Saturday, October 4, 2014

THE EUROPEAN TOUR SERIES 2013 : AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS


 The Canals of Amsterdam
Date : 11-13 Septermber, 2013

A break from my normal travel adventure, this time I am not boarding the plane or riding the train alone. I will be exploring Western Europe with my good friend and college “barkada” E. Long before the plan of having this trip, E already told me that he wanted to join me in my next travel to Europe. And so, the moment I decided that I will be spending my first summer vacation in WEstern Europe, I informed him of the exact dates so he can free his schedule and make the necessary arrangements for the visa application.

As I have the freedom to plan the whole itinerary, I had it may way. But of course it was with E’s consent since we were together in this trip. For 13days we explored 3 countries and visited 8 cities. Since my arrival in Netherlands last May, 2013, I never had the chance to explore the city capital. It was an easy decision to kick-off our trip in the City of Canals and one of the bike friendly cities in the world, Amsterdam.

De Wallen (Red District)
After I left Rotterdam on the night before E’s scheduled arrival , I went straight to our hotel. I had nothing specific planned in this city tour but the two places I had in my mind was to go to the De Wallen (or the Red District) and Van Gogh Museum. I was very curious to see the famous Red District of Amsterdam. And indeed, the place is literally glowing red with every shops illuminated by different shades of red neon lights, typical of a red  district of course. The De Wallen is the officially designated by authorities for legal and regulated prostitution in Amsterdam. Some may not know that Netherlands is probably be one of the most tolerant countries in the world about prostitution, smoking weed and homosexuality. Though being tolerant, it is very surprising to know that the crime rate is also low. I always have this theory in my mind that, the less controlling the government is, the less crime related issues are. However, this may be only true for the first world countries. No mistake that though Amsterdam is  famous for its Red District, the city has much more to offer. It is after all home to some of the most famous painters like Van Gogh & Rembrandt and the writer of the famous novel, The Interview with the  Vampire, Anne Frank.

Inside Schipol International Airport
Early morning the next day, I headed to the Schipol International Airport to meet E arriving from Doha. The morning chill was evident  of the autumn season. Taking the train from Schipol to Amsterdam, we went straight to our hotel, drop off his luggages, rested for an hour and started our tour. 

Amsterdam actually means a dam of the river Amstel, a small fishing village in the late 12th century and later became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age on the 17th century. Moving around Amsterdam city center is very convenient by walking or taking the train or tram. The train stops are just feet away from the Central Station. Buying the ticket or reloadable train card are available inside the station however, be sure to have enough coins as the machines only accept coins or chip cards (both debit or credit card). The magnetic swipe cards won’t work! 

Canal houses are some of the fascinating architectures that are unique to Amsterdam and are famously know for being narrow. The reason for such was mainly for taxation. Back then, houses are taxed on the frontage of the house thus inspiring the people to build a long and narrow houses. Further examining the houses, I can’t help but notice, each house has this overhanging beam atop the head of the building with a hook attach to it. I learned that these cantilevered beam were used to lift bulky goods by hoisting to each floor and pulling-in to the house via the removable window. With the narrow structure of the house hence the stairs, bringing goods up the stairs will be impossible (genius indeed!) Another structural issue I found intriguing was the very obvious leaning towards the canal. I thought it was the end result of the constant hoisting activities. But actually, it was done on purpose to create an angle hence avoiding  the goods colliding the house facade. We saw alot of these narrow houses and countless canals as we explore the city. 

The Starry NIght by Vincent Van Gogh
(Photo taken during my visit at MoMa, NYC)
Our next destination was the visit to the biggest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world. Honestly, I was a little disappointed because the well known paintings of Van Gogh were nowhere to be found due to the fact that they are displayed in different museums around the world (I've seen some in MoMa, New York and D'Orsay in Paris). Nonetheless, it was really an interesting art collection providing a glimpse of the artist's life and humble beginnings. Van Gogh art works are unique with the use of impasto technique. Impasto technique is the use of thickly textured, undiluted paint that appears almost three-dimensional on the canvas thus leaving a visible brush strokes on the finished painting, a unique signature of Van Gogh paintings like the Starry Night (currently displayed in MoMa, New York City). Van Gogh  is said to have pioneered this technique. 

