Header foto – a selection of sweet, crumbly pastries at Salzburg airport. Yummm!
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Category Archives: BeNeLux
Some quick notes from Europe
Haaj. Hola. Hello! Coming to the end of the first week on vaca. Wi-fi has been spotty to say the least. The hotel in London only had access in the lobby, a real pain. The place I stayed in Alkmaar … Continue reading
More April 2013 news from Europe
From France 24. The Gates of Hell have been dug up in Turkey (not a government building – it’s an archaeological site). From London Independent. This event was linked to in a previous blog post. Ruminations on the reopening of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum … Continue reading
Food, glorious food in Brussels
Last year was my third visit to Brussels and my fourth trip to Belgium. FINALLY, I found time for a bucket of moules (mussels) for dinner. Sadly, I didn’t think to snap a picture. I did get a foto of … Continue reading
Dutch and other European news March/April 2013
From Dutch News and BBC. Two big art museums in Amsterdam are sue to reopen after long closures. One is the Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, among many other masterpieces. It will reopen on 13 April. Also, the … Continue reading
2013 is the last year for Queen’s Day in the Netherlands
From DutchNews. This year will be the last time Netherlands celebrates Queen Beatrix’s birthday (April 30). Next year, they’ll have a king, Willem-Alexander, so the date will move to April 27 and become King’s Day. Still, if you’re anywhere in … Continue reading
Dutch Queen Beatrix to abdicate in April 2013
Just an interesting tidbit from DutchNews. I know almost nothing about the monarchies and monarchs of continental Europe, possibly because they are so low-key. The only time we hear anything about them is if one of them dies or one … Continue reading
Belgian rail suspends high-speed service
From Dutch news. The Belgian rail safety office has suspended FYRA high-speed rail service until it can be shown the service is reliable. This has been a continual problem since the service went up and some regular – and less … Continue reading
Posted in BeNeLux, General magpie travel, News from Europe
Tagged Belgium trains, Fyra trains
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a new Holocaust museum in Belgium
From France 24. A new museum devoted to the Holocaust has opened in Mechelen, Belgium on the site of a Nazi transfer camp that had been the last stop before Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Rotterdam to Antwerp – high speed train only
From DutchNews. A heads-up if you are planning a trip soon which includes taking the train between Rotterdam and Antwerp – the only train beginning on 9 December will be the (expensive) high-speed Fyra train. Budget accordingly.
train prices and schedules between Netherlands and Belgium
High speed rail services between A’dam and Brussels will boost prices by almost 30%. Yikes! From DutchNews. US tourists would do well to double-check prices from RailEurope in case there are savings to be had there. Then there is the … Continue reading
Poffertjes
Pasted from Deutsche Welle Culture page… I had a plateful of these yummy little pancakes sitting at an open-air cafe on the main square in Haarlem, Netherlands almost 15 years ago. I still remember that snack and the late evening … Continue reading
Hague Masquerade on 31 August, 2012
From DutchNews. The last day of August is the date for the Hague Masquerade, a big fancy dress (costumed) dance party. From what I can find, this is the second more-or-less annual edition of this fascinating event. Another intriguing non-touristy … Continue reading
Some thoughts on the eve of Memorial Day in the U.S.
Memorial Day is Monday, May 28th, 2012. It’s a uniquely American holiday and this will be the 144th such observance since the first one in 1865, after our Civil War ended. A friend emailed me about a recent visit to … Continue reading
Floriade is coming – Netherland’s horticultural expo
Floriade, the Netherland’s big horticultural expo, only shows up once every ten years. 2012 is the year. Plants and trees, new growing methods, environmental improvements and more. It runs from 5 April thru 7 October. Click on the link for … Continue reading
Posted in BeNeLux, European festivals, Netherlands travel
Tagged benelux travel, European festivals, floriade 2012
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do a good deed when you’re in Amsterdam
Here’s an idea for something you might do next time you’re in Amsterdam
Posted in Amsterdam travel, BeNeLux, General magpie travel, Netherlands travel
Tagged Amsterdam, benelux travel
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Spring splendor at Keukenhof Gardens; a photo album
Keukenhof, the Dutch spring bulb festival, is an astounding spectacle of spring flowers, so much so that I’ve been to it twice. It’s held every year in Lisse, a small town outside Amsterdam, settled in the 12th century but now … Continue reading
Posted in All Suzanne's travels, Amsterdam travel, BeNeLux, Netherlands travel
Tagged Amsterdam, benelux travel
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Finding General Patton
Several years ago, I spent an afternoon in Luxembourg City. After walking along the bluff that leads uphill from the train station (the long, steep drop down to the Alzette (I think) riverbed is amazing… I mean bungee-jumping amazing in places … Continue reading
2 Days in Bruges
Bruges is one of several European cities dubbed ‘the Venice of the North’. It’s a lovely town with a well-preserved medieval center which includes several canals. I found a small hotel, the Hans Memling, on the Web, centrally located just … Continue reading
Cats, Cats and More Cats!
Cieper – a festival mascot Note - The most recent Cat Festival in Ypres, Belgium was in 2009. The next one is in 2012. Every three years, on the 2nd weekend in May, there is a super-sized festival in Ieper (Ypres), … Continue reading
