April 20, 2011 - Ghent

Hoi All,

We arrived in Ghent early in the afternoon only to find the hotel parking is blocked off as a movie was being shot near the hotel.  We found a public parking garage near by and then checked into the hotel.  By the time we had settled into our room access to the hotel parking was now available so we decided to move the car as it was considerably cheaper.  Once that was completed we headed off to explore Ghent as we only had the one night here.

The foundations for Ghent were laid in the early 9th century when the first Count of Flanders  Baldwin Iron-Arm built the castle, Het Gravesteen, seen on the left to protect the two abbeys from Viking raids.  The old centre as it exists today was built during the 13th and 14th centuries when the city prospered as a result of the cloth trade.  The city continued to flourish during the 16th and early 17th centuries despite the many religious and political conflicts.  After 1648, the Dutch sealed off the Scheldt Estuary, closing off the canals that were vital to Ghent's trade, which led to a decline in the prominence of Ghent.  In the 19th century a boom in cotton spinning revitalized Ghent.

The old town was very easy to get around and we covered all the attractions in about three hours.  I was extremely disappointed in Ghent.  While picturesque with the buildings reflecting two very different types of architecture Gothic and Post Reformation styles I felt it has been ruined with the introduction of trams that run on electric power.  The power wires have been attached to the buildings so views of the historic buildings were obstructed by the wires.  I appreciate that having a clean environment is very important but you would have thought that a better solution could have been found.  I also think that our experience in Bruges tainted my expectations for Ghent.  I don't think that it has the character that Bruges has in my opinion.  So this city will be on the one and done list.

We stopped and enjoyed a drink in the Graslei before heading back to the hotel.  As I was starting to feel ill having not eaten lunch we decided to have a snack with our drink.  It turns out it was more of a meal although it was listed in the snack portion of the menu.  A ham/cheese sandwich covered in a spaghetti type sauce with a rocket salad.  Feeling much better we explored a bit more then headed back to the room to download pictures and  relax before having a late supper in the old town.  We headed back to the Graslei to search for a place to eat and it seems as though everyone had decided to eat late as the place was packed.  We ended up finding a small place on the Kortemunt.  We both started with shrimp croquettes that for me were so-so as they were too pasty rather than having chunks of shrimp in them.  Fred had steak and frites and I had the most amazing ever hot goat cheese salad.  I hope to be able to duplicate it when we get home.  Of course the meal was accompanied with a nice bottle of red wine.  The last photo is of St. Baafskathedraal.

Dag,

Sandy & Fred

April 18-19, 2011 - Luxembourg

Bonjour All,

Today we headed off to Luxembourg and our drive took us from The Netherlands (Holland) through Belgium and Germany into Luxembourg.  On this trip we get to add two countries to our list according to Fred but as we did not stay in Germany I don't think it is a legitimate addition. We drove along an area know as Petite Suisse Luxembourgoise.  The Ppcture on the right is of that area.  We think it is known as Petite Suisse due to the winding narrow roads.  As you can see the language of preference here is French although German is spoken.           

Our first real stop was Beaufort Castle (Beautiful Castle) in the valley of Haupeschbaach.  Archaeological findings date the oldest part of the castle to 1150 but it is suspected that even this part was built upon some pre-existing much older construction.  Built upon a massive rock it was an impressive building with towers one on each corner, a mountain at the back and water moat in front.  Around 1380 the castle was enlarged on the valley side with the water tower being added. Lastly, around 1500 a sidewing was added with its renaissance windows.

By way of background, in the middle ages as a member of lower nobility you had two career choices, that of a knight or a monk.  Castle or monastery was a decision made for them at a very early age.  As young as six you were shipped off to another noblemen for training which was usually a relative.   A rather harsh way of life in the middle ages.  If the monastery was chosen for you it was the dictates of the Benedictine Order, another rigid way of life with no personable freedom. 

But back to the castle, by 1639 it was already falling into disrepair when it was purchased by Governor Jean Baron de Beck.  In the early 18th century the owners of Beaufort moved out of the castle, staying at it only on an occasional basis and by the mid 18th century the castle's fall into rack and ruin began in earnest.  It was not until the 1928 that restoration work began on the castle which was now under the ownership of Mr Edmond Linckels and in 1932 it was re-opened to he public.  In 1981 the castle became a State Property.  You can check out our Flickr site or my facebook pictures to get a true feeling for the castle.