At the back is the Rijksmuseum
The Van Gogh Museum is located at the Museum Square which is a walking distance to some of the well known museums such as the Stedelijk (a modern art and contemporary art museum) and the newly renovated Rijksmuseum which houses some of the art works by Rembrandt. After our visit to Van Gogh Museum, we went straight to Rijksmuseum grounds and took some photos. One of the famous photo spots is the “Iamsterdam” lettered concrete structure.  We decided not to go inside Rijks, instead we just relaxed and had our quick lunch on the nearby sausage shop around the Museum Square.

View of the Amsterdam Central Station
during our canal cruise
We just enjoyed our time around the square before we headed back to the central station for our final activity for the day, the Canal Cruise. Exploring and navigating the canals at the same time appreciating and learning the history of Amsterdam while sitting comfortably after a very long day of walking was the best part of our tour. 
2 o’clock in the afternoon the next day was our train departure for Paris. The whole morning was just a free time to relax, enjoy the city and shopping time for E.

Next in my European Tour Series is the city of Paris, France.

Inside the Van Gogh Museum
The Garden outside of the Rijksmuseum

 


It is believed that that are more bikes  than in 
                          their current population
 



Friday, September 19, 2014

THE EUROPEAN TOUR SERIES 2013 : COLOGNE, GERMANY

Köln, Germany At Night
More than a year ago in Netherlands, while I was debating myself of what to do for the upcoming long weekend because I was starting to get bored, I made my last minute decision to go on a trip southeast of Netherlands, in Köln Germany. At first, I was undecided to which city to visit but after checking the possible options, Köln is the most realistic and practical choice. It is the closest though still required me to travel by train for approximately 4hours and 3 transfers. There were direct routes but It can give me only a 30minutes difference but will cost me almost three times more. 

That’s the thing I learned as I started to get used to the planning of all my travels. Traveling can actually be cheap! After all, traveling is all about going to new places, exploring new things, learning new culture and meeting new people. It is not about staying in expensive hotels, taking a first class train/plane ticket or shopping (unless you are traveling to shop). Why would you spend hundred bucks per night in a 4-star hotel well in fact you’re staying there only to sleep and to take shower? It doesn’t make sense to me. But, maybe am a guy. It is a different story for women of course. But what I am saying is, you can save by being practical. Again, traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. But, there is one thing that I would normally splurge on...food! I can be very fancy on food.

And so, I bought my ticket online and am all set for my next adventure. I board the train from Rotterdam Central Station and below was my exact route:

Train Route to Köln, Germany
* Rotterdam Central Station - breda
* Breda - Venlo
* Venlo - mönchengladback Hbf
* Mönchengladback Hbf - Köln Hbf

I arrived Köln Central Station late in the afternoon and I headed straight to my Hotel (Günnwig Kommerz Hotel). Since it was a last minute decision, looking and booking for a cheaper hotel is already difficult. August is the summer vacation in Europe so every hotel is fully booked. I had no choice but to spend more than what I would normally spend. The only take out from this hotel, it’s just a walking distance from the central station. Once I get out of the station, I just needed to cross the street and it’s there right in front of me. The additional bucks I spent weren’t bad after all!

In all of my travels, I only have one go-to site for booking my hotel(s). Booking.com is my reliable source of hotel options in every city I’d been to. Aside from the fact that they don’t charge you right away, it also allows you to cancel the booking within specific time frame without costing you a penny. The reviews and comments from different travelers provide the most accurate information in choosing hotel that fits my needs and budget. And being a registered member entitles me for some exclusive rates. 

The Köln, Cathedral
After Checking-in the hotel, I took a short rest then freshen-up myself and I went out. I headed to a huge building situated right next to the central station, an iconic building that dominates Köln Skyline - The Kölner dom or Cologne Cathedral. The cathedral is a renowned monument of German Catholism, A Gothic architecture and a World Heritage Site. In the whole of Germany, the Cologne Cathedral is the most visited landmark. It also holds the record of the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and 2nd tallest spires. The foundation stones of the cathedral was laid on 15 August 1248 and finally completed on 14 August 1880, exactly 632 years from the time the cathedral was commenced. 

