two under our belt, Gabe still protested we hadn’t had a real one yet.  We needed one off the street.   Studying the street vendors, I saw what he meant.   And doing so, I think I learned Belgium’s secret.   The batter is more like a hunk of dough than a liquified batter like we use back in the USA.

There is one of these on every corner.

Waffle batter is more like dough.

Waffle cone for her. A whole waffle with ice cream for him.

Isabella and I split one when we returned back to Brussels, from a little stand near Grand Place.   And we agree….street ones are the BEST!

In addition to fresh waffles, Belgium offered many beautiful packaged versions.  I am glad because when I start going through waffle withdrawal, I know it might be possible to order them online.