From here we traveled through the valley and into Luxembourg City itself.  Luxembourg dates as far back as 963 when Count Siegfried chose the Bock promontory to build his fortress which was to become, along with St Michael's Church the cradle of the city.  But I think I am getting a bit ahead of myself here.  We found the hotel and public parking and lugged our suitcase and other bags to the hotel.  We got settled into what is a very small room but clean and provides us with all we need and WiFi access was free, so a bonus.  After settling in we asked about parking and it turns out the hotel does have parking.  The clerk tell us it is 12 euros a night and suggests before moving the car that we check out how much it will cost where we had parked as it could be cheaper.  As it turns out it the hotel was considerably cheaper so we decided to move the car.  Getting out of the garage however was a bit of a challenge.  The machine would not accept the ticket and the gentleman that I found to help did not speak English and I could not understand him.  After some sign language of pointing, shoulder shrugging and arms in the air he assisted us.  We paid and escaped back to the hotel.  We then took a walk to get the lay of the land for tomorrows exploration. The area we are in seems a bit sketchy especially the restaurant choices.  However, we found a supermarket and decided to get some cheese, ham, apple, wine and a baguette for our supper.  The baguette was fresh out of the oven and our dessert was a chocolate filled croissant that was warm as well doesn't get any better then that.  A picnic in our room for a great price.

After a good nights sleep and breakfast we headed out to explore the city.  Walking to all the major attractions was very easy.  We stopped at the tourist information centre and the gentleman mapped out a walking tour for us that took in all the major sites in the old town which is what we were interested in. 
We had already passed some of the sites on our walk to the information centre and had taken pictures as it was early and car/pedestrian traffic was light car, which was good for me because I don't like people in my pictures unless I know you.  I know it's strange but that is me.  Fred on the other hand has no issues.

The historic centre which I started to tell you about is bound by cliffs that once made the city an easily defensible strong hold.  In 1443 the best engineers of the time turned the city into one of the most powerful placements in the world, called "The Gibraltar of the North".  The Casements is all that is left of the original fortress.  In 1867 after the declaration of neutrality the military withdrew and during the next 16 years 90% of the defenses were demolished.  It proved impossible, however, to blowup the casements without destroying parts of the city so it was sealed up.  Seventeen kilometers of the tunnel remain and we took time to explore this UNESCO world heritage site.  The tunnels are a amazing feat when you consider when they were built and the depth they go down to.  During the height of their time they provided shelter for soldiers, their horses and housed workshops, bakeries, kitchens and slaughterhouses.  As well as shelters for people during the world wars in case of air raids or shelling.

Before we know it our stomachs are telling us it is lunch time.  Fred spotted a pizzeria in the old section near the Palais Grand-Ducal.  We were spoiled here as they welcome you with a glass of prosecco and two slices of plain pizza.  We picked our pizzas, I had ham and mushroom and Fred had tomato and basil.  We split our pizza's so we each enjoy what the other has chosen.  We also had a half litre of house red wine to wash it all down.  The pizza was made in the traditional thin crust style that we so loved in Italy.  With lunch over we continued our exploration of the town.  We did not make it to the Kirchberg plateau as I was starting to fade and as we were walking I did not want to get there then struggle to get back to the hotel.  Back at the hotel we decided that since we had some cheese and meat left over from last night in the fridge that another baguette was in order with some wine as we had had such a great lunch.  At the supermarket I also spotted Limoncello at a great price so we picked up a couple of bottles to bring back home.  Well that is another country done.  Tomorrow it's back to Belguim and the city of Ghent.

Au revoir,

Sandy & Fred

April 17, 2011 - The Bollenstreek

Hoi all,

Today we headed out to explore the Bollenstreek a 19 mile stretch between Haarlem and Leidem, which is Hollands primary bulb growing area.  Our first stop was Zandvoort, a seaside community.  It was dull and grey and we couldn't see very far out to sea.  From here we headed to De Zilk passing more colourful bulb fields as pictured on the right.  While going through the town we passed many beautiful homes with a lot having thatched roofs.  We saw a deer feeding off a tree but of course cannot stop as there were cars behind us.  The tour we took takes us along canals within the bulb fields.