The Giant Spires 
The outside of the church is already impressive and its two spires facade is considered the largest in the world. The inside of course didn't disappoint me as it is equally grand from the Glass stained windows, the altar art pieces and the details and craftsmanship of the whole structure. 

Stained Glass Window
I often hear and read the Baroque and Gothic churches before but I had no idea of how to distinguish one from the other. Having been to a number of churches and after doing some research, I somehow acquainted myself of the distinct differences of the two. Gothic always has rib vault, buttresses, large windows, rose windows, towers, spires, pinnacles and orate facade while Baroque often have large scale ceiling frescoes, broader naves and sometimes given oval forms. From the outside, the distinct differences of these two styles are very obvious. After strolling around and taking my dinner, I decided to go back to my hotel and rested.

Day 1
I started the day with a heavy breakfast knowing the fact that I will be doing alot of walking around the city. McDonalds is everywhere in the world and Köln is no exception. So, McDonalds it is for my breakfast.

Inside the Cathedral
I want to explore the church more so I decided to start my day going to the Kölner Dom for the second time. The church is so huge and to appreciate it more, one needed to stay a little longer. As expected, the church was full or tourists both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Inside the church, everyone is dwarfed by its high ceilings and the vastness of the space. But it made me think why it needs to be this high, huge and expensive. I read somewhere a rather eloquent explanation for such. The writer explains and I quote “religious architecture and art were to medieval feudalism what advertising and commercialism are to modern capitalism: A rather effective way to build support for the status quo using aesthetics instead of argument.  My claim, in short, is that Notre Dame played the same role during the Middle Ages that fashion magazines play today. Notre Dame was not an argument for feudalism and Elle is not an argument for capitalism. But both are powerful ways to make regular people buy into the system.” In my personal opinion, it is also a way of showing power by the elites who built them.

Hohenzollern Bridge
A walking distance from the church is Hohenzollern Bridge which crosses the Rhine River. Originally, the bridge caters both the railway and street bridge. However, after its reconstruction due to destruction from WWII, it is now only accessible to rail and pedestrian traffic. While I was crossing the bridge, I noticed the thousands of love padlocks on the fence which is very similar  to the ones in Paris.  Surely, in this time and age, people are becoming more innovative of expressing and immortalizing their love for each other. A symbol of Everlasting love indeed! (Not unless someone got the key at the bottom of the Rhine River!). Going further to the other side of the bridge is a commanding view of the bridge and the cathedral at the further end; a view that has became a promotional landscape of Köln.


On my way back, I stopped by the Museum Ludwig which is considered the most comprehensive Pop Art Collection outside of the United States. It also housed the third largest Pablo Picasso collection in the world (next to Paris and Barcelona). Me being a museum buff, I cannot miss this opportunity of seeing some of Picasso’s art pieces. I am no expert about paintings but visiting museums allowed me to expand my appreciation and knowledge about art and its artist. Since I was a kid, I always love looking at pictures of different paintings not thinking that someday, I will be able to see some of the most famous art pieces by renowned artists.

It is important to note though the restrictions when visiting the museums. Some museums may allow photography and some don’t. Just be cautious and check the signs. Museums are normally heavily guarded with security cameras so even if you try to steal a shot, you’ll just be surprised by a security personnel approaching and asking you to delete the photo. Museum Ludwig luckily allows photography but without flash. I spent an hour or two to explore its unique collections. After the museum tour, I headed to the oldest fragrance factory in the world.


