All is well on the European front. We finished up our time in Paris yesterday and are now in Amsterdam. Yesterday we went to Montmartre which is a funky little neighborhood in the 18th district and is currently the 'it' scene for trendy artists and musicians. We were there early in the morning so it wasn't very lively, but you were able to get the feel nonetheless. Montmartre is home to Moulin Rouge and also Sacre-Coeur which is the second-highest point in Paris next to the Eiffel Tower. We were able to see Sacre-Coeur but not Moulin Rouge. Sacre-Coeur is a beautiful white-washed cathederal that boasts a pretty impressive dome at the top. It is still used for services today.
We also were able to go to the Louve. We were able to see the standards, the Mona Lisa (and yes, she does stare at you from every angle, creepy really), armless Aphrodite and the original headless Samothrace or Nike. It was also neat to see the original moat the runs underneath the Louve from it's original days as a working castle. The architecture of the Louve itself is really something. There are grand murals scrolled on the ceiling domes that evoke a sense of the Sistine Chapel. At times, the history and architecture of the Louve overshadowed the works inside. After we finished at the Louve we strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries or Garden of Tulips. There were surprisingly few tulips though. We the took a quick look through the Musse d O'rsay which houses a large number of the Impressionist paintings including a traveling Van Gough exhibit that we were able to catch. Finally, we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and were able to get some great photos. Or, I should say, John was able to get some great photos. I pretty much stood back and gripped the railing.
This morning we took the train from Paris to Amsterdam. Train travel is the way to go. It is a shame that Eisenhower's interstate system took off the way it did in the US. Train travel is much more efficient and comfortable. Definitely a note we should take from the Europeans.
Amsterdam is wonderful. Such a picturesque town that feels more like a quaint village at times than the major metropolitan city that it is. Much of the architecture is reminiscent of what is seen in the US, both old and new. Many of the brownstone buildings that you would see in Brooklyn are modeled after the homes in Amsterdam and the modern architecture that many major cities are adopting began with the Dutch. The feel of the city itself reminded me a lot more of home. We took a canal tour through all of the major water ways and bridges which was fun but seemed more like a tourist trap than anything. We are lunch at a local pub and had of course Heineken and toasted cheese sandwiches which is apparently a staple around here. We toured the Anne Frank museum where her and her family were hidden for so many years. The exhibit was powerful and they have done a tasteful job with the conveyance of the message. We just got home from dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant called 'Incanto'. The food was delicious. I had a chickpea and pumpkin (which, by the way, was spelled 'pumpkin', not 'pomkin') lasagna.
The people of Amsterdam are really quite amazing. I am so impressed with the number of languages that are spoken. Not only do the speak Dutch which seems to sound like a beautiful mixture of French and German, most of the natives also speak one or more other languages as well. Everyone that we have met has been able to speak near perfect English and has had no problem conversing with us. Some of them I think speak better English than I do at times. I wish we had more than a day in Amsterdam.
If there is one thing that I have learned so far during this journey and the more and more I travel is that people seem to have more commonalities than differences. I only wish that we were able to focus on these similarities more. I think with a little more understanding, the world could be much more unified.
Tomorrow we take on London and all she has to offer. Time is running out and our trip is nearly half over. There is so much left I would like to see. I guess there always needs a reason to come back later.
This morning we took the train from Paris to Amsterdam. Train travel is the way to go. It is a shame that Eisenhower's interstate system took off the way it did in the US. Train travel is much more efficient and comfortable. Definitely a note we should take from the Europeans.
Amsterdam is wonderful. Such a picturesque town that feels more like a quaint village at times than the major metropolitan city that it is. Much of the architecture is reminiscent of what is seen in the US, both old and new. Many of the brownstone buildings that you would see in Brooklyn are modeled after the homes in Amsterdam and the modern architecture that many major cities are adopting began with the Dutch. The feel of the city itself reminded me a lot more of home. We took a canal tour through all of the major water ways and bridges which was fun but seemed more like a tourist trap than anything. We are lunch at a local pub and had of course Heineken and toasted cheese sandwiches which is apparently a staple around here. We toured the Anne Frank museum where her and her family were hidden for so many years. The exhibit was powerful and they have done a tasteful job with the conveyance of the message. We just got home from dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant called 'Incanto'. The food was delicious. I had a chickpea and pumpkin (which, by the way, was spelled 'pumpkin', not 'pomkin') lasagna.
The people of Amsterdam are really quite amazing. I am so impressed with the number of languages that are spoken. Not only do the speak Dutch which seems to sound like a beautiful mixture of French and German, most of the natives also speak one or more other languages as well. Everyone that we have met has been able to speak near perfect English and has had no problem conversing with us. Some of them I think speak better English than I do at times. I wish we had more than a day in Amsterdam.
If there is one thing that I have learned so far during this journey and the more and more I travel is that people seem to have more commonalities than differences. I only wish that we were able to focus on these similarities more. I think with a little more understanding, the world could be much more unified.
Tomorrow we take on London and all she has to offer. Time is running out and our trip is nearly half over. There is so much left I would like to see. I guess there always needs a reason to come back later.
Awesome! Absolutely amazing. Thanks for the newsy update & great pix. Luff & miss you both.
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