There were canoes and kayaks on one canal, brave souls had cameras and were picture taking but what a great way to see the fields.  The drive took us along so many beautiful fields that you really need to look at our Flickr site or my face book as I have posted pictures already.  Fred is a bit slower loading pictures onto Flickr as he is waiting until we return to the UK as internet access is somewhat slow for uploading and as you know if you have a digital camera you take a load of shots well at least I do LOL!!  We went through a number of towns on our tour some seaside and all I cannot pronounce. But amazing sites in all.  Noordowijk Aan Zee a seaside town, Katwijk Aan Zee and Rijnsburg.  We saw some very large home in Rijnsburg again with thatched roofs something I would not have expected to see in a major town.  As we drove we came across a number of gardens that have been in a competition of sorts.  The picture at the right is amazing, it was of Garfield and made completely with flowers.

Our last stop was very near the Keukenhof that we visited yesterday.  We stopped at a roadside market and I picked up a couple of Amaryllis bulbs and a tomato kit.  It should prove interesting to see whether the tomatoes grow from seed, but since I've been in the UK I have developed a bit of a green thumb.  We have seen a number of flower hangings on our travels and they had some at this stop.  Oh to have such talent.

We have truly had an amazing time exploring the bulb fields and all my expectations have been met.  We hope you have enjoyed this section of our trip.



Dag All,

Sandy & Fred

April 16, 2011- Keukenhof Gardens

Hoi All,    

We headed off early to Keukenhof Gardens, very early and hoped to arrive around 9:30 a.m. as it is a 50 minute drive from the hotel.  The picture on the right is our first closeup of a bulb field, which is part of the Keukenhof Gardens.  We stopped to get our photo op and the aroma was intoxicating as we opened the car doors.  The field is a mixture of hyacinth, narcissus, daffodils and tulips.  The parking lot is already unbelievably busy and we are in the back lot and back entrance of the gardens.

The property was originally owned by Jacqueline of Bavaria and it bears little resemblance to the games park where she hunted outside of the castle.  She was born in 1402 and died at the age of 35 of tuberculosis.  After her death the property fell into the hands of wealthy merchants.  In 1949 the grower and exporters of flower bulbs held the first outdoor exhibition of spring flowers and from then it became a yearly event. Sections of the gardens are planted by bulb producers who compete for rewards and the recognition of their product.  The gardens cover 70 acres and is one of the most spectacular public gardens in the world.

Now I am sure we all equate the tulip with Holland, however, I found out that was not the case.  Tulips are native to Central Asia and the the Northern regions of the Himalaya Mountains where 60% of all wild tulips grow.  The first tulip was grown in Holland in 1594 (Cadus Cluios) in Mortus Leiden.  In 1637 three tulip bulbs would cost you 3600 Guilders or 13.60 Euros.  Rather expensive when you consider you could buy a house on the canal in Amsterdam for 4.50 Euros.

We spent four hours exploring the grounds and the various different sections taking in the beautiful smells and sites.  There were a number of restaurants, stalls in each section of the gardens serving up food.  The herring to the right did not looked cooked and seemed to be served raw or else they were pickled.  Either way Yuck!!  As we had had a big breakfast we had some mandarin oranges and cookies as a snack (queues for food were extremely long).  There was a petting zoo on the grounds and I finally get my first close up shot of a lamb. LOL.  I had to come all the way to Holland to get one!!
The windmill on the grounds was built in 1892 in Groningen and was used to regulate water levels in the polder.  In 1957 Holland American Lines bought the windmill and donated to the Gardens, it was fully restored in 2008.  We did not go into the mill as like most things in the park they charge extra and the queues were long.

By 1:00 p.m. you can't walk around as the crowds are massive.  Fred and I are definitely not crowd people and decided at 2:00 p.m. to head out.  There was a parade of floral floats that was to go by around 4:00 but given the hoards of people we decided to pass and we took the back roads back to the hotel.

We passed a few more bulb fields but saw mostly farmland with cows and sheep.  A very relaxing drive.