One Interesting information I learned during my trip to Cologne was the fact that “Eau de Cologne” was named in honor of the city of Cologne by an Italian perfume maker Giovanni Maria Farina. When Farina found a fragrance that reminds him of the Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain, he named it Eau de Cologne ( or Water of Cologne). I love collecting different perfumes and having the chance to visit the world’s oldest fragrance factory made me really excited. I was just in time for the next English tour inside the factory. The tour started with the narration of history of Eau de Cologne and followed by the explanation on the processes of perfume making. The tour is normally done in small groups to allow everyone to appreciate the whole experience since part of it is the chance to smell the different types of oil essences and ask to guess the origin. It was a very interesting experience indeed. As a souvenir item, I purchased “Eau de Cologne by Farina opposite the Jüllichplatz”, a perfume that was once used only as a perfume and delivered to nearly all royals in Europe including Napoleon Bonaparte.

During that short tour also, the difference of fragrances was briefly explained by the guide. Fragrances are always catergorized as “Eau de Cologne”, “Eau de Toilette” and “Eau de parfum” but for those who aren’t very much familiar, the simplest explanation is related to the concentration of the essential oils contained on it. Eau de Cologne has the lowest from 2-5%, followed by Eau de Toilette with 5-10% and then the Eau de Parfum  with 10-15% and being the most expensive but the scent stays longer. So next time you buy a fragrance, you know already what you’re buying.

I was surprised of the variety of things that one can do in Köln. And really, the interesting thing is, all the tourist places are located within walking distance and that's very important for those taking a short visit to the city as it allows you to see more for even a short time. Touring on-foot is actually fun as you got to see more places along the way as opposed to taking the subway for example. Whenever I travel, I see to it that I always have my travel body, my iphone. My phone has been my reliable travel companion from maps to best recommended places to see. The Google map provides an accurate direction from point A to B at and the estimated duration of travel. As for the useful information about a particular city, my favorite application is "triposo". 

View of the Square from the Cathedral
I’ve seen a lot already for the day so I just relaxed and enjoy the passerbys at the square right next to the cathedral. The stairs up the cathedral façade is good place to hang-around and sit while watching and observing people. Street performers doing different kind of tricks to attract attention of everyone abound but there is one that stands out. There’s this one middle eastern or Indian perhaps holding a pole with his body seating on an invisible chair and appears floating in the air. A trick that for some especially the kids may look unreal and that person possess some unworldly power. But by careful examination, is a deception hidden inside his loose costumes. Nonetheless, it serves his purpose to attract people and get some money for it. I, for one fell for his tricks as well because he caught my attention.

It was  a very interesting day but going out at night gave me another excitement because I will be doing my night photography. The weather is good hence a perfect night to capture the beauty and glitter of Cologne. And the for night photography, there is only one place in my mind. The daytime view is already beautiful but all the more when all the lights on the bridge and the cathedral are on. It will be a breathtaking view for sure. With my SLR camera and tripod, I headed to the other side of the Rhine River to get a perfect view of the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Cologne Cathedral. When I arrived the place, I saw a number of photo enthusiasts like me trying capture that one perfect shot. Taking a picture perfect shot at night is not an easy task as it requires a lot of trial and error. I stayed for two hours and headed back to my hotel.


The Last day in Cologne

The Golden Chamber
I still have a day in Cologne because my train back to Netherlands is late in the afternoon. And for this day, I have two places planned: The Basilica of Saint Ursula and The Chocolate Museum. The Basilica is unique in a sense that it is built in the ancient ruins of a Roman Cemetery. The one interesting please inside the church is the Golden Chamber or Golden Kammer where it contains the alleged remains of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins who were said to have been killed by the Huns. The chamber is decorated and covered by bones arranged in designs of letter along with the skulls.


There wasn’t a better a place to end my 3-day tour in cologne but to visit a Chocolate Museum (SChokoladen Museum). A structure built on the left bank of the Rhine River directly in front of the old town and a walking distance to the Cologne Cathedral. A building that resembles like a futuristic ship made of glass and aluminium. The museum has three levels and took me into a journey through the 3000 years history of chocolate making from the “Food of Gods” for the Aztec to the modern product that can be a symbol of expressing love to another person. The
The Chocolate Fountain
two main attractions that interested me more were the chocolate fountain, a 3-meter high  foundation where the employee can dip a wafer into the liquid chocolate and distribute it to the visitors  and the mini chocolate factory in full working condition producing real small chocolate bars which are given out at the entrance. With the museum partnership to Lindt & Sprüngli, I was able to watch my own customized Lindt chocolate bar being made for only 5euros a piece. Like any other museums, the gift shop at the ground level has the assortments of different chocolates and flavors.

