The Canals of Amsterdam and Keukenhof

BIKES!

That is the one word that really sums up Amsterdam. Yes, there are canals, a red light district, legalised pot, and old buildings.  But the bike situation is very serious there! Parking lots with different levels, dedicated to bikes (none of which are new looking).

After figuring out the rules of the roads (bikes rule always), it was onto visiting the various sites of the city.

Picture in front of a canal.

Homes along the canal.

Thankfully, we did not need to visit this centre.

 The main attraction for me was to visit the Anne Frank House. I spent a lot of time trying to get tickets online in order to avoid the 2 hour line to enter the building.  It was so worth it!  I remember reading her diary in elementary school. Then I read other books written by those who helped her family while in hiding.  It was a dream come true to visit the annex and imagine what it would have been like to live indoors for two years with seven other people.

The Anne Frank House is the one in the middle. 

The plaque on the building.

The cupboard that hid the secret annex. I got to go through there!

Anne Frank's bedroom with the various news clippings she used to decorate the walls. 

 It was very cool to also see her original diary with her perfect handwriting on the pages.  Anne Frank House will forever be one of the best tour sites I have had the opportunity to experience.

 We also visited the Van Gogh Museum, after waiting in line for over an hour.  It was interesting to see his progress as an artist over time.  For someone who wanted to specialise in painting portraits, he sure painted a lot of scenery art!

Us waiting in line.

Hey! Look, another canal.

It was then time for a drink so we headed to the Heineken Museum.  

The beer things that make beer (I did not learn much on the tour).

We take our beer tasting very seriously.

After the tour (which was very well done), it was time for a drink. We are still not fans of Heineken.  

 We then did some wondering into different areas of the city. It is not advised (unless you want your phone or camera smashed) to take pics in the Red Light District, so I have no pictures of women in lingerie standing in front of windows.

We were told that Jordaan was supposed to be a nice area with cafes and unique stores.  We walked all over that area and did not see it.  Just more canals.

Hey, look a bench! That looks like fun. Thanks Jordaan!

 Another great museum to see is the Rijksmuseum.  It is easy to spend 3 hours exploring the different areas.  We got to see some unique Rembrandt art (which is funny because we also went to the Rembrandt House which did not contain much of the artist's works).

The Night Watchmen.

They have a whole area for model ships.  I must have been getting cranky by then as Shea is carrying my jacket. 

Obligatory picture of Shea burning in the sun. 

A friend recommended Malaysian food as the thing to eat in Amsterdam. He was right. It was the best meal during our whole holiday. See how happy I am?

 The main draw for visiting Amsterdam during the early Spring is Keukenhof Gardens, the world's larges bulb-flower garden.  It is basically Disney Land for senior citizens.  They were everywhere with their walkers, wheelchairs and seniors' tour groups.  I would like to say we were the youngest people there but someone brought a baby.

It was worth fighting the white-haired crowds though. The arrangements and gardens were spectacular!

Daffodils. 

It looks like Shea became part of the tree.

I enjoyed looking for the rouge flower that didn't belong in specific colour-coordinated gardens.

Each garden was so uniquely designed.  

The tulip fields starting to bloom in the distance.

When in the Netherlands, one needs a picture with a windmill. 

More blooming fields.

A different type of tulip. They come in a zillion different shapes and colours. 

They also had an orchid display inside with a zillion different orchids. 

The crowds.

I managed to find the African Violet display. Made me think of my grandma who always grew these plants. 

After visiting the fields, I came to the conclusion that my terrace needs some major work. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the Netherlands.  Shea and I agree that the short time we spent there basically covered all that we want to see in this country.  With that, we have finally completed one European country out of 50.

Bye Netherlands, thanks for teaching me to dodge bikes!

Venice Carnival

For our February holiday, we had been looking to go skiing somewhere in the Alps.  As we worked through the process of how to book, whittled down where to go, and discovered the costs for last minute bookings, we decided to go to Venice! 

Before Lent, Venice celebrates Carnival for approximately two weeks in order to prepare for the fasting that leads up to Easter. This event began in the 11 century and consisted of over two months or revelry, until it fell into decline during the 18th century.  in 1979, the festival was revived, copying the jubilation that existed in the 18th century. This also made a great excuse to don a mask and costume and parade around Venice, listening to live music and enjoying the sights of this sinking city. 