Dag all,

Sandy & Fred

April 14-15, 2011 - On The Road Again

Greetings All,

We headed off  on Fred's 60th birthday to start our next adventure.  I did get some stick about making Fred drive on his birthday but he organized the trip so no worries.  We traveled a total of 268.3 miles in four and 1/2 hours and 5 gallons of diesel.  The trip was uneventful for the most part.  Sometime before London a piece of metal of some sort came off a vehicle and the car in front of us.  We were able to drive over it with no damage to our car.  The traffic was extremely heavy around and past London mostly due to road works.  Past London and near our cutoff there was a dog walking on the highway.  Thank god it got across the road and off to safety.  Our first night was spent in Maidstone in Kent County at the Marriott.  Once we had checked in we headed into an old stomping ground Lenham for lottery tickets (Euromillion jackpot was GBP 25 million) and a pint of Spitfire and 1/2 pint of cider at the Dog and Bear.  We celebrated Fred's birthday with dinner at the hotel and are given  20% off our meal.

Fred had a prawn cocktail, rib-eye peppercorn steak with sauteed potatoes, finishing off with coffee and drambue.  I had a chicken liver parfait, the most amazing pumpkin, pine nut pasta and finished with a medicore Irish coffee. This was of course all washed down with a bottle of Italian wine just can't remember the name.  The staff were attentive but did not hover which was very nice.

April 15th - We had a nice early start and are able to get on our channel crossing a half hour earlier than we had booked.  We did not have a passport check as no one was at the post where we were told to drive through.

The inconsistency of checking really bugs me.  Hopefully I will have no issues when we return.
We traveled a total of 235 miles through four countries in 4 hours.  The drive through France and Belgium is quite nice with hardly any traffic.  It was only real busy in the Netherlands around the bigger cities.  We arrived in Utrecht and got settled in.  The only bummer is our room.  Fred booked online and really did not look at what the regular room was so we have single beds.  Other than that, the room is quite nice with a desk and free WiFi and parking.  We decided to have supper in the hotel rather than going out as Fred had done enough driving for one day.  Timing is everything they say and we sure lucked out.  We were having our starter when two buses of seniors arrived for France.  Our waitress toll us they were expecting a third bus from Hungary as well so it would get quite chaotic.

Fred and I discussed the possibility of a bus trip and decided not until neither one of us can drive and probably then not.  We are really not good at being dictated to as to when or where to get going plus I don't think we are very social in that type of environment.  Hopefully we have at least 20 years before that becomes a concern.  We are also not sure at what age you are considered a senior.  Fred decided if you can get a decent discount because of your age you can be a senior LOL!! Hell we will take any discount we can to make our travels cheaper or have more availability.

Well that is all for now, tomorrow begins our adventure with a trip to the Bulb Fields and Keukenhof Gardens.

Dag,

Sandy & Fred

March 24, 2011- Penrhyn Castle, North Wales

Greetings All,

Another gorgeous day as we headed into Wales to visit Penrhyn Castle.  The castle itself is 200 yards long and has over 70 roofs extending over an acre and is thought to be one of the largest private houses anywhere. It was built between 1820 and 1837 of Anglesey limestone, to the design of Thomas Hopper.  The new castle engulfed another of the same name built in the Gothic style by Lord Penrhyn (1739-1808) some 50 years earlier, and at the same time the remains of the originally medieval manor house.

A bit about the first Lord of Penrhyn, Richard Pennant.  At 28 he was a wealthy merchant, forward looking man, moderniser and improver.  He transformed his new estate creating farms, developing a slate quarry, building roads, harbour and railway.  North Wales was never to be the same.  He provided employment for thousands and riches for some.  His money came from slave trade and his sugar plantations in Jamaica which was typical of the entrepreneurs of the time.

Well enough history, the entrance to the grounds as seen in the left hand corner is impressive but does not really prepare you for the castle itself.  We had lunch at the castle, Welsh Rarebit.  Since I have seen this at pubs before I decide to give it a try not knowing what it was. It turns out it is just fancy name for cheese on toast, who knew.  However we did enjoy it.

We were not supposed to take pictures in the premises itself but we were told by staff that as long as we do not use a flash it was okay to take photos.  The walls are all stone and the carvings in the stone are very intricate.  The woodwork is oak and the archways are plaster, however, look like oak as well in the way they are finished.  Amazing and deceiving at the same time.  All the walls are hung with tapestries that look like the rooms have been wall papered and are in amazing condition.  There were a number of water closets and a system of grills through out the castle in the stone floors that fed warm air into the rooms and were considered quite advanced features in the 1830's.