My 3-day trip to Cologne maybe short, but the length was actually immaterial. At the end of the day, it is all about the memories that I will forever remember and the stories that I can share to my family and friends.


Next in my European Tour Series the City of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Facade of Kölner Dom
The Trick
Scuplture Outside of the Cathedral
The Ludwig Museum Architecture
Kölner Dom At Night
The Cologne Cathedral
Lovelocks at the Bridge
The View of Cologne

Friday, September 12, 2014

THE EUROPEAN TOUR SERIES 2013 : BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

The Atomium
The very purpose of my coming and working to Europe was with the motivation of having to travel within the European union states without border. When I say border means the trouble of applying for a visa every time one needs to travel to Europe. Having a valid working visa in any of the EU member states entitles a person to move and travel around freely and without limit.

I won’t be narrating the adventures and misadventures about my work but what I would like to blog about were the  experiences and the planning involved for each of my travels for a period of one year while I was staying in Europe. This is like my journal so this can be very lengthy. It can be a guide as well for those who intends to visit any of the places i'd been to. And I hope, they can learn something also from my experiences.

It wasn’t my first time traveling to Europe. The first was back in 2003 when I had my business trip to Laappeenranta, Finland then followed by a trip to Milan in 2008. It was during my trip to Milan that I was able to arrange a side trip to Venice, the very first time I planned a trip on my own in such a short time. A lot of courage, a well planned itinerary and enough money to spend are the needed ingredients for an exciting travel adventure. From that experience, I became passionate about traveling. 

I tested again my skills for planning when I decided to travel to Paris, France and Athen/Santorini, Greece back in 2012.  I used to be a very shy and homebody person so embarking on travel adventure alone in totally unfamiliar places is scary. However, I can definitely say that my job has improved my personality greatly and developed my planning skills making me more adventurous.

With no help from any travel agency, I carefully planned and synchronized all my itineraries by just browsing the net and reading travel forums. With the technology we have now, fear is the only deterrent for doing something unfamiliar to us. All the information we need are available over the net, it is just a matter of putting all the bits and pieces of information to make a well organized plan.

On the first month of the second quarter of 2013, I decided to move and work in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A small country located on the western side of Europe, borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the South and the north sea to the northwest. Netherlands has a low and flat geography with only 50% of its land exceeding only one(1) meter above sea level. If you are a person who loves to hike, Netherlands is not the place for you. Rotterdam is approximately a 45minute train ride down south of Schipol International Airport.

The very first holiday since my arrival to Netherlands was a trip in Brussels, Belgium with two of my bestfriends, J and L.


Brussels, Belgium
Date : August 2 - 4, 2013

A trip to Brussels was a planned short holiday together my bestfriends J and L. J works in Madrid and decided to spend  a 10days vacation in  Netherlands. L lives in Rotterdam same as me. for the planning part, I didn’t have to do anything since J booked our hotel. I instead, purchased our ticket online. We took A train from Rotterdam Blaak Station heading to Brussels Central Station (travel time : approx 2hrs). Traveling in Europe by train is very convenient but understanding the train schedules and the correct transfer stations require some careful attention. at first, it looks confusing for new comers but once you get the hang of it, it is very simple (The train schedule looks like this).

               Sample Train Schedule
The train arrivals are pretty much on the dot so just be on the right platform before the train arrives. If you missed the train, you can alway catch the next one provided that you have an open ticket valid for the day.

We arrived Brussels central station with some few inconveniences due to change in the schedule of the trains. One thing I learned about traveling in Europe is to be flexible in any changes of the train schedules due to some unforeseen circumstances. I’d been to many of this kind of hassle.  But don’t be stressed out as there are always different train routes or buses available as alternatives. Worst case is, you end up sleeping on the train station or taking a pricey taxi to the next transit station if you are taking the night train. Don't be afraid though to ask train attendants for information and guidance to save time and money.