Back in 2005, I had visited Venice on my own and quickly fell in love with this group of islands.  It's a city meant to get lost in, strolling through tiny alleys, meandering over picturesque bridges, until you find a cafe to sip a glass of wine. Not much has changed since my first visit!

How can you not fall in love with this?

Oh Venice, I still love you!

One of our first stops was to see Piazza San Marco with the remarkable Basilica di San Marco. For a church that took over 500 years to build and decorate, every detail is perfectly designed and sculpted to create a feeling of awe. The interior is one of the most impressive of all the churches/basilicas/cathedrals we have visited.  Like most old buildings, you are not allowed to take pictures inside so you will just have to take my word for it!

Shea in front of the Basilica.

The next stop was to visit Palazzo Ducale (the Doges Palace) where doges have resided since the 9th century, then the seat of the republic's government. It also housed a prison. 

The main courtyard of the palace.

A really cool astrological clock inside the palace.

Shea inspecting some of the various weapons and torture devices. 

One of two rooms fully decorated in paintings from the floor up. 

 In order to get to the jail, prisoners would have to cross a bridge over a canal. This bridge became known as the Bridge of Sighs, after the noise prisoners would make as they left the interrogation rooms of the palace and were moved to their cells. It was the last view that prisoners would have of Venice before their imprisonment.

The Bridge of Sighs

One of the windows on the Bridge.

The view of Venice from the bridge.

 A trip to Venice is not complete without a visit to Rialto Bridge. Unfortunately, it is under a bit of restoration right now with scaffolding and sheeting covering most of it.  But there were far better sights to explore.

The Grand Canal.

I made Shea take a lot of pictures with me. 

A holiday in February does not get much better then this!

One of the zillion bridges we came across. Interesting fact: Venice has over 3,000 roads. 

Shea attempting to enjoy the sun without burning. He did pretty good; just a slight red tinge. 

Because it was Carnival, there were events happening everywhere.  We succeeded in attending a ghost tour in the rain (would not recommend; one murder does not a serial killer make), a bar crawl (so amazing; saw new parts of the city we would never have stumbled across) and a masquerade ball (one of the best experiences of my life).

The masquerade required guests to dress up, wear masks and attend a ball in an authentic 15th century palace. During the gala dinner, only candlelight and classical music illuminated the room.  The meal was delicious, the liquor flowed, and the people we met were lovely. We even witnessed a proposal by a lovely couple from Glasgow.  It was a truly magical night.

Me feeling like a princess!

It is not easy sitting in a hoop dress but it forces good posture!

Shea in his 18th century best!

Because we had costumes, we also took some time to wander Venice 18th century style.

We had our picture taken a bunch of times by random strangers.  Creepy at first, but you get used to it!  

Little girls thought I was a princess!  It was so much fun! 

Our costumes did not really compare to the professionals who spend a year designing and sewing perfect pieces of art.  It was odd at first that these people were not asking for money in order for you to be able to take their picture. They just do it for the pure enjoyment of Carnival.

The professionals all seem to wear full masks. 

They also know how to pose for perfect pictures.

And couples always match. 

But we still had a lot of fun!

And then it was back to stupid 21st century dress. 

Another perfect view of the Grand Canal.

 We also got to experience Venice sinking into the water! Our last day had Piazza San Marco under water due to heavy rains overnight.  It also smelt really fishy so it was a great time to leave!

Most of the Square was underwater. 

The water had risen at least two feet overnight.

 Even with the wet conditions, everyone was still in Carnival spirit!

Cats!

One of the most beautiful masks we saw. 

One more elaborate costume. 

I would love to visit Carnival again but I would do a few things differently in regards to the costume.  I would make sure Shea and I match first off.  That seems to be very important.  I would also wear a white wig with lots of feathers.  Finally, I would dress in costume the whole time!  It was an absolute riot and made Carnival more of an experience that we were involved in rather than spectating.

Good thing the promised gondola ride never happened because of the weather so we have an excuse to go back...