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Post by jstampler on Jul 11, 2008 6:52:49 GMT -5
Wow, thats a ton to do in 2 weeks.
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Post by herrbert on Jul 12, 2008 4:51:43 GMT -5
Wow, thats a ton to do in 2 weeks. I think it is not too bad. I would keep the trip to Delft on reserve. I think you will find there is more to see and so in Den Haag then you think. (on a beautiful day the beach of Scheveningen is near.) It's planned to the minute but doable, as the traintravels will never be really long ones. |
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Post by Eagle on Jul 17, 2008 2:07:56 GMT -5
jack, that's an incredibly "busy" Itinerary, with what appears to be a lot of one night stops (I try to minimize those). Hopefully it all goes well for you. Let us know when you get back.
Happy travels!
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jul 23, 2008 18:18:20 GMT -5
jack, I'm actually OK with all the one-nighters in this instance (normally I avoid them like the proverbial!) as the distances you'll cover in each day aren't massive and I guess time on trains can be spent napping! And if you can get to Delft then go for it. Glad to see you're getting to Brugge andBrussels too. You'll likely find that the time you've allocated for Brussels will be fine as you're not intending on visiting the Fine Arts Museum and a wander through the centre of town (Grand'Place, Mannekin Pis, rue du Boucher, etc) will be a nice way to see things before a lunch of moules avec frites (mussels with fries!) and a waffle or two.
Have a great trip!
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Post by madamtrashheap on Jul 27, 2008 19:13:14 GMT -5
btw, are mussels safe to eat in August?  Once upon a time (good grief, I sound like I'm starting a fairy tale!), the rule was only to eat mussels in months that had an "R" in them, but they are farmed on the deltas and the season is now all year round, so munch away! Cool that you get to visit your friend in Paderborn, and again, I think you're aware of the 1 night stop thing so you'lll cope!  |
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Post by Eagle on Aug 3, 2008 23:17:11 GMT -5
jack, no more suggestions at the moment, but I'm glad you posted (it was a good "reminder").
I wanted to wish you Buon Viaggio and hope you have a wonderful time on your trip!!! Hope you have lots of interesting travels, as I'm sure we'll all enjoy reading your Trip Reports when you get back!
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Post by madamtrashheap on Aug 8, 2008 23:19:35 GMT -5
Viel Spaß und gute Reise! Have a great trip and let us know how it all went when you get back. ;D
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Post by Eagle on Aug 30, 2008 18:29:11 GMT -5
jack, Welcome back! It sounds like your trip was reasonably good, despite a few "problems".
I'd be interested to hear your impressions of Paderborn. One of my sons was stationed there for a few years. From what I recall, it's a University town and has some interesting history also.
I've heard good things about Masstricht, but haven't been there yet. I believe that's the home of Andre Rieu, and it would be great to attend one of his concerts there. Regarding your "bias against HI's", I often choose those over independent Hostels and so far the quality has been reasonably good (except for the strong BO that permeated the bedding at the Belfast location).
Your story about the "wacky street musician" reminded me of a person I met at a Hostel in York a few years ago. He claimed that the Government had confiscated (or whatever) all his personal property, so no longer had a home. He seemed to just move about from one Hostel to another.
Glad to hear there were no major problems. Now it's time to start planning the next trip!
Cheers!
(PS - the Boards have been fairly quiet the last few weeks. I'm assuming everyone is trying to get a bit of last minute summer vacation time in?).
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Post by WillTravel on Sept 3, 2008 1:05:33 GMT -5
Jack, that is so unnerving about the tick! Good you were right on it to get treatment. That's one thing I've never worried about at hotels or hostels (I'm almost paranoid of bedbugs, but never considered ticks). I would guess that the wacky street musician probably has some form of schizophrenia. Oddly enough (how is this for free association), I was just reading today that Brian Wilson, formerly of the Beach Boys, has a schizoaffective disorder and is highly medicated for it, although he's still producing interesting music: www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-09-01-brian-wilson_N.htmDid you see the cathedral in Antwerp? I had a great tour there. I wish I had had more time there, and that I hadn't been so tired on the day I visited, because it's a very interesting city. |
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Post by herrbert on Sept 7, 2008 16:22:44 GMT -5
I've heard good things about Maastricht, but haven't been there yet. I believe that's the home of Andre Rieu, and it would be great to attend one of his concerts there. It is indeed the hometown of André Rieu, and there are concerts in the summer (I believe every summer) on the Vrijthof (main square) in the city itself. So with some good planning you could make it one day. Besides that Maastricht is worth a visit anyway. |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 15, 2008 15:48:43 GMT -5
Hey Jack, Since I'm travelling in the same area you are, I'd like to pick your brains  How easy/difficult is the train travel? Do you think two days is enough to see The Hague and Delft? Which HI hostel did yo ustay in while you were there? And Amsterdam...i've got myself getting there on a a Monday and leaving on Friday. Too much time?? |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 16, 2008 7:43:22 GMT -5
My time is really short because I've got to be in Germany by the 15th.
What is holding me up is a tour I want to take of Ypres and the WWI battlefields. It's not offered on Mondays (wouldn't you know!) so I'm not quite sure how to work around that. Of course, it starts in Bruges and that was to be the first start of my trip.
I've been wondering about going to Ghent to start it off instead. Then to Bruges and the tour. I really want to see Passchendaele, etc.
It's once I leave Ghent that my time is up in the air. Des Haag/Delf is one choice, as is going in the other direction and travelling to Apeldoorn. It would be a very different experience as that community is way smaller and there isn't the museums, etc. But there is a great country house there called Het Loo and that looks amazing. There is also the primate zoo which I've heard is quit an experience. I'm also a small town girl at heart and the thought of all these huge cities makes me a bit nervous. LOL
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Post by herrbert on Sept 16, 2008 11:41:26 GMT -5
I'm also a small town girl at heart and the thought of all these huge cities makes me a bit nervous. LOL Huge? |
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Post by mslibrarian on Sept 16, 2008 12:39:02 GMT -5
Herrbert, To me, Brussels and Amsterdam...even Ghent...are big cities. There are just over 14,000 where I currently live |
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Post by herrbert on Sept 17, 2008 11:21:43 GMT -5
Herrbert, To me, Brussels and Amsterdam...even Ghent...are big cities. There are just over 14,000 where I currently live I live in a village with 2,500, but with huge, I only think about Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin etc. The nice thing about Amsterdam is that the center it is pretty small (compared to the other cities) and all the sites are in the citycenter, so you can walk around. |
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