Fastfood turkish meal
From Brussels Central Station, we have to walk to our hotel (Meininger hotel Brussels City Center). Meininger hotel is an old factory converted into a designer type hotel with its industrial minimalist look. Occupants of the hotels are mostly millennial travelers. We arrived Brussels past 6pm. After taking a power nap, we went to the city center to grab for some late dinner. As most of the restaurants are at closing time, we settled for a fastfood turkish meal: a sausage with fries and assortment of fresh sliced tomatoes, corns, cucumber, blaukraut (German Red Cabbage) and carrot slices. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and call it the day. 

If one has to paint brussels, the only one place that comes into mind is the Grand Place. But before we headed our way to the Grand Place, we stopped by a restaurant to have breakfast. The Grand Place is a small but delicately sculptured 15th century town square surrounded by guildhalls, city’s town hall and the breadhous (or maison du roi). It is to no surprise that this place is crowded with tourists all day and night because it is one of the most famous tourist destinations in brussels. 

Parade of chocolate shops around the square and within the city area are scattered and no person with a sweet tooth who can’t be seduced by the sweet smell of chocolates and variety of flavors. As we all know, belgium is famous for its chocolate brands like godiva, neuhaus and leonidas. I like sweets but chocolate is not one of them and I don't crave for it. We strolled around and did some chocolate tastings here there. After spending sometime at the grand place, we headed to find the peeing Boy. Yes, a peeing Boy or more popularly known as mannekin pis!. This little statue has became a symbol of brussels and one of the popular souvenir items for tourists. Just a few narrow alleyways from the Grand Place, the boy statue is doing it non-stop peeing power. The mannekin pis attracts thousands of tourists every year and the trip to brussels won’t be complete without paying a visit to this little fellow. We walked along the alleyways and before we know it, it is lunch time already. 

We indulge ourselves for a decent lunch at Le paon Royal, a refined brasserie restauran(http://www.greatmomentsinbrussels.be/en/le-paon-royal/#formules). There are so many type of restaurants but as per my checking,  a brasserie is a type of french restaurant with a relaxed setting which serves single dishes and other  menus (By Wiki). For my lunch, I ordered red mullet stuffed with mushrooms. The food was a bit pricey but it was a treat by L who celebrated her birthday so I don't have to worry about the bill (A lucky man indeed!).


              Lunch menu At Le Raon Royale
We stayed for  couple of hours at the restaurant before we headed to our next destination, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. My two friends are both non-catholics but they agreed to stop by the church before we go to Atomium. I didn’t realize that it is going to be long walk going up the church grounds. The basilica is located in the Parc Elisabeth atop the Koekelberg Hill. The church is considered as the largest building in art deco style in the world. An Art Deco is an assertively modern style ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear. A style that is characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. The Spire of the famous Chrysler Building in Manhattan, New York is one classic example of an art deco. I tried to get inside the church but unfortunately, it is closed. The church is huge thus making it a landmark on the brussels skyline. After a couple of minutes rest, we tried to find an easy way back to the train station. 

The next destination was the trip to another iconic landmark in Brussels, The atomium. As the name suggests, one would expect an atom like design. Indeed, this building is a magnified (165 billion times) crystal structure  of iron. This stainless steel building was constructed for the  1958 Brussels World’s Fair. The spheres are actually habitable and the tubes connecting the spheres are escalators and lifts to allow acces to each of the spheres. We arrived the site almost closing time so no more visitors are allowed to get inside. The view is fantastic and the building itself is very unique. After a couple of photos, we left the place and search for a nearby restaurant for our dinner. 

belgium is just a small country, but there are alot of great places to see and explore like Antwerp and Bruges.  However, this trip with my friends was just a long weekend jaunt. The important thing was, we had a great fun going out on a tour together.


The Grand Place
The mannekin Pis
Sacred heart basilica



Next : Cologne, Germany