The most impressive part of the castle to me and I think to Fred was The Grand Staircase Hall.  The masons employed at Penrhyn were local and probably from the family quarry.  The carvings in the staircase are of two contrasting stones and of the highest order of craftsmanship.  The exotic designs both repeating and figurative are mind boggling when you think of the tools of the trade at the time.  While Fred is madly taking pictures of all the details I chat with the steward on duty.  He inquired were we are visiting from. I tell him Liverpool which raises his eyebrows. I then explain how we came to be living there. He knew Liverpool quite well as it turns out and said if he was a city person he could live there because it is a mad place.  I'm not sure what he meant by that but he did tell us some other things we can do from Liverpool, one which I would love to do is a Ferry Tour on the River Mersey and another is a barge trip to Manchester on the canal.  Maybe a trip in the summer.  We said our farewells and headed on exploring the balance of the castle.
It seems the Lord of the time was a religious man.  The castle had its own chapel and it was part of the original medieval manor house but was moved to its current location in the late eighteen century. Daily prayers were compulsory for staff and family.  You can check out my Facebook site for pictures or our Flickr account as there was just so much choice and I have limited space on  the blog for pictures.

We then headed out to the walled gardens which is in bloom with various spring flowers and shrubs.  We only walked the formal garden but there are paths into the forest that go through a bog garden.  It must be very pretty in the warmer weather when everything is in bloom and green.

For the trip home we took back roads and head to Snowdonia and Betws-y-Coed.  We decided to stop in Betws-y-Coed for a rest break and enjoyed a pint of Old Speckled Hen and 1/2 pint of cider for me followed by a bit of a walk around.

On our way back to Liverpool we passed a number of fields with newborn lambs, but unfortunately because of the narrow winding roads there was no place to stop for photos and the one spot we could have stopped Fred was traveling just a bit to fast to make a safe stop as there were cars behind us.  I did get to see the lambs however bouncing around their mom's from my passenger seat.

We had a very enjoyable day out and hope you enjoy the blog.

Cheers for now,

Sandy & Fred

March 22, 2011 - Dunham Massey Hall

Greetings All,

The weather has turned absolutely amazing so we headed out to a National Trust site, Dunham Massey Hall to look at the house and grounds.  I am especially excited as they have a deer park on the site and am hoping to get some nice pictures up close and personal.  The ride in is a little longer than expected but then the nav-chick takes us on a bit of a detour.  Once we finally arrive quite by chance we are quite happy we are National Trust Members, as there is a charge for parking as well as entrance fees both to the house and gardens.

Dunham Massey Hall was initially built in 1616 by Sir George Booth, but was later remodeled by John Norris for George, Earl of Stamford and Warrington between 1732 and 1740; it was also altered by John Hope towards the end of the 18th century and by Joseph Compton Hall between 1905 and 1908.  The hall itself, the stables, and the carriage house of Dunham Massey Hall are all Grade I listed buildings.  There is a bit of scandal in the family's history as one Earl married a circus performer.  Society of the time shunned them.  Rooms in the house are lush and very ornate.  We learnt that when attending a coronation you must buy your own chair and stool.  We saw the chair and stool as well as the gowns that were worn by the Earl of Stamford and his wife at the coronation of George VI.

We are also fortunate to get some insight into how the library in the house is maintained.  We watched them hand dust the books and shelves and I am amazed how much dust comes off with the vacuum and the smell of the dust as I am quite sensitive to it.  The work is quite meticulous with each book being opened and scanned visually.  We learnt how water soaked books are restored. The books are vacuumed sealed up to five times to get ride of the water and then they can remain in a vacuum up to five years. We also got some insight to the problems of wood worm that invade these sites.  Wood worms are prevalent in soft woods or where there has been water damage and they eat into the books as well as the building itself. 

After touring the house we then walked the gardens and really enjoyed the flowers in bloom.  The garden was well maintained with areas of different seasonal flowers.  The moat which I really think is more of a pond as it does not surround the whole house is home to a number of water fowl.  There are a number of signs that advise against feeding the birds bread.  Something I did not know but bread provides little nutrition and swells in the birds belly so they think they are full.  All those poor birds we have fed bread to in Ontario and here in the UK who knew!

On our way out Fred got a perfect shot of a Mallard at rest.  We had a great afternoon and the only disappointment for me was no that there was no deer.  I did ask the ladies on duty where the deer park was, as I thought that I had missed it, and was told I was looking at it outside the gardens and  house.  They also told me that this was the first day in a while that there were no deer.


Ta ra for now,

Sandy